"Nail" me!

[Gemme]

Originally Posted by gaea

uh oh..that cant be good.

I swim, i don't have issues like that. is it that chlorine is just no good for fingernails in general?

Chlorine is not good for us, period. It dries and damages hair, nails and skin.

However, it's a necessary evil for pools, jacuzzis, etc.

[SugarLips]

I think the best thing you can do for your nails (skin & hair, too) is to make sure you are getting enough vitamins and minerals. Your overall health and medications you may be taking can effect your nails and breakage as well.

One thing I love to do is once a week take some time to really pamper myself. I take a long bath, put a mask on my face and give myself a good hand and foot massage... It's even better if you have someone else to help!

[justkim]

gaea, it is more the misinformation that pisses me off. I am not upset with you, I am upset with the person who told you this bull-crap...
what ruins the natural nail is illegal products that contain MMA and a heavy handed tech. Most of the non traditional nail places use bigger brushes that contain more of the monomer and you are bound to have it get on the cuticle area which in turn causes over exposure. Let me see if I can find the article I hand out when I taught. I will work on finding it later this week. Sorry for the rant...

**puts her soap box away...

[gaea]

Originally Posted by justkim

gaea, it is more the misinformation that pisses me off. I am not upset with you, I am upset with the person who told you this bull-crap...
what ruins the natural nail is illegal products that contain MMA and a heavy handed tech. Most of the non traditional nail places use bigger brushes that contain more of the monomer and you are bound to have it get on the cuticle area which in turn causes over exposure. Let me see if I can find the article I hand out when I taught. I will work on finding it later this week. Sorry for the rant...

**puts her soap box away...

thanks Kim that is very kind of you and i would appreciate any information you can pass along to me.

taking care of my nails is important to me and i get great satisfaction from doing them myself.

[gaea]

With Ultas Red Carpet Manicure Gel...

I followed the instructions to a tee...the gel took hours to set even having my nails under the light as instructed ....

I think im going to save my money and invest in the "gelish" brand and the light system. The gelish brand is what my nail tech uses when i can go to see her so i already know that is a brand that sets properly with the light system.

[SecretAgentMa'am]

I have terrible nails. They barely grow, and when I do get a little length on them, they bend and tear. They are getting better, though, because I found a fantastic product. Nail-aid Collagen Nail Builder. I know a lot of people love Sally Hansen products, but I've always found them to be lacking. Never did a thing for me. Also, Sally Hansen products are animal tested, which is a deal-breaker for me. Nail-aid is made in the USA, not animal tested, and contains no DBP, toluene, or formaldehyde. It's fabulous stuff. The Collagen Nail Builder promises visibly longer, stronger nails in one week, and it absolutely delivers. My nails still have a way to go to be truly healthy, but I can definitely see progress.

[Rivkeh]

Originally Posted by SecretAgentMa'am

I have terrible nails. They barely grow, and when I do get a little length on them, they bend and tear. My nails still have a way to go to be truly healthy, but I can definitely see progress.

...okay, this year I have started having Shellac CND done when I have a manicure and it is amazing! The colors and the lustre stay beautiful for 2 plus weeks....before that I was having manicures with regular OPI nail polish and was lucky if I got three days. The other great thing about Shellac is that it keeps your nails strong, and therefore you get better growth.

[Medusa]

For anyone who has done the shellac manicures, I found a product that I am in LOVE with:




This is called "Sensationail" by Nailene. It's a kit that costs about $50 and they have about 12 different colors.
The kit comes with the LED light and all the stuff you need. It takes about 10 minutes to do your nails and they are hard as a rock after.

I am in LOVE.

This ends up costing less than $5 per manicure!

[Talon]

Has anyone here tried a "gel" manicure, yet? I've heard they last a long time. And do you know if you can get one if you have tips w/acrylic?

[Gemme]

Originally Posted by Talon

Has anyone here tried a "gel" manicure, yet? I've heard they last a long time. And do you know if you can get one if you have tips w/acrylic?

The acrylic would have to come off I think. I've had the gels done before and I liked them. They didn't damage my nails like acrylic. They would last up to 2 weeks for me, but I am hard on my nails.

I just got my first shellac manicure and I like it too. It's lasted about a week and a half so far, and may make it to 2 before I get annoyed enough to have it redone.

[Princess]

Originally Posted by Gemme

The acrylic would have to come off I think. I've had the gels done before and I liked them. They didn't damage my nails like acrylic. They would last up to 2 weeks for me, but I am hard on my nails.

I just got my first shellac manicure and I like it too. It's lasted about a week and a half so far, and may make it to 2 before I get annoyed enough to have it redone.

I love shellac! My nails stay pretty much flawless for at least 3 weeks. They have kits you can buy to do them at home now too, but I trust that I will mess them up if I do lol!

[Talon]

Originally Posted by Gemme

The acrylic would have to come off I think. I've had the gels done before and I liked them. They didn't damage my nails like acrylic. They would last up to 2 weeks for me, but I am hard on my nails.

I just got my first shellac manicure and I like it too. It's lasted about a week and a half so far, and may make it to 2 before I get annoyed enough to have it redone.

Yeah, unfortunately the acrylic wrecks your nail bed, but I love the length and strength w/ acrylics. Maybe the next time I remove them, I'll try the gel manicure. Do you know if it the same w/the shellac mani,(having to remove your acrylic first?)
Thank you for your response, Gemme.

[justkim]

What type of gel are you thinking about? Something along the line of Shellac by CND, OPI also has a version, actually there are many versions out there. Although you can use acrylic and gel together the person doing the process should be able to do it right. I would suggest finding someone in your area that uses Young Nails. It is the product I use as a licensed nail tech/cosmetologist. I have used OPI and the CND Shellac of those two I prefer OPI. As far as tips go, I only sculpt my nails and steer clear of using tips, mind you this is just my preference and may not be something your nail tech does.
I wish you luck in finding what works for you.

Originally Posted by Talon

Has anyone here tried a "gel" manicure, yet? I've heard they last a long time. And do you know if you can get one if you have tips w/acrylic?

[starryeyes]

I wish I could grow my nails naturally, but I can't. I usually bite them (yuck!) but it's a habit I have never been able to break. So.. I get the fakes. I get acrylics with gel. This serves two purposes, long nails (ya!) and no more biting. I spend about 60.00 a month on fills and about 30 for a new set which need to be replaced every 6 weeks. It's kinda expensive, but I like it! It just HURTS like a mutha when I have to get the old ones ripped off and new ones put on. Every time I say I'm not gonna do it, and just get a regular manicure but I always change my mind lol

[Talon]

Originally Posted by justkim

What type of gel are you thinking about? Something along the line of Shellac by CND, OPI also has a version, actually there are many versions out there. Although you can use acrylic and gel together the person doing the process should be able to do it right. I would suggest finding someone in your area that uses Young Nails. It is the product I use as a licensed nail tech/cosmetologist. I have used OPI and the CND Shellac of those two I prefer OPI. As far as tips go, I only sculpt my nails and steer clear of using tips, mind you this is just my preference and may not be something your nail tech does.
I wish you luck in finding what works for you.

Thanks for the info, justkim...I will have to look into the sculptured nails as a possible option. Are they as strong as acrylic?

[starryeyes]

Originally Posted by Talon

Has anyone here tried a "gel" manicure, yet? I've heard they last a long time. And do you know if you can get one if you have tips w/acrylic?

When I get my acrylic tips, they put a clear gel on top instead of a top coat. You have to put your hands under a UV light for 3 min so they dry. My nails look perfect until my next fill, always. You can pick a color if you want too. They have all kinds of gel colors at my nail salon.

[apretty]

Originally Posted by Talon

Has anyone here tried a "gel" manicure, yet? I've heard they last a long time. And do you know if you can get one if you have tips w/acrylic?

I've been having this done for about 6 months--Shellac is used at my salon.

[CA_BabyCakes]

Originally Posted by Talon

Has anyone here tried a "gel" manicure, yet? I've heard they last a long time. And do you know if you can get one if you have tips w/acrylic?

I found that when i put gel on french tip nails sometimes the gel discolors after about a week. The gel is thick and not removable with nail polish remover so when it discolors i have to return and have it professionally removed. I went back to just using clear coat, which i can remove and reapply myself.