Thread: How do you do your nails???

Ok so I really don't prefer to get fake nails done. I'd like to have long natural nails, but it usually never gets that far before they break and I have to start all over again. I love the way longer nails look on a dancer extending the hand/arm energy...

What do you guys do?

I'm wondering if I should just suck it up and start getting fake nails put on....

I had gel nails for about 15 years and got tired of them about a year ago... Took me several months to completely grow out the thinned nails.

My own nails grow fast but break easily, and so far I haven't found a magic solution to change that.
Some people say that taking minerals will help, it didn't work for me.

But right now I am not ready to go back to gel nails, I have kind of accepted the fact that I will have short nails - fortunately the beds of my nails are long, so they look good anyway.

MEISSOUN

One of my students recently turned me on to shellac manicures, which are sort of a hybrid of gel nails and regular nail polish, but supposedly don't weaken your nails the way gel nails do. I haven't had them long enough to say much about them, but her (my student's) nails always look nice. Another dancer I know does the shellac, and says it protects her nails so they can grow out more than they normally would.

Originally Posted by Aslahan

One of my students recently turned me on to shellac manicures, which are sort of a hybrid of gel nails and regular nail polish, but supposedly don't weaken your nails the way gel nails do. I haven't had them long enough to say much about them, but her (my student's) nails always look nice. Another dancer I know does the shellac, and says it protects her nails so they can grow out more than they normally would.

I didn't know anything about shellac nails, had to look it up and wanted to share:
http://www.stylelist.com/2010/05/18/...re-i-tried-it/

I've been having the bio-sculpture gel nails for almost a year now and they're brilliant. You can have french manicure or colour, they last for about three to four weeks depending on how quick your nails grow and they don't look artificial. They are a kind of gel which goes on top of your natural nail to give them strength and stop them chipping and breaking, but because the gel is thin, like a polish, it doesn't thicken the nail like having tips glued on does, so they look just like a natural nail.

I would definitely recommend.

Forgot to say, it doesn't damage your own nail either, if anything it makes them stronger, so you can stop having them done any time you like and not worry about having paper thin nails for months.

Originally Posted by SamiraShuruk

I didn't know anything about shellac nails, had to look it up and wanted to share:
http://www.stylelist.com/2010/05/18/...re-i-tried-it/

ooh i want to try this! i have very thin and weak nails that peel and break easily. vitamins don't help either :(
i wonder if regular nail salons do this?

My nails grow fairly well, but break easily due to rough work. Long nails don't mesh well with any of my hobbies apart from dancing, so I keep mine short- about 2-3mm of white on each one.

I compensate for their shortness by painting them brilliant colours for dancing. I feel like long talons (the trend in my office at the mo is for obscenely long acrylics) can be a bit creepy, but colour is always fun, especially if it co-ordinates with a costume!

After years of acrylics and traditional polish manicures, I'm a proponent of natural nails. I don't wear polish and do my own "manicures" at home. Just trim, shape, push the cuticles and rub coconut oil into the nail every night before sleep. My natural nails grow longer and stronger than they ever did with salon care. I think its due to not using chemicals on them.

The salon chemicals dry out the nail IMO. Even the Shellac nail treatment requires an acetone soak for removal and that does change the natural nail moisture content. Also, I'm not wild about my fingers soaking in acetone for the chemical exposure reasons. Personal preference.

Perhaps try the oil manicure before committing to the chemical kind. It might work for you, depending on the climate you live in and how much stress your hands take on a daily basis.

I can't stand long nails...they frustrate me and I keep mine short. I will say that they have been growing MUCH faster and stronger since i've been taking prenatal vitamins.

I had acrylic nails installed years ago for a wedding and found them painful to remove and they felt really "thick" in an odd way. They did stay nice for quite a while though and the nail polish doesn't chip off it just wears off on the ends.

My nails used to be thin and flimsy, and split/broke easily. I started taking Omega3 fish oil about a year ago, and it has made a HUGE difference. I still can't grow them ridiculously long, but I can grow them to a length where they look really nice when I paint them.

I'm a big fan of Genuine Health's O3Mega product: http://www.genuinehealth.com/the-essentials/o3mega.html

here are some tricks I learned.

1 - Typing actually helps to stimulate nail growth. Someone told me this years ago, and i didn't believe them. I had thin nails. Then about 9 years ago, I became addicted to internet chat boards ;-) and suddenly I had great nails. I also have gotten to the point where I type about 70 wpm, so. . .

