Should I get a gel?
10 years ago by
I know Alex is really adventurous with her nails, but being your low-maintenance buddy, I have a question…
So just in case you’d forgotten, fashion week is upon us, that moment when you have so much work that the last thing you should think about is get dressed up and yet, you’re going to be freaking out about it every second.
In those moments, not having to think about your nail polish chipping is one very welcome luxury.
That’s why I was thinking I could maybe do a gel.
BUT here is the thing. My nails are so fragile that just listening to Bruno Mars at the Super Bowl made them break (yeah, I’m one of the few people in the world that didn’t LOVE his performance). They are brittle, have ridges, in other words, they are uncool.
Will they ever recover from a gel? What do you think?
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hello garance,
im a nail technician and they will recover a gel is meant as a strengthening tool but it can only be filed of f. However, if you want a lasting manicure that is less damaging you can get shellac, which goes on like nail varnish but it doesn’t ship for like 2 weeks or more. Hope that helps.
love nadia, let us know what you decide x
buffing natural nails has great results. colour ? as rarely as possible :)
http://littleaesthete.com
you should get the OPI GEL COLOUR it lasts fo 3 weekes and it won’t destroy Your nails! I tried it myself and I was positively surprised by the effect :)
Personally, I would never get a gel manicure. Never have, never will. If I get my nails done at a good place my mani lasts up to 10 days. The key is that I let it dry for an hour, at least I think that helps. And spraying them with the Mavala quick dry spray!
My experience with a gel manicure was that my normally strong nails became fragile–soft, bendable, not good. They recovered, and I’m sure yours would, too, but I can’t recommend one for you, sorry!
Je l’ai déjà fait et je n’ai pas eu trop de problèmes (surtout ne pas essayer de l’enlever chez soi : je ressemblais à Edouard aux mains d’argent avec de l’aluminium sur les doigts pendant 20 minutes et j’ai quand même dû gratter mes pauvres ongles qui ne s’en sont toujours pas remis) mais si tu as déjà des ongles fragiles, je te le déconseille.
Opte plutôt pour un beau vernis nude (!), au pire s’il s’abime un peu, ça ne se verra pas ! ;)
C’est ce que je me disais…
I highly recommend getting the gel or shellac. I am obsessed. However, I do think it does some slight damage to your nails, but nothing they won’t recover from. I also recommend getting the OPI nail envy polish and using that every few weeks; it will help strength your nails and its just clear so you don’t have to worry about taking it off or chipping. I say go for it… it is fashion week!
Le problème du gel est que sur le moment ça te fera du bien mais au bout du compte ils seront encore plus fragilisés quand tu l’enlèveras. J’ai le même problème que toi et pour y remédier dans les moments importants, je mets de vernis. Mes ongles deviennent durs et poussent!! Tout ça sans les abîmer. Alors je te conseille le vernis :-)
Bonne journée
2moiselles
Perso, j’ai tenté l’été dernier histoire de parader sans avoir à faire de retouches. J’ai pas fait de retouches. Mais j’ai passé des semaines après à avoir les ongles les plus mous et dédoublés de la planète ongles. D’un sens, quand on a pas des ongles de compet, faut savoir que c’est le prix à payer… Celles qui disent le contraire ont des ongles de compet. Ou sont la fille d’edward aux mains d’argent. Minimum.
the best product for fragile nails…is “perfect formula gel coat”….$24…..sephora sells it….it lasts and makes your nails super strong!!!!! xoxo
If you really go for a gel be very careful in choosing a technician. I had gel nails for three years because I had a wonderful technician who barely filed the natural nail at all and she gave me very natural-looking gels. But then she moved out of town. I tried two other technicians and hated it. The first one gave me horribly thick nails. The second one filed my natural nails underneath until they were paper-thin. I gave up and decided to let the gel grow out and go back to natural nails…
Try Biosculpture! It actually strengthens your nails and helps them grow, and it’s a natural product!
http://www.biosculpturenails.com/en/
don’t do it :) Touch up if you have to. Carry a bottle of polish in your bag with your flats, heels, make up and yoga clothes !
