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Gel Nails: Disappointed :(

PrincessBrideWPrincessBrideW member
10 Comments
in Wedding Hair, Makeup, & Beauty Forums
So last week I was on vacation with FH and his son, and we went to visit friends for a week. Friday past we went to get our nails done (figured it'd be a nice chance to try out gel nails to see if I'd like them for the wedding), and already my nails are cracking and looking pretty bad :(  It seems like the gel might be bubbling up underneath the nails in a whole bunch of spots.

I'd love to get gels again for the wedding, because they looked really good the first day that I had them- but if they are going to be cracking and bubbling up again after only a few days, I'm not so sure it'll be worth my while financially and otherwise. 

For any of you lovely ladies who have had gel nails before- is all this cracking etc normal after only a week, or were my friend and I unlucky enough to have an esthetician that did shoddy work?
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Re: Gel Nails: Disappointed :(

  • jtolyjtoly member
    2500 Comments
    I've never tried gel nail but Shellac is so much better for your nails and should last longer when properly applied.
    ~jenn~ Photobucket Anniversary
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  • rnrgirlrnrgirl
    First Comment
    I had the gel nails twice now....and they lasted a good two weeks without any bubbles. The problem I had was once I took the polish off my nails were very brittle and most split. I have a hard time growing my nails to begin with so I'm not sure what I'll do for my wedding either!
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  • funandfrecklesfunandfreckles member
    100 Comments
    I recommend shellac or axxium by OPI.

    However, if your gels are already cracking and breaking then go try a different nail tech. That is not normal. The person who did your nails should also fix them for free.

    My best friend is a nail tech, I always get the permanent polish (Axxium by OPI). I love it.
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  • TahloraTahlora
    100 Comments
    Bad job, Mine lasted 2 weeks looking awsome, then I would go get them filled and the design changed, stickers are evil tho. I got them once and the nails looked horrible but i  was in a hurry and had show up ten minutes late so she had to be fast..
    I have heard that taking gelitain pills hardens your nails and helps them grow nicely.
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  • dogsandfrogsdogsandfrogs member
    100 Comments 5 Love Its
    I also think it sounds like shoddy work.  I used to get them ALL the time, and the only problem I ever had was that my nails would grow so fast that I'd need a fill after only 1 1/2 weeks.  If you have someone who actually knows what they're doing, they should not bubble.

    The gel and acrylics do damage your natural nails, so if you usually have nice nails I'd say you're better off sticking with something like Shellac or Red Carpet gel nail polishes.  My nails are terrible anyway, and having the gel nails put on actually started protecting my hands.
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  • PrincessBrideWPrincessBrideW member
    10 Comments
    So the friend of mine who got her nails done with me went back to see the nail technician, and apparently the problem was that where our appointments were one right after the other, the dryer and UV lights were making the room so hot that the nail gels didn't set properly.

    The nail technician fixed up her nails (she showed me a pic yesterday- and they look great now), and reimbursed her the cost of having both our nails done (the friend paid for mine).  Since this technician is almost two hours away, I can't exactly return to get my nails fixed, so I suspect I will just take them off.

    I'm anxious to see how brittle my nails will be after I take these bad boys off- they were brittle before dues to a health condition (hence why I wanted to try the fake ones in the first place lol)-  If my nails get more brittle as a result of these gels, then I definitely won't be getting them redone.  Are shellac ones less destructive on your natural nails?
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  • dogsandfrogsdogsandfrogs member
    100 Comments 5 Love Its
    Shellac is just a gel nailpolish.  There's no roughing up of the nail like there is for gels, so there's no damage.  If you can grow nails yourself, this is a really great way to go, because you get to keep the natural nail.  You can't get tips put on though, you're limited to only what nail you have.  The only risk of damage is if you peel off the polish as opposed to getting it taken off, but it's nothing compared to the damage of gels.

    I personally love doing Shellac on my toes, but can't do it on my fingers since my nails are so brittle they rip and break fairly easily.  I like getting the gels because I get to actually have length to my nails.
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  • blgroutblgrout
    1000 Comments

    I've never had any problems with gel nails.  Sounds like someone didn't apply correctly or cure the polish correctly.  Mine have always laste 2-3 weeks without cracking or peeling or bubbling.  The only thing I don't like is how it makes my real nails brittle, and I'm not a huge fan of holding my hands under a UV light, so I do them very sparingly.

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  • carrieloomiscarrieloomis member
    10 Comments
    I agree with above posters about it being done wrong. I only get gel nails if I get my nails done and it's because they last for so long without coming up on the edges like regular acrylics do. My last set lasted for a month (they were grown out as all get out but still stayed on strong). 
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