2 - find a good oil or other moiturizer to work into the nails. I have used everything for chapstick - a model I know turned me onto that one - to hoof maker by Mane & Tail. I have also used warm olive oil and just good old fashioned lotions.

3 - keep nails trimmed and filed. Use an emery board, not a metal file if possible.

4 - for daily wear, I like to keep a coat of clear nail polish on, adding a layer every other night and then once a week removing all nail polish and really allowing the nails to breathe. this doesn't always happen, and sometimes I opt to simply buff them. But the key in either case is to keep feeding them moisture on a regular basis.


and finally, know your limits. Some people will only ever be able to naturally grow their nails just over the tips of their fingers. others will naturally be able to grow them long. I always have a couple which are shorter simply because of what I do, and being mainly right handed. Nails on the thumb and first two fingers tend to be a little shorter than the rest! I can life with that.

Once again, diet issues, make sure you are drinking plenty of water, have enough fat in your diet, as well as balancing everything else. Lots of moisturizing stuff in layers to keep your hands and nails from drying out. And reduce your stress levels. Those will show up in the health of your hair, nails and skin.

{{{HUGS}}}

Wow thanks ladies!!!!

My nails have gotten better as i've gotten older and taken better care of my body, but my nail beds are short, and my nails don't grow too far away from them. My long nails are pretty short by other peoples standards. I think i'll look into some of the gel concepts. I hate ruining my nails to get fake ones put on, so hopefully those will give me the best of both worlds as well.

I probably do need to take better care of my hands and nails in general... I'm encouraged by all your awesome ideas to start putting into my weekly health care body routine :P

I totally appreciate the help and ideas :)

I do my own nails pretty often and when they get longer I go to a salon nearby and get a product called "Gelish" It is a UV coating that is applied like a polish, it is awesome, I have not experienced any negative side effects with it. It soaks off really quickly ( 2-3 minutes of soaking) when I get it removed or re-done. It lasts 2 weeks or more and dries completely in a minute or 2 and it is really shiny and looks gorgeous. It costs about the same as a regular polish manicure, $18.00, I go to same person everytime because she does a great job, I think she charges me a little less, because I always ask for her, their official price might be $20 or $22 but I always leave a great tip for her. The nail technician asked me what shape I wanted, round or square, and I said I always get them rounded but what did she recommend for my nails and she said let's do them square with rounded edges so I said OK, sure! I've been doing them that way ever since.

I have a great diet which helps my natural nails grow strong. Also, when I am doing a lot of dishes or cleaning I throw on a pair of rubber gloves, helps keep my nails nice! BTW, I have 4 kids and cook a lot, and have to clean a lot too!

I got acrylic nails once and I absolutely hated them. They wreak your natural nail, they are expensive and it takes forever to put them on. They felt weird and thick to me also.


Here is my recent nails:




and before the red I had french nails




Both of the photos are Gelish applied on top of my natural nail.

Auraevans, your nails look lovely! And not too thick. I've seen a lot of gel nails that look really thick/chunky. You also reminded me to try to wear gloves more often while cleaning -- sigh. I do so much with my hands, and my fingers are thick and stubby to begin with..

Does anyone have recommendations for "green"/safer nail polishes to use? It was mentioned here that the chemicals in regular polishes can be damaging for the nails (never mind the environment!). Any suggestions for other options, even for just clear coat?

Originally Posted by auraevans

"Gelish" It is a UV coating that is applied like a polish, it is awesome, I have not experienced any negative side effects with it. It soaks off really quickly ( 2-3 minutes of soaking) when I get it removed or re-done.

Here is my recent nails:



Both of the photos are Gelish applied on top of my natural nail.

These "Gelish" nails are beautiful! Do you need to have the coating completely removed and re-done at every visit to the manicurist, or are they usually "filled" like acrylic or ordinary gel nails?

-Devora

I use bio-gel for mine and I really like it. My nails grow very fast but one or two would always break and I could never maintain the length long enough... and I was too lazy to keep them looking good so when I started to do more shows and needed them looking pretty all the time I went to bio-gel. I have never heard of the "Gelish" before but I would love to switch to that if I can find a place that does it in my city!... I'm going on the hunt.