Ma Garance ça va te ruiner les ongles et les rendre encore plus fragiles.
Pourquoi ne pas juste te faire faire une manucure toute simple histoire d’avoir les mains hyper soignées, garder tes ongles naturels, juste polis?
Ajoute une jolie bague et tu seras parée. De tout façon tu vas passer ta vie avec des souliers dingues, les gens ne verront que ça ;-)
Je te déconseille le gel si tu as les ongles fragiles.
A l’usage c’est une catastrophe !
je ne sais pas ce que c’est. As tu essayé le durcisseur ?
garance, I can honestly tell you I would never get a gel manicure. However I’ve tried the shellac, and even though it was great and lasted up to 2 and half weeks, I still have my doubts on getting it again, because first of all my nails did get kind of fragile and second i feel that my cuticle suffer those two weeks, idk kind of felt that it didn’t have its normal growth.
Have a great traditional manicure instead, you never can go wrong with it. XO
Je ne l’ai jamais fait mais j’ai une amie qui s’en plaint encore apres 1 an ! Le procede fragilise les ongles et pour les recuperer il faut du temps et de la patience.
Vernis nude couleur chair ou bien un buffering a la peau de chamois mais surtout une bonne crème nourrissante devraient parer a ce petit souci.
J’ai également des ongles fragiles, fins qui cassent dès qu’ils sont un poil trop long, et un vernis standard ne tient pas plus de 48h chez moi ! Mais mon chemin a croisé celui de la lampe uv et j’avoue que c’est topissime ! Je le fais à la maison avec une base peel-off donc pas besoin de s’acharner sur ses ongles pour l’enlever, il suffit de le décoller ! C’est sensé tenir 2 semaines, chez moi c’est plutôt 7 jours nickels, même en faisant la vaisselle à la main ! Il m’est arrivé de faire des semaines d’affilées mais maintenant je préfère l’utiliser occasionnellement car déjà on se lasse d’avoir la même couleur pendant 7 jours et puis j’aime bien leur donner un coup de lime pour enlever tous les résidus de gel et c’est surtout ça qui avait tendance à trop les affiner. Mais mes ongles poussent super bien sous le gel et je dirais même qu’ils ont moins tendance à casser !
Donc je te dis go, c’est un réel soucis en moins ! Et on se sent super pro et fière avec des ongles parfaits quand on n’a pas l’habitude de faire confiance à son vernis !
gels ruin your nails and the damage will last until they grow out. It happened to me.
better to put argan oil on your nails every day and once or twice a week really smother your hands with thick coconut oil and watch TV with those plastic food handling gloves on…you buy them online….2 hours should do…2 times a week. not sexy but necessary.
and take supplements that reinforce nails , skin and hair, i.e. primrose oil, fish oil, coconut oil ( a teaspoon every day in your cereal or use it to cook vegetables )
as we age we dry out so you need to keep everything moist from the inside : oil oil oil oil
that is the ayurvedic mantra for strong nails, hair ,a glowing skin and healthy brain.
http://www.fashionsphinx.com
I havent gel nails. I try only once but I have now natural with laque and healthy.
http://www.fashiondenis.com/
I would stay away from gel or shellac. I used to do them at the spa I worked at before. Shellac is easier on the nails, but it still damages them. You still have to dehydrate the nail before you apply it, and the solution you use to remove it is also horrible for the nails (ie:pure acetone or something similar)…and gel is even worse on the nails! I would just stick to nail polish:)
I’m familiar with the dilemma, and have never gotten the gel manicure either (still deciding if I should for my wedding?) Anyway, part of my business is to work a lot of art fairs, which is half looking very professional and half hanging art and using tools (meaning, your manicure is dooooomed). My solution (a trick I picked up from the boss, a veteran) is to always get a manicure with a polish you own and to bring it with for little touch ups as needed. Not exactly a revelation, but gets you ship shape after you’ve chipped up your nails. Have fun, looking forward to your NYFW coverage!
