Thread: How long do your fake nails last?

I got my first set a week and a couple of days ago and they are already a mess. One is broken, there are three more that are peeling off and my nails have grown a lot making them look ridic.

I got acrylic gels because the lady says they are better for your nails than the other kinds...but honestly, if they are going to be this much upkeep then I want something stronger!

I'm going back today for repairs and fills, but that means I only got 10 days out of them. Is this normal? (This is going to be an expensive habit!)

Mine usually lasted 2 weeks between fill ins and fixes. I'm not sure if any of it is better for your nails since they buff down the natural nail and cover it with fixative so it kind of softens the nail underneath the acrylic.

I just took my nails off and my natural nails are a mess.

Yeah, they say there is an adjustment period after your get your fakies off. Someone said "paper thin." How long did you have yours for?

The lady told me gel is better because they don't have to file down the real nail as much as they do for powder or those other kinds.

I had the gel nails and the messed up my reals nails pretty good. Any surface filing is going to be bad for the nail. It is my understanding that the nail that is already out of the nail bed is dead cells so it doesn't regenerate. I've had my nails off for a little over a week and they are still soft and thin.

I had my nails for 1 1/2 months before I took them off.

Hey! I'm a nail tech in "real life" and your set is supposed to last from usually 3 weeks to 4 weeks max before your next filling.

Now one thing is possible, some people’s nails just don’t “take” any kind of product and it will just lift off the nail bed. Its rare but it happens, it all depends on the products and the technique used by the technician as well as how the client's nails will “react” to the product.

You might want to try a different product (acrylic, UV gel, silk, powder and resin (a little rare to find in the US, etc...) I personally recommend UV gel (the real technique, not just the top coat in gel).

I might also recommend to everyone to be really careful when you decide to get your nails done (even if it’s just a simple mani or pedi. Make sure your technician ALWAYS sanitises her instruments and table before and after each client. I have seen way too many clients with fungal infections and other yucky diseases!

Also, if you are getting Acrylics make sure the product doesn’t contain any MMA.
I love this site, scares the pants off of people when they tell me I'm too expensive: The Nail Bar - MMA/DRILLS/MASKS

All good stuff. I got UV gel, but I don't know if it is the real kind. I also was able to read the the label of the gel because of the way she positioned the container and I didn't see MMA as an ingredient....However, there were a lot of unlabeled bottles. I did see a special cleaning thing that salons are supposed to have and they were licensed with a grade A.

Maybe my nails aren't meant to have fakes on them...but I just got so tired of trying to grow them out and having them constantly break...but if the false ones will too, then what is the point. Also, maybe my nails grow fast? In ten days I have a little less than 1/8 inch of growth.

After you soak your set off, there is a "re-adaptation period". I'm not going to sugar coat it; you had your natural nails covered with plastic so... yes they do get thin and weak.

To get your nails back 100% the way they were they have to grow all out and that takes about 6 months, 1 year for toe nails.
In the mean time you can use a nail strengtheners. The "Nail Envy" line by OPI is really good.

I second everyone said above. I've had fakes on for as long as I can remember, every once in a while I grow them out, have my reall nails and then go back to fakes. At worst I get 2 weeks, at best 3 weeks. For me it depends on:

1) the place and who specifically does your nails

2) type of fakes (my nails do not take to UV or I either do acrylic or silk/powder wraps)

3) my nails take better if I do not have tips in addition to the wrap (See #2)

4) I also use to do a gel manicure (as noted by salomestar top coat only), cheaper than wraps but still cover the nail. Until recently this gel manicure only came is clear, but now it comes in colors, lasts for about 2 weeks. I liked it, but it didn't work for me.

Good luck!!

@ Salomestar - thanks for letting us know how long it will take, it's no wonder I keep going back.

Well, I first had fake nails put on in Mid-July. I've had one refill. All the nails but one are still on. But like the rest of you, the real nail was extra weak and broke right away. I had acrylic nails put on. Edna

I used to have UV Gel done and they lasted about two weeks for me before you could REALLY see the growth. I do alot of typing and writing for my job and I think they held up pretty good for the amount time I use my nails each day. Having the fake nails also stopped me from my bad habit of picking at my nails. Once I stopped that, I quit wearing fake nails and now I have a nice length and they are healthy.

I think the lady I go to might kind of suck. I went back for fills/fixes last night and I really don't like the way they came out. Off to find a new place....

A tip to get your natural nails to grow strong and fast: prenatal vitamins. Mine are super long and strong because of the vitamins. I have always had good nails but now I have amazing nails.

I go usually 2wks between fills. I go through periods where I'll wear nails, then take them of after a few months. I usually swear them off when I see the damage done to my real nails - until the next time I get the urge to have some put on, lol.

Right now I have solar nails & have had them a few months. I plan to take them off in a couple of weeks, but I like them fine. The regular acrylics I cant wear, my nails pull away from the fake. I had a nail tech tell me it was an allergic reaction (?). I've worn gels in the past but they seemed pretty fragile - they broke a lot.

I'm a nail tech, too & will try to clear some things up.

Just because a nail tech has containers on their station that may have a reputable label on it, does not mean that particular product is in that container. When some of the inspectors were hitting these salons in my state, they were simply dumping their MMA in say a OPI container to make it look legit.

You should have your nails re-balanced every 2-3 weeks to keep them at their best. If your nail tech does not speak English & is not teaching you how to take care of your nails, you definitely need someone new. Remember that you sometimes will get what you pay for. A salon that offers a mani/pedi for $25 is probably not cleaning their implements or pedi chair according to code. A salon that charges $20 for a full set of nails & $12 for a fill are probably using MMA. I mean, come on, they ARE cutting corners somewhere. You don't want them cutting corners & endangering your health. Beautytech.com is a website that is beauty-related. They have a nails section where you can go & find a reputable tech that will take good care of you & your hands/nails.

Regarding the issue of your nails being damaged after taking your enhancements off: If your tech is digging into your nail & causing pain, this is not good. Getting nails or a fill should not be painful. If it is painful, you need to leave. Many nails are damaged by a tech using a drill or file incorrectly. This will cause damage when you take your nails off.

Now, when you take your enhancements off, they will be soft because you've had them covered up. My comparison: when I first started belly dancing a few months ago, I first danced in my shoes, then gradually went thru class, half socks, half bare feet. Now I dance in my bare feet but it hurts because my feet are usually covered. Even at home, I hardly walk barefoot. To walk outside on concrete is excruciatingly painful for me. Same with having your nails covered. My feet are gradually getting use to the floor altho they still hurt, your nails may hurt & may be soft for a while.

Suggestion: if you don't have a good cuticle oil, then get one. Use it every night at bedtime or anytime your cuticles/hands are dry. Swipe the cuticle with the oil, rub it into your cuticle, then rub it into your nails. You can even do this with polish on. Just rub it in lightly.

Sorry so long but HTH...

My acrylic gels last at least 3 weeks before I get them filled in, sometimes I can push it to 4.

However, I have had issues with nails peeling off - for some reason, I went through months where the nails on my middle finger and index finger on my left hand could never make it more than 2 weeks.

So if you notice the fake nails pulling away from the same nails each time, they may not take as well as your other fingers.