I usually do my own nails, just clear nail polish. . I did treat myself to a me day at the nail salon after work. I get a natural mani-pedi . Just nail polish and top coat I'm good to go.

I´m an old nail tech and just have to jump in and say:
Nail enhancement materials DO NOT destroy nails-people do

The badly educated/in a hurry technician who etches nails beyond he coarsest step on a 3-step shiner destroys the nail,the nail technician who prys off old acrylic or gel instead of soaking it off,the unhygienic manicurist who does not use sanitised equipment are all offenders!
(as the client who´s can´t stop pick an prying off herself)

The worst IMO are users of MMA-I´m sad to say they have given nail enhancements such a bad rep:
http://www.salongeek.com/health-safe.../2698-mma.html


I wrote a little about home care for biters that might come to use for those visiting this thread:
http://www.bhuz.com/showthread.php/4...ur-nails/page2

A good nail tech can not only make new moons on the nails,elongate the nail bed,reshape the smile line(french line)and the C-curve(the curves in the nail)to give you a "hand makeover".

A bad nail tech can not only give you 10 thick "duck feet"on your finger tips,but also give you infections and risk of allergy.

One of my idols as a "baby tech"was Anna Lajourdie of Ontario,here´s her little home salon gallery:
http://www.polished.ca/gallery.html

Audras nails look great and flatters her finger/nail shape/nail beds-kudos to your nail tech Audra!

Originally Posted by Teophania

Does anyone have recommendations for "green"/safer nail polishes to use? It was mentioned here that the chemicals in regular polishes can be damaging for the nails (never mind the environment!). Any suggestions for other options, even for just clear coat?

GREAT question!
My favorite is Zoya nail polish:http://www.zoya.com/

The look (and history and chemicals involved) in painted nails is starting to creep me out.

I looked up how to remove stains from natural nails and found this interesting link:

http://www.associatedcontent.com/art...g2.html?cat=69

I second the vitamins!!

I am going to try the shellac for our upcoming trip though. Sounds fab!

Thanks Emma!

I like the link to that site, it has lots of great info, makes me want to take pretty hand and nail photos.

Devora; they take the polish off and re-do it or change it! It isn't like acrylic nails where they fill it in at the cuticle.

My own nails are very strong, thanks to my mother's genes. But I still put oil on them everyday, just about any kind will do. However, I do like to use a nail or skin oil from the cosmetics counter because other oils have an odor that I don't want to carry around with me, like I've been hanging around a kitchen. You can even break open a capsule of Vitamin E and use a little bit each morning or each night.

My nails naturally grow out looking like a French manicure. They have for as long as I can remember. When I was in first grade, one of the girls in my class accused me of having Lee Press-On nails.

I rarely use polish because my nails look like fakes when I do, and I don't like the fake-nail look. I usually just use a manicure block to keep the ridges rubbed off and buff/shine the nails.

My toenails, I paint obsessively in warm weather. By winter time, they are usually yellowy and pretty ugly. Then they have the winter to recoup!

I have never liked fake nails so mine are natural. As someone else said my lifestyle + long nails = broken nails so mine are somewhat medium short naturally. I am lucky and have strong nails, maybe as others pointed out because I actually "abuse" my hands a bit with work which causes them to be stronger?

I shape mine for a performance at whatever length they happen to be, and use a color to compliment my costume. My usual color though is clear with maybe some glittery sheer shade in there - I am terribly fond of a no-longer-available shade called Gold Dust from Ulta... shimmers in the light but barely shows otherwise.

My toenails get the regular polishing - I am in love with this terribly dark blue color!

is there a difference between bio-sculture nails (may not be called the same thing) and the shellac ?? I tried a gel manicure and it worked and then something new came out gel with color, I tried it and within 1.5 weeks the gel was peeling. I liked the fact that it wasn't acrylic, etc, but for the same price as a wrap fill-in and the fact it lasted a shorter time I always seem to go back.

I've been getting my nails done my entire life (my grandmother's effort to make me stop biting my nails). I've had gel, acrylic, LCN, UV, natural, tips, silk, cotton, you name it. Pretty much the last almost 8 years I've had some type (mostly acrylic on).

My nails tend to grow fast but break easily.
for those that have artifical but want to switch, I used this Nailtiques After Artificial Treatment once and it REALLY worked well for me

Thay also have other kits for streghtening nails that may work

nailtiques - nothing else even comes close