I would say Shellac… if you don’t peel them off they won’t damage your nails. (even I am guilty of peeling them off before and it’s terrible for your nails!) But if you want a nail polish that last super long ask your nail salon if they have Vinylux. It’s a new kind of nail polish that lasts SUPER long. Then you can avoid any type of nail treatment and just do polish!
I have soft nails. And I say no. The removing process ruined my nails for 3 months.
May I suggest polish and Clairns hand cream forhands and nails. It’s fab. And cult favourite Dior apricot cream at night.
My reaction to the reactions to Bruno Mars (because I didn’t see it) was, “Oh, people actually like Bruno Mars??” My reaction to gel manicures was, “NEVER AGAIN.” It left my nails in pieces. Maybe they’ve progressed since then, but I’d be loathe to try it out again!
Shani x
She Dreams in Perfect French
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Marie Pierre
Hi there! I’m no expert but maybe gel is too much for your fragile nails. Why don’t you get amazing soft leather gloves so that you keep you hands covered in style? And besides, with those terrible temperatures that you’ve been suffering in New York, gloves could really come in handy!
I have a pair of black super soft leather gloves that make me feel super sophisticated and allow me to do all sorts of things because they are so thin! (Playing with my phone is not one of them, though. Maybe Alex and her immaculate manicure could Instagram for you? ;)
xx,
E.
http://www.theslowpace.com
While a gel will look good for a few weeks guaranteed…..you might be sorry later. As the girl above me just wrote – the removing process ruined my nails too for a few months too as they’re soft. Maybe wear neutral polish (boring?) and a good strong topcoat. You may have to touch up a bit but it will be worth it.
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Soak off is so much better, try it!
I didn’t like his performance either, Garance! As for the nails, do it! YOLO
In my opinion it would be worth it if you purchase VINYLUX by CND (the same company who makes Shellac) and take it to the salon with you and have them use that. It lasts a week and is far less damaging (if damaging at all) because you can remove it yourself with regular nail polish remover and use it at home because you don’t need the UV machines. I also use the top coat of VINYLUX on regular nail polish and my home manicures last much longer.
Goodluck!
No, no, no… it destroyed my nails and they were done by a trusted expert…
I love Shellac and the other kinds of manicures meant to last two weeks. I have brittle nails and I swear they’ve gotten stronger and rock hard thanks to Shellac. I’ll give them a rest between Shellacs and always let the manicurist remove it and I’ve had no problems. Buffing will actually thin your nails, so don’t go that route. Also, add Biotin to your daily supplement routine, really good for hair and nails.
If you have bad nails to begin with, gel/shellac will only make them them worse. (I speak from experience.) I would suggest: Get a real manicure at a good spa, one where they trim and oil your cuticles, shape your nails, and buff them to a nice sheen. You can always wear clear polish on top for extra shine. So much nicer!
Euh je te le conseille pas mais si tu veux avoir des ongles encore plus fragiles et moches par dessus le marché et bien vas y!!!!
kisss
I’ve been wearing CND Shellac since last summer, almost nonstop. When I do remove the shellac to let my nails breathe for a day or two, I have not noticed that my nails are any weaker than they were before I started wearing shellac. If one doesn’t remove the shellac properly, then that’s probably when the damage occurs; I follow my nail tech’s directions or I have her remove the shellac for me. I get a shellac removal and manicure every two weeks; that’s only because my nails grow out, and I don’t like how the color doesn’t go all the way down to my cuticles at that point. But for those two weeks, my nails look good, no chipping, and I am not delicate with my hands. I also think you need to find the right nail tech for the type of polish you want to use. Not all technicians are skilled at applying gels and shellacs — manicures from the lesser skilled will start to peel off your nails or will have bubbling on the surface. You need to make sure your nail tech is skilled at this technique.
