The gel nails - question - YouLookFab Forum

The gel nails I got for the wedding are still going strong, two weeks later. Not a single chip. I am amazed!!

However they have grown out quite a bit, which bugs me, and I'm about to leave on a week long business trip. So I have questions for you all...

1. Do you notice when people's nails have grown out? (The polish is dark, so more noticeable than if I'd gone with light). Bear in mind, I'll be in business meetings/professional setting. If I wasn't traveling on business, I could live with them just fine.

2. I am tempted to cut the nails down because they are now longer than I like. They don't look ratty at the tips at all though, which they usually do by this time. I just prefer my nails shorter. But I am worried if I cut them, that they'll then chip at the edge? Better to just leave them "as is" for now?

3. Should I go get them done again before I take off on my trip? I am worried about doing this too often. I could get a regular manicure rather than gels (to cover up any damage) but I am notorious for ruining regular manicures within 24-48 hours.... and no, I can't do them myself. I am seriously awful at painting my own nails.

What do you think?

10 years ago

Jules

Veteran

Well, I think the growth might be more obvious if you trim them (higher proportion of unpainted nail).
So I have terrible hand-grooming. I envy the manicured but can't handle the upkeep. I do notice when people's manicures are growing out, but not in a judgmental or even negative way - I just notice. I'd only consider a chipped manicure unprofessional - and even then, I don't judge business performance by it. But then I'm in hands-on tech, so women tend to be quite low-maintenance. The well-groomed/dressed woman stands out, and I'd be a fool to underestimate the skills of the ones with stained shirts and chipped nails.

Meredith

From my experience with gels, yours are on their last leg. Mine normally start peeling from the growth end of the nail, not the tip. I'd take care if it (remove the polish or have them redone) before your trip because within a few days they will be bugging you and you won't be able to easily remove the polish yourself.

shiny

Meredith, that's exactly what I was wondering about. It does seem like when they start peeling it'll be from the growth end, and if it happens while I'm traveling, you are right -- it will bug me!

Which do you think is better approach - removing or having them redone?

I know they say that gel nails are supposed to leave your nails worse, but right now they feel better - stronger etc. But I also don't want to get stuck in a cycle where I'm having them done every 2 weeks (as I am traveling about twice a month). I really do love the effect, just worried if it'll destroy my nails over time?

Then again I dunno.. nails and hair grow fast enough, don't they?

Oh, I'm not the best person to ask about the effects over time. I get the gels done probably 4 times a year, not regularly.

My understanding is that the damage comes partially from the UV light, but mostly from the improper removal of polish (by me picking at the polish or by a nail tech scraping the nail bed). You won't know how well your salon handles the removal until you try it, but definitely let the pros do the work. I've tried several home methods and have always been disappointed. But even after my poor attempts my nails seem to bounce back fairly quickly.

Hopefully a few folks who get manicures regularly will chime in about the long-term effects.

Meow

I just removed my first ever gel nails. I got them for the holidays and loved them but had the exact same concerns you're talking about. They were too long with the growth end getting thin and ragged after an amazing 2 weeks of hard use. I decided to remove them myself from information on Pinterest. You never know if Pinterest is accurate or not - right!?! But I thought , hey it's worth a try. I soaked them in acetone nail remover for about 15 minutes and then just scraped off the polish with a cuticle stick I happened to have. Easy peasy. I didn't notice any damage or dry nails but I did moisturize like crazy right after - per the Pinterst instructions. I've decide to wait to get another set of gel nails because I'm not really going anywhere and I've heard its good to not get gels too often. So I'm not sure how they would wear if I didn't remove them so I can't speak for how much longer than 2 weeks they would last but you could always just remove them in your hotel room if they start looking bad.

Deborah

How are your natural nails? I do notice womens' (and mens') nails, possibly because I am quite meticulous about my own I am a little odd in that chipped or seriously grown out nail polish, acrylic nails, etc can be a real distraction to me. I would always recommend first doing you own nails but I see you don't feel you do them well. Anything done at the salon is really going to require ongoing maintenance and cost. I do my own nails about once every 4 days. I am have just bought a gel nail polish and will be interested to see how long that lasts. Practice makes perfect, and with the quick dry products may weekly manicure, done by me takes maybe 20 mins:)

carter

I'm a big stickler for well-groomed hands, so I vote for re-doing the gel. A you said, if you were staying home, it wouldn't be a big deal.

Deborah, I rarely wear polish on my fingernails and instead just keep my nails neat and trim and natural. They are okay I suppose. They can and will grow quite long, so I suppose they are strong; I just don't like them long. My concern is that when the polish is removed they may not look so good?

I think I will go to the salon today and have the polish removed, then decide there whether to get them done again, or just go back to natural. I don't want to attempt to remove the polish by myself, just in case.

kkards

yup, one of the downsides of gel is that it can become an ongoing proposition, they either require upkeep every 2 weeks or you need to take the gel off.

jackiec

I'm assuming this is the same as what we also call shellac polish here? The kind that cures under the UV lights? As opposed to the acrylic nails also applied in the salon? I've been doing shellac probably twice a year, usually when we are going on vacation. I love the staying power and the shine. I just had it done for our recent vacation and it was the best ever - lasting a solid 2.5 weeks. I find that towards the end you can see little spots where it's coming loose, so to speak, and you can grab it and peel it off. I am GUILTY of doing exactly that towards the end, and don't recommend it. Sometimes it peels the whole top layer of your nail off, sometimes it comes off cleanly. I've never gone back to the salon for a proper removal, and I really should. My nails are decent, but they really take a beating after this type of polish. I find that it thins them and they break easily for a good solid month. I need to keep my nails polish free during this time to rebuild strength and let them grow. I hope you have better luck. Nonetheless, I keep coming back to the gel/shellac for the fantastic staying power. If you are interested in trying a good at-home polish that lasts really really well try the Sally Hansen miracle gel. No UV required, just a special topcoat, and it lasts a good week (and I'm someone who can't get a regular manicure to last more than a few hours...). Good luck

Category