Thread: Fake nails wanted

Ok, I'm thinking of getting fake nails. I've only had them a couple of times in my life. They were a little hard to get used to, but I liked them.

My problem is I have extremely small, brittle nails. They break or tear and then I bite. Not to mention my naturally small nail-bed and I've got rough digits! I also bite/pick at my cuticles (my mom does this too).

I hate my nails and I want to start taking better care of them. What do you suggest in terms of fake nails? My mom said I could get gel or acrylic. I am looking for the ones that would look the most natural and be the most comfortable to wear.

Thanks!

Example (they're teeny tiny):

Perhaps rather than getting nail extensions, you could have your own nails protected with gel, so that they get the chance to grow naturally. It won't take much time for them to get long enough by themselves.

i bite my too...worse then you....I used some fake nails about 2 weeks ago...a brand "Kiss" from Target. they are okay...when they fell off I glued them back on...but I dont recommend using them for long...for me it was long enough to let them grow a bit so that I can get them done at the salon. I think...gels are good for when you already have nice nails, but need to strenghten.....it is like a hard coat...acrylics I would use since I dont have much of a nail to begin with. It helps to let your real nail grow...

For a one night thing you can use the press on nails. They are much better than they were many years ago. If you are looking for a long term solution then I would go with gel. They place it over the top of your nails and harden it with UV. You definitely don't want to do acrylic if you have sensitive, brittle nails because part of the process is roughing up the nail surface.

Get them professionally done at a nail shop. For your nails. don't do acrylic. I've been wearing fake nails for a very long time, and they will come out worse and takes a long time to recover. Even better than a gel overlay is a silk overlay, but of course it's the most expensive ($40-$45) and to upkeep (maybe $22-$30 every 2-3 weeks). I love the look of fake nails and all the cool designs I can get. I used to bite mine too, but I don't upkeep them so I just chose acrylic.

BDF/KJ

I like the Kiss stick on nails for shoots and shows and special occasions. They are really gentle and cheap, no commitment!

Fake nails scare me. If you think your nails are brittle now, wait until you take the falsies off - a couple of my friends have acrylics and they're always complaining that their "real" nails get all bendy and thin and weird underneath.

I'd actually suggest that you start taking good care of your natural nails, which is something I've been trying to stay on top of, as well. Takes a little longer to grow your nails naturally, but it's so much healthier for them in the long run.

Sally Hansen's Nail Protex hardener has done wonders for me, to prevent breakage and get my nails to grow out nice and strong. Best nail hardener I've tried so far.

Burt's Bees lemon butter cuticle cream is soooooooooo nice to use as a nightly treatment.

Not to mention, you can also find some supplements to take internally, to help your nails grow. Often, brittleness can be a sign of a dietary deficiency. I think it's biotin and/or silica, but I'm not sure...

I used to bite mine too. I started getting a gel wrap when there was barely any nail there. Now my natural nails are long and gorgeous. The gel wrap is a great way to stop a bad habit and protect my natural nails. ..g.:

Originally Posted by Khaleela

If you are looking for a long term solution then I would go with gel. They place it over the top of your nails and harden it with UV. You definitely don't want to do acrylic if you have sensitive, brittle nails because part of the process is roughing up the nail surface.

I definitely second UV gel nails. I have had them for over a year and love them. It's my nails with a gel overlay. I have a permanent french manicure - after the gels are applied, my nail woman does a french manicure then covers it with a thin layer of gel so it never chips. I love it - my nails always look great and I never have to think about them (unlike my chipping, peeling natural nails).

I had acrylics briefly but the process is way too rough and left my nails too thin.

I had the UV gel nails.

But, I am not allowed to wear them because I am a nurse and they harbor bacteria.

They were really nice and my nails grew pretty quickly.

I'm a nail technician. Let's get a few facts straight. Firstly, acrylic nails do not damage your nails. What damages your nails is the nail tech..and how she preps and applies the acrylic. What damages your nails is you... if you bite or pull them off instead of soaking them off. Ensure your tech never ever uses an electric file on your nail bed. It's not necessary. I never use an electric file...not on the nail beds and not on the acrylic. I hand file. A good tech is able to shape the nail using her brush. You don't file to shape. You file to finish.

Gel nails are softer and lighter than Acrylic nails..but are made from the same stuff...acrylic. Some Gels can now be soaked off as with Acrylic nails, in acetone, but mostly they need to be filed off, which takes time and often in the wrong hands (see above) can burn the nail bed and cause damage. Gels tend to break more easily than Acrylics but this is a moot point with techs, and find that gels are indeed softer and less resilient.

Acrylic nails need 48 hours to fully cure. In other words, you must be gentle with them for 2 days before they reach their maximum strength. Otherwise, miniscule fractures occur in the chemical structure and this weakens and causes lifting.

Personally, I'd go for a set of Acrylics with a good nail tech. You get what you pay for in this industry. Ask about the product...I use Creative, one of the leading brands and the best on the market for me in quality and clarity. But you'll pay for it. If you get a set for £15, then chances are it's gonna be **** quality product.

Also, look out for disreputable salons. Does the tech pour excess product back into the bottles? This causes cross infection and makes the product perform less well.

There's a product called MMA - Methyl Metha-crylate, which is banned in the US, but still legal here in the UK. It's dreadful stuff and is cheap as chips for the tech, but sets on your nails like concrete. So, make sure you go for to a good salon where you can see what the product is and the brand name.
How do you spot MMA?

MMA has an unusually strong or strange odor which doesn't smell like other acrylic liquids.