I love gel but I did it only once for my wedding. My nails are very fragile too and honestly, they were a disaster after the gel. I could almost roll them back, so thin. I would’t do it if I were you but it’s your decision of course xx
http://www.creativityandchocolate.com
I have gel polish done – I’ve been going to the same nail tech for about 8 years, and she is very, very good. We soak off the gel – the only filing is done a bit on the surface of the gel to allow the remover to soak through the gel to soften it. My nails are no softer than they began. She does yell at me if I peel one off by myself – for instance, if it starts to lift at the edge – tells me to come in instead, but that’s not always possible.
Fashion week beauty monster, sors de ce corps!
I have pretty strong nails so I decided to give gel a try. It was really pretty and worth it when it was on, but the removal process…not so pretty. I hated having to soak my nails in acetone and I hated having the remainder gel polish filed off! I gave gel a fair shot and have never gotten gel again. So…if you had strong nails I would say yes give it a try. But since you have very brittle nails I would say no!
-Stephanie
@LaminLouboutins.com
I think gel is soooo tacky…
That’s what I used to think but actually, it can look super chic !
Yes! I swear by a gel manicure for Fashion Week. This time last year I put up a post on my steps to get FW ready and a gel manicure was #1. The rest were pretty good too, haha.
http://behindthemirrorbeauty.com/2013/02/08/fashion-week-ready-nyfw/
xoxo,
Amanda
They will recover as long as you have the polish removed properly and don’t pick it off. If you pick it off, you will pick off part of your nail along with it. If you remove it properly by soaking in acetone (or having a nail technician do it) then you shouldn’t have problems. I’ve had gel manicures a couple of times and always loved how awesome they look for so long!
Don’t do it. I had nails of steel and even doing shellac made them weaker. It’s taken a seven months for them to get back to normal. Not worth it. Use the gap filler you once showed on the blog. I saw you in person with that mani on and your nails were gorgeous.
Je n’aime pas. Je trouve que ça donne une épaisseur curieuse à l’ongle et que même bien fait, ça se voit toujours.
Gel, shellac, whatever you want to call it–they all require filing of the nail surface, basically thinning the nails. Either buff or just polish. And, I am speaking as someone who LOVED her gel/shellac manicure. I got one when I got married in October, and was dazzled by not only how quickly it dried in the UV light thing, but how long it lasted without chipping–amazing. I had my reception three weeks later, and got another shellac manicure. Awesome!
Then I decided to give my nails a break and went through months (three–until now) of thin, fragile nails. Not until that filed nail grew out have my nails returned to “normal.” So, unless you want to become dependent on the shellac (which is fine), I would avoid it unless you are willing to deal with wimpy nails for a few months as they grow out.
PS I also didn’t like the halftime show–but I don’t really like most pop music so…
The problem is not even the weaker nails. The problem is that gel/shellac manicure requires using UV lamp which causes cancer. I heard that it is forbidden in some countries due to its danger of cancer. That’s why I gave up.
gel really does get your nails much much weaker! they keep breakin when you remove it it’s so annoying, i officialllly stopped!!!!
http://www.moustachic.com
http://www.moustachic.com
http://www.moustachic.com
I live in my CND shellac mani. I can’t remember when I started getting it done but going 3 weeks without chipping is cheaper than me spending the time and money doing it over and over using regular polish.
I put suntan cream on my hands too before I go under the lamp too.
X
Kiri
http://www.fashionblender.com.au
http://www.facebook.com/FashionBlender
I just got my first gel and love it, but it is true that if your nails are brittle then I would talk to a nail specialist before pursuing this
Ils survivront de façon transitoire mais, au retrait du gel, ils risquent d’être d’autant plus fragilisés qu’on lime forcément un peu de l’ongle qui se trouve au dessous pour l’ôter… Je pense que c’est reculer pour mieux casser dans ce cas…
I would just like to add to the multiple comments — Gel manicures and Shellac are the same thing! Gel Manicure is the type — whereas Shellac is a brand of Gel.
promisesofcoffee.com
No, it’s not. Gel is much harder and you have to file it to take it off, and shellac – hybrid manicure, is removed by using acetone. The difference is huge, as gel is a disaster for your nails, they are as thin as the sheet of paper afterwards, while hybrid is not that bad, yet still destroