Lighthearted - Nail polish nightmare!

Madmeg, are you my long-lost twin sister?
I feel exactly as you describe about make-up, nail varnish, spa treatments and massages and am considered truly odd by most of my friends. I loathe going to the hairdresser's and can just about sit still long enough for a dry cut to keep my mop in shape. The thought of being coloured, permed, roller-ed etc fills me with horror although I have tried these things in the past - and hated them.
I occasionally persist with allegedly strengthening nail polishes in an effort to make my flaking, cracked and grotty-loking nails look a bit better but have decided you can't make a silk purse from a sow's ear after all!

I cannot believe how many are saying that gel/shellac ruin your nails. after about five years I returned for a manicure and was persuaded to have shellac I have had two repolishes and dread to think how my nails are now.

I heard only this morning about women having to have finger tips amputated due to gel nails. Something to do with the ultra violet setting

must get one thanks for this tip.

Madmeg and Scribbles. Me too.
I don’t want chemicals on my nails or on my hair, and the idea of a “pampering” session leaves me cold.
I think long painted nails look witchy, and painted toenails draw attention to less than beautiful feet.
You can look and feel fine without the “enhancements” but it’s what floats your boat I suppose.

I have beeen having gel nails done about every 3-4 weeks for some months.Gets rid of that problem. I have a dark red colour to go with my Chanel lipstick Roiuge Noir. The closest I've found is number 478, called something like Wild Berry.

I bit my nails for around 50 years before stopping (kept telling myself that I was supposed to be too grown up to so it any more. They were left soft and weak. I'm now taking Biotin and the difference is amazing! Thoroughly recommend it. But I need advice as to what cuticle oil to use as my cuticles are ragged (too much time digging out weeds). Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

My nails were in a terrible state, flaking, breaking, splitting and hardly growing. I was going to a 'do' so I went and got them done professionally. I was advised to keep rubber gloves by the sink and to keep cuticle oil beside the bed and apply it every night. What a difference after a few weeks! My nails are hard and strong. I have to keep them fairly short so I can make a tight fist for karate. I'll get them trimmed and a pinker finish on them when I go back in a couple of weeks. I paid £23 and I think it's well worth the money.

I use 2 coats of Sally Hanson Extreme wear,a top coat & then
always a no time dry coat,dries instantly.There is a new type you just drop a spot or two on your nail & it flows all over the nail & dries instantly,it’s Essie,quick-e ,that really works & my nails are perfect.I used to have the same problem with scuffs.

Builder gel is the best ive found. Last four weeks at least

Like many others I have tried salon nails of various types but when the nails or the coatings are removed my nails have been left in a bad weakened state.
I persevered with growing and cultivating my own nails and they usually grew strongly. However, about a year ago they started to flake, split have ridges, were soft and peeled. They were horrible, I tried various treatments and took some supplements specifically for skin, hair and nails, they made no difference.
At the same time, I was being woken in the night with pain down the outer side of my legs, the doctor thought perhaps Peripheral artery disease as nail problems are apparently also associated to that.
After a Doppler and blood tests, it was determined I was very depleted on Vit D, I was prescribed a high dose and then drop down to lower dose to take all year.
Result, no more leg pain and nails are fantastic, I am currently wearing Rimmel 60 seconds Super Shine in Black Cherry, bold but lovely.
I am an outdoor person and an all-weather walker, with a good varied diet so did not guess at that.
I am only mentioning for those that may experience similar nail issues not related to Shellac etc. It could be Vit D.

I only started having gel manicures a couple of yrs ago and loved them but they have completely ruined my nails, They used to be strong but are now flaky, slightly discoloured and very weak so have reverted to ordinary manicures less frequently but these only last a couple of days if I'm lucky before chipping etc. The last one I had I ruined almost straight away putting on my seat belt to drive home, what a waste of money that was!

Irismarle

Skullduggery

I’ve found the PERFECT solution as I’m allergic to gel and acrylic nails plus the chemicals used are dreadful.

Google Japanese manicure.

My DIL is a qualified beautician and facial specialist and her salon offers Japanese manicures.

They buff the nails then use some type of powder and wax to polish your nails to a deep shine and it lasts!

I’ve had mine for 2 weeks and they’re still shiny but I now have nail growth so will need to re-do it but she’s left me her kit.

Honestly, it will be the next Big Thing!

I remember my mother using something like this here back in the 50s. She put a pink cream on her nails and then used a leather buffer which brought up a high shine, just like nail varnish. I think these buffers were a common part of manicure sets then. I don’t know when or why this went out of fashion. It was probably much better for your nails than varnish and chemical removers.

Oh yes, I used to use a nail buffing cream called Carnate and a leather buffer back in my youth (a long time ago!) This was a very fine abrasive paste, which would actually remove the top nail layer, so not to be used too frequently, but the buffer created a very high shine.

I would never EVER have any nail salon treatment, as gels, shellacs and acrylics absolutely ruin your nails due to the harsh removal process with acetone soaks, drying out the top layer of your nails.

