gel manicures

housewifehobbiest · December 2011

How badly do they mess up your nails? I just stopped biting my nails 2 years ago, after having tiny little 1/2 inch nubs most of my life. I still have to keep my nails super short because they split and fray, but at least now they're an acceptable length. I always try to keep nail conditioner and polish on them, as the polish seems to add more strength and they tend to fray less that way. I was given a spa gift card for the holidays, and I was thinking of getting a gel manicure with it, which I've always been curious about. So, will the added strength of the gel polish make up for the drying that the polish causes?

jtoly · December 2011

I get the shellac on my nails. I love it. They soak it off so you don't ruin your nails. The last time I got it done was the end of August. I got a French manicure in the shellac and after they started growing I filed the white part down and was able to paint, on top of the clear shellac, the color I wanted.

arrestclementine · December 2011

It does make your nails feel so amazing and strong. but as soon as they start to chip i feel like it took my nails with it.... And they chipped way sooner than they were supposed to. I was told that it was supposed to last 2 weeks. I think mine maybe lasted a week...Actually i think it was less than a week. Bu whatever. Don't get me wrong I loved it and the way nails felt. But it just didn't last as long as i thought it would.

jtoly · December 2011

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_wedding-beauty_gel-manicures?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:358Discussion:acd59642-f545-45c3-bd78-6defccbd501cPost:f6b38908-5efe-4fd7-bef8-620422598a25">Re: gel manicures</a>:
[QUOTE]It does make your nails feel so amazing and strong. but as soon as they start to chip i feel like it took my nails with it.... And they chipped way sooner than they were supposed to. I was told that it was supposed to last 2 weeks. I think mine maybe lasted a week...Actually i think it was less than a week. Bu whatever. Don't get me wrong I loved it and the way nails felt. But it just didn't last as long as i thought it would.
Posted by amber0389[/QUOTE]

Oh no, that stinks. What kind did they use? Mine lasted longer than a month with no chipping. I used the CND product.

arrestclementine · December 2011

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_wedding-beauty_gel-manicures?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:358Discussion:acd59642-f545-45c3-bd78-6defccbd501cPost:ecad6794-b64b-4943-9ebc-aa7701322b51">Re: gel manicures</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: gel manicures : Oh no, that stinks. What kind did they use? Mine lasted longer than a month with no chipping. I used the CND product.
Posted by jtoly[/QUOTE]

I have no idea - but i think it kind of ruined it for me :( oh well i guess

jtoly · December 2011

Oh that sucks! Look around for a salon that uses the CND products, you'll love it!

msange727 · December 2011

i do my own! i buy gelish and i have the uv light and the manicures are awesome - the manicure won't last as long if you (or whoever is doing the work) doesn't paint over the tip of the nail. but mine have all lasted around two weeks or longer (longer on your toes!), and i beat the hell out of my hands. plus, soaking them off doesn't leave your nails crappy.

blgrout · December 2011

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_wedding-beauty_gel-manicures?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:358Discussion:acd59642-f545-45c3-bd78-6defccbd501cPost:a80a0b1a-cfe0-4219-909f-d476bff22e6b">Re: gel manicures</a>:
[QUOTE]I think I would only do the gel manicures for special occasions because I wouldn't want to put my hands under a UV light very often. (I would worry that the UV light would age my hands.) I'm sure that they are fine to do occasionally, though.
Posted by rebarobert2012[/QUOTE]

Agreed on the UV light. They are not good for your skin...it's not that much different than a tanning bed if you get your nails done frequently. As a melanoma survivor, my onc. said that he would only recommend use of the UV light very, very rarely, if ever. I do think I will do a gel manicure for the wedding, because I need something that won't chip (I chip polish just by looking at it, I swear!), and will probably do a test run here soon to make sure I like the look, feel, etc.

rebarobert2012 · December 2011

I think I would only do the gel manicures for special occasions because I wouldn't want to put my hands under a UV light very often. (I would worry that the UV light would age my hands.) I'm sure that they are fine to do occasionally, though.

krizzo17 · December 2011

I've found that they work best when your nails are longer, so they can sort of seal over the tip. I've had shellac done twice- once when my nails were pretty short, and it only lasted a few days before it peeled off, and once when they were just slightly longer than my fingertips, and it lasted over 2 weeks.

Amt2109 · December 2011

I had a gel manicure for the wedding, as my french had chipped and they refused to repaint (it was the morning of the wedding and I didn't have time to go anywhere else. I've not gone back since).

I found it horrible - but I'm not used to stuff on my nails. They felt thick, and I could barely pick anything up, or scratch my head etc. And they HURT. I have no idea why. Four days after the wedding I went to another salon and begged them to take that crap off.

I got married in August. My nails are 75% normal. It's going to take another month to finish healing.

cebrady89 · December 2011

Get the Shellac kind and not OPI kind...and make sure you know the correct way to remove them! Shouldn't be damaging if the person you go to knows how to do it, and if its a good quality.

heroeswearbrown · December 2011

I've never had issues with it. I love it! I like the look of a full set, but I hate what it does to my nails. I have gotten the UV gel manicure at least 4 times now, it always lasts 1.5-2 weeks. Usually I wind up peeling it off because i'm a compulsive peeler. I've had more issues with a ridge that forms when the nail grows away from the cuticle and catches on things. My nails feel better and stronger during and after a gel manicure than they have in years. And I get the full set look without the added bulk. FI prefers gel as well.

leia1979 · December 2011

A gel manicure, if done right, shouldn't damage your nails or feel thick. It's thicker than just nail polish, but probably only 1/4 the thickness of acrylic.

I've been doing my own gel manicures with Gelish for two months now. I get two weeks out of it (three if I do a fill). Mine only ever lift near the cuticle. When doing it myself, I sometimes struggle getting it close to the cuticle without going on it.

Sp2012 · December 2011

I've done gel manicures maybe 3-4 times. I do find it rough on my nails so I save it for special occasions.

The first time I had an OPI Axxium french manicure & loved it... but I did not love the soak off process. After soaking for a number of minutes the manicurist uses a cuticle pushing tool, or similar device, to scrape the polish off, then after this there is a lot of buffing to smooth down your top layer of nail. I've had Gelish or CND the last time I got a gel manicure and found that it came off much more easily than OPI, so will request this when I do it again.

However... don't know if this is my fault for not pointing it out, but each time I've had the gel polish soak off, the manicurist has never gotten 100% of the gel off, I usually end up with remaining clear bumpy areas on my nails still. And I've had my gels removed at 3 different salons, so it's not specific to any one manicurist!

JJJ625 · December 2011

As someone else said, go with Shellac instead of OPI. OPI tends to be some of the best resular nail polish, but their gel is super thick both in feel and look.

I get Shellac manicures, and my nails have never felt stronger or grown longer. When I get color it looks good for around 10 days before it starts to grow out too much. Last time, I got a French and it lasted 3 weeks. Totally worth it, IMHO.

lilyly · December 2011

Until you try gel manicures, you don't realize how awesome they are. They last forever! or at least feels that way. i can wash dishes and it still looks great. If I could afford it, i'd stick with gel manicures and do away with regular polishes. Just annoying reapplying when it comes off.

skantrowitz · December 2011

I had gel nails for several months a few years ago. I absolutely loved how they looked, and they almost never chipped, but my nails were super weak when I took them off and took a long time to recover.

[Deleted User] · December 2011

I use Shellac and I love it. No problems with my nails, at all. The first time I did it, it felt strange for the first day, but now I'm hooked. Mine tend to last 2+ weeks and I'm hard on my nails.

jgonder · December 2011

I use the gel polish and have for months. They soak it off- so it doesnt hurt your nails. But if you leave it on for more then 2.5 weeks it will start to crack and such and can peel ur nail right off it you break a nail. My nails are finally growing and getting even stronger. It is not heavy or think when done correctly. There should be a base coat, color, and a top coat. Each is cured in the uv hand lamp. The uv allows it to harden and seal. I can go almost 3 weeks before going back and I would only last 3 days before my normal polish started peeling. BE sure your nail artist paints well!! If the polish is on ur cuticles or sides of your fingers it will not hav a clean bond, seal and thus peel right off because water can get underneath it.
Find a good beauty salon-not the place next to kroger to go to.

BMcLeodTeam · December 2011

Enjoyed reading all these tips, been debating doing this myself. Thanks ladies!

Zimsgirl · December 2011

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_wedding-beauty_gel-manicures?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:358Discussion:acd59642-f545-45c3-bd78-6defccbd501cPost:7c895f57-5e1e-4a1a-92c7-d40dbef9b822">Re: gel manicures</a>:
[QUOTE]I get the shellac on my nails. I love it. They soak it off so you don't ruin your nails. The last time I got it done was the end of August. I got a French manicure in the shellac and after they started growing I filed the white part down and was able to paint, on top of the clear shellac, the color I wanted.
Posted by jtoly[/QUOTE]<div>I picked mine off so maybe that's why they didn't feel great lol.</div><div>BTW jealous of where you're getting married. That's where our HM is</div><div>
</div>

susanjd9 · December 2011

I love gel manicures! They make your nails look good and prevent them from breaking when the polish is on. I have a bad habit of biting my nails and the only time I can grow them is with gel polish. But my nails are also weak bc I used to get acrylics. They usually only last two weeks for me tho until they start to peel a little and I end up just peeling it all off.

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