Enhancements which are extremely hard and very difficult to file even with coarse abrasives.

Enhancements that will not soak off in solvents designed to remove acrylics.

Cloudy or milky color when cured.


Avoid it like the plague. For those of you in the UK, I've come across this from many Chinese and Thai nail salons, and I've had to take off the enhancements and repair the damage from countless clients who fell victim to the attractiveness of 'cheap' nail enhancements.

Andalee I like your nails the way they are. I often find myself distracted by long fake looking finger nails. Your's appear clean, trimmed and nicely painted.

Originally Posted by kharis_UK

I'm a nail technician. Let's get a few facts straight. Firstly, acrylic nails do not damage your nails. What damages your nails is the nail tech..and how she preps and applies the acrylic. What damages your nails is you... if you bite or pull them off instead of soaking them off. Ensure your tech never ever uses an electric file on your nail bed. It's not necessary. I never use an electric file...not on the nail beds and not on the acrylic. I hand file. A good tech is able to shape the nail using her brush. You don't file to shape. You file to finish.

Gel nails are softer and lighter than Acrylic nails..but are made from the same stuff...acrylic. Some Gels can now be soaked off as with Acrylic nails, in acetone, but mostly they need to be filed off, which takes time and often in the wrong hands (see above) can burn the nail bed and cause damage. Gels tend to break more easily than Acrylics but this is a moot point with techs, and find that gels are indeed softer and less resilient.

Acrylic nails need 48 hours to fully cure. In other words, you must be gentle with them for 2 days before they reach their maximum strength. Otherwise, miniscule fractures occur in the chemical structure and this weakens and causes lifting.

Personally, I'd go for a set of Acrylics with a good nail tech. You get what you pay for in this industry. Ask about the product...I use Creative, one of the leading brands and the best on the market for me in quality and clarity. But you'll pay for it. If you get a set for £15, then chances are it's gonna be **** quality product.

Also, look out for disreputable salons. Does the tech pour excess product back into the bottles? This causes cross infection and makes the product perform less well.

There's a product called MMA - Methyl Metha-crylate, which is banned in the US, but still legal here in the UK. It's dreadful stuff and is cheap as chips for the tech, but sets on your nails like concrete. So, make sure you go for to a good salon where you can see what the product is and the brand name.
How do you spot MMA?

MMA has an unusually strong or strange odor which doesn't smell like other acrylic liquids.

Enhancements which are extremely hard and very difficult to file even with coarse abrasives.

Enhancements that will not soak off in solvents designed to remove acrylics.

Cloudy or milky color when cured.


Avoid it like the plague. For those of you in the UK, I've come across this from many Chinese and Thai nail salons, and I've had to take off the enhancements and repair the damage from countless clients who fell victim to the attractiveness of 'cheap' nail enhancements.

Thank you! That is helpful. I hate nasty chemicals. All of my nail-polish removers are non-acetone.

So, Kharis, if I were to go with my natural nail (no fakies) what kind of treatment would you recommend?

Go for it-treat yourself!!!! I've been thuinking of getting my nails done again too.

Originally Posted by andalee-oriental

Thank you! That is helpful. I hate nasty chemicals. All of my nail-polish removers are non-acetone.

So, Kharis, if I were to go with my natural nail (no fakies) what kind of treatment would you recommend?

Fibreglass wrap

your nails look good the way they are...
of course I probably did not get them done right but I am still suffering from the arcylic nails...my natural nails became thin and weak...
I have long hair, decent skin, but my nails are weak, break easily for different reasons.
I keep them shorter and clean...

I started taking Biotin, my skin cleared and my nails are getting stronger and longer, it is not even two months now. I take once a day.
You might give a try...

Biotin is a B-vitamin. It's in my multi, so I don't feel like I need to take extra.

I went to Evil-Mart today and bought some Hard as Wraps and Grow Nails Now by Salley Hansen. We'll see how they do.

On my natural nails, I have acrylic with a gel overlay, which I think helps them appear less enhanced (isn't that a nicer word than fake?) and I love them. I chose acrylic bc I am hard on my nails, loads of typing and such, and the gel seems a bit more delicate. I keep them fairly short, maybe 1/4 inch long?, and go for the airbrushed French, A) it seems to last longer than polish and B) it goes with everything. (I have a color quirk.) I appreciate the lack of breakage, that they always look nice and they help me feel put together.

However, to be frank, the biweekly maintenance can be tedious, as well as the $60 (tip included) from my budget.

One thing to watch for is if there is lifting/separating anywhere from the nailbed, be certain your tech clips away that bit of acrylic/gel and applies a new coat as this is where fungus/infection can creep. Of course, you probably already know this as I just recalled your saying you have had the nails before... ,r:;

i love gel . and also i like a vitemine at GNC called hair and nails and it does help!

Originally Posted by maranajla

One thing to watch for is if there is lifting/separating anywhere from the nailbed, be certain your tech clips away that bit of acrylic/gel and applies a new coat as this is where fungus/infection can creep. Of course, you probably already know this as I just recalled your saying you have had the nails before... ,r:;

Sorry to be pedantic, but I would strongly advise you not to allow your tech to clip your excess acrylic away! This is one of the causes of nail plate damage. Any excess should be gently filed away with a hand file. Clipping actually makes the acrylic lift further and further up the nail plate. If you do ever get fungal discolouring (The greenies) under acrylic or gel nails, simply soak off the product. The exposure to the air immediately kills the bacteria, which thrive in an airless moist environment. Wipe nail bed with surgical spirit just to be sure you've killed it all off.