I was a nail-biter until the age of 20, when I made a concerted effort to stop, and have worn nail polish ever since, with several layers of Sally Hansen Hard as Nails, followed by two coats of colour and finished with Insta-Dri afterwards.

I have been getting gel nails for several years. I have never soaked them off with anything. The salon I go-to files the gel down then refills the new growth and re-does the gel polish. I very seldom chip or break a nail.
I do use a lot of hand lotion and rub into the cuticles. I don't worry about giving my nails a rest or time to breathe as there is usually a fair amount of growth as I only govin about every 6 wks unless I have a special event coming up.

I had gel nails for my daughter’s wedding some 17 years ago! NEVER again! Ruined my nails - for some time - an experience many OPs have encountered. Now I cut my nails as required, apply cutical/nail oil and file using emery or crystal file. My favourite colour is Bogata Blackberry by Opi - for toes when I go on holiday!

I would never have gel finger nails. I went for a pedicure at
new place one time without realising they only did gel. It looked amazing at the time, but Ididn't even try to remove it myself as I realised I'd have to get them removed in the salon. When I went to a different salon and insisted on normal polish they were not happy, because (for them) gel nails save time and so are cheaper to do.

Gel is what the salons want to do. It's not best for our nails. It's designed to make the salons money because then we will be dependant on them for decent looking nails.

Another thing, many gel polishes need to be dried under UV lights. (A cancer danger)

I use cuticle oil to keep my nails nice and file them, using a base coat, colour and a top coat that's hardening. I even bought the stuff to give myself a home pedicure after the last one I had was really bad.

…and this is the manicure I did tonight - with Sally Hansen’s Rosy Glow, now sadly discontinued. Nail length not to everyone’s taste, obviously, and will be trimmed next time I do them.

For those worried about having problems with the UV light on hands after having gels or shellac applied .. simply apply sun block to your hands before going to the salon...

I have Gel nails, and have had them for several years now applied every 4 or 5 weeks.

Your nails look lovely, NanTheWiser. I love red.

I’ve had mine done with gel for about twelve years with no issues. Once a month, it’s my treat to myself.

These are my nails done yesterday, I know they aren’t everyone’s cup of tea but I love them and admire the young lady who does them for me.

I use all sally hansen products. Base coat, gel colour coat, then gel top coat and using the red bottle,of quick dry. The nail polish lasts for at least three weeks. Been doing it this way for years. I air on side of caution and do nothing for about 1 hr after and never have problems, do whilst watching to 😂

TV

Just went into my local H and M and they have stopped selling nail polish .
I think that it's still available on line .
I wanted a particular colour to go with a brightly coloured dress .
I would have bought Rimmel , but they didn't have the colour - so I bought Essie .

dalrymple23

Am I the only person to have reached this elevated age never to have had a professional manicure?!! My nails were always fine until the recent imposition of various medications - some are soft, some are hard and they all have ridges. Nail polish would make them look like a ski slope! Just curious.

No, you're not, I've never had a professional manicure either.

My nails aren't great, some are ridged, the split and peel easily, always far worse in the winter but it might be due to medication. I've just been told I'm slightly anaemic too.

Last week we were going out to a nice restaurant and thought I'd better make an effort. I bought some Sally Hansen under and top coat and a coloured gel polish, not realising gel polish needed to be cured under an infra red lamp.

Of course, even after waiting patiently for a couple of hours for it to dry, I managed to push it into a wrinkle so off it all came.
What a waste of time and effort!

I'm using Pure clear varnish and also cuticle cream.

Can I just say to you all, it's not the gel that ruins your natural nails, it's the acetone which is used to remove the gel!

I used to get my nails done at a salon every 3 weeks for 3 years, but then the nail tech had to retire due to health reasons. Rather than going to another salon I started doing my own nails at home and have been doing so for 8 years now. I've used different systems, bought better LED lamps and all the time learning from professional nail techs with YouTube channels.

I've just started using full cover soft gel tips, which I apply with hybrid gel and remove with an efile and use very little acetone now. My own nails now grow lovely underneath the soft gel tips, but my nails are naturally very soft and bendy, so I'm sticking with the soft gel tips, after applying I then use coloured gel and a non-wipe shiny top coat. They have lasted up to 4 weeks, but I usually remove and reapply new tips every 3 weeks. I'm 63 and I love doing my own nails - wish I'd had a career change 25 years ago and done a nail tech course!

So please just bear in mind, it's not the gel but the acetone which dries out the natural nails, but if you use cuticle oil and with a bit of TLC, your nails will be back to normal in no time.

Gosh no not an infra red lamp! It's a UV or LED lamp you have to use - LED cures the nails faster than UV in about half the time, so 30 seconds instead of 1-2 minutes! After applying the top coat, if it's a non-wipe top coat then you're good to go, if not then you need to wipe each nail with a lint free nail wipe soaked in acetone to remove the sticky layer.