No More Nails.

As a one time classical guitar performer, nails were always my highest priority!

Right hand: long and beautifully shaped. I found what is known as a squoval was best. The tips had to be perfectly smooth - no nail files, but an abrasive wet-and-dry paper of around 400-600 grade seemed to be best,

Left hand: as short as comfortably possible to enable good contact with guitar strings, and no extra buzzes caused by a fingernail hitting the fingerboard before the string did!!

Both hands: absolutely NO nail varnish or gel as it affects the condition and strength of nails, and ultimately the tone. The fact that, like Marilyn Munro, I have always found wearing nail varnish is painful, is beside the point! And, yes, I do know some guitarists use false nails, particularly in an emergency!!

Sadly, those days are gone. In 2015 I had a bad fall and broke my left wrist. Arthritis set in, and now I have difficulty strumming basic chords, never mind the intricacies of attempting to emulate Julian Bream! So I have acquired an allotment, and am having a wonderful time growing fruit and veg, and wrecking my nails in the process!!

PS. No More Nails is great. I put up a blind at my kitchen window nearly 5 years ago using it as it was a difficult reach. It is still holding strong!

No nails for me.purely as I don’t like the
feeling of them . But I do like my eyebrows threaded and dyed at that glamorous place at back aisle of Superdrug. Husband has been root touching up my hair and I’m giving him the job in future as he’s cheap and doesn’t want to chat. I just have a packet of hairdresser biscuits on hand and he is good to go. Those Lotus little thin biscuits for authenticity !

Another one not having a manicure or pedicure anymore, purely due to the money I saved and my nails being in better condition. I keep them short and shaped and they look nice now.
I will add I still had my hair done and it felt so good.

To oops a daisy, I have a problem too with flaking nails ( ruined through gardening) but if I take Perfectil, I can see the improvement after a week. I recommend it.

I prefer my nails short, and often had gel nail polish. But, like BigBertha I won't be having it done in future. I like my nails as nature intended now, and they are in better condition. I can't wait to have my eyebrows shaped and tinted though - they make a frame for the face, and mine are non existent without a tint. I also won't be having so many expensive hairdressing sessions now - 'hair has grown to shoulder length and I really like it. Day one it is smooth and straight, day two it goes up in a clip, day three washed again. So much simpler than struggling with heated tongs, and my hair is as healthy as my nails. At least that's a good outcome from Covid.

Try folic acid to strengthen your nails. It certainly helped mine not overnight obviously but in about 4 months.

Yes don’t highlight my hair anymore, my natural white hair looks better so people tell me. Saving a fortune!

I considered not having my gel nails redone. I have been having them done for around 20 years. Yes, as others have commented my own nails have suffered badly. However, had them done on Saturday and I’m delighted!

The only times I've bothered varnishing my nails, I've immediately dinged them on something and ruined it all. I spend far too much time with my fingers delved in compost to bother with colour, gel or otherwise. But I'm lucky to have good shaped nails and just keeping them clean is enough attention for them!

Yes, I too have given up gel nails! Having had them done for over 20 years. It’s not just the time of having them done but the 30-40 journey each way. I feel liberated!

I love the look of well manicured and gelled nails but somehow they don’t feel comfortable on me. I’ve had them a couple of times and love the look, but revert to my short gardening nails and some nail varnish for special events. Having my hair cut is essential for me - my short and shaped hair needs a firm hand from a professional regularly. My other luxuries which I have really missed are waxing (hair removal creams just aren’t the same!) and a massage - both booked for Thursday assuming I can get rid of my runny nose and cold!
I think we all do what feels good for us - I have friends who spend loads on beauty treatments and those who spend a minimal - it’s what makes you feel happy and comfortable that matters and it’s not appropriate to be unkind about those with different opinions.

I agree Monica.

Great post M0nica.

Everything I do to adorn myself is to please myself. I do get bored with all the sanctimonious posts making sweeping judgements about those who do it. No, that is wrong. I am sure the people who do that would immediately assure me that everything they say and do is totally non-judgemental.

Well, nothing I do to myself is because I have given in the the oppression of society on how women dress. I adorn myseld to please myself and will continue to do so until I die, or do I mean dye?

I have not had my hair highted and now fighting the battle to go completely grey and like it. It is not me in the mirror I have always been blonde and DGD screamed when she saw me on facetime. DH says stick it out I would have had to do it sometime and he seems to quite like it!!!!! I should add he still has a head full of curly black hair.

I have had my hair trimmed (I decided to try to keep it a bit longer than it used to be), had my usual chiropody treatment, and had my eyebrows waxed and tinted. No more pampering for me until my next appointment with all three experts. Nails never get a look in - my hands work too hard to be precious about my nails.

I've never had gel nails so I don't think I've missed out. I don't think they would last long anyway. I still wash up at the sink and muck out my animals, so a good nail brush and the odd nail strengthening cream does the trick. I believe your nails 'breathe' and gels and polishes block them, causing damage.

I don't have any problem with my nails, however they grow very quickly, maybe I'm eating too much cheese, also take vitamins d daily.
Although I've stopped having my hair coloured since first lockdown, am thinking of trying a home shampoo-in colour for DS2's marriage ceremony in June.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Love the vision of your "long line of well-turned out females" and well done you, I feel just the same.

I'm picturing them like a line of portraits in an ancestral hall, all beautifully coiffed and manicured!

Delene100

Can you please let me know the name of the peel off base coat?

Hi! It's made by Sensationail.
It's brilliant. Amazon sell it. I'd do you a link if I could!
It doesn't chip. You can use it with any gel polish, you do need a lamp.
The night before you want to peel it off, slather your cuticles with hand cream and then peel them off in hot water the next day. I do it in the bath.
The gel actually protects your nails as the peel off layer forms a barrier.

I liked my Dil nails so I decided to have mine done. They looked lovely but I had horrible flakey sore nails afterwards. It's not for me unfortunately but they did look glam.

Can you please let me know the name of the peel off base coat?

I enjoyed all the posting here but the one that had me in tears of laughter was silvercollies 'Totally beyond me why women prance about with artificial nails. What is their Agenda? Perhaps 'I don't do housework or any other sort of work.'?'
It gave me a vision of ladies prancing dangling their nails as they dance about. Really silver cracked me up.

You beat me to it hobbs1 - there seems to be confusion between gel nails and acrylic. As you said, gel is just a form of cured polish on your own nails, no glue. It’s only acrylic nails that involve glue. I have my first appointment for my gel nails on 28th.....

I have not had my hair coloured for a year.
I use brown henna and it is marvellous, I used to use it 40 years ago and it has much improved.
I have found that my hair no longer comes out massively like it used to, or itch. It is a rich dark brown, shiny and soft. The white/grey is evenly coloured and my husband applies it for me every 6 weeks (although I can do it myself, I enjoy having him join in)
I have had to import it from the States as my supplier ran out so I ordered a year's worth which was quickly delivered. Okay I have to pay import tax but there again we have to pay that on loads of things from the E.U. anyway)
I realise after 30 years of £90 salon treatments I am actually allergic to their colourings.
I have saved £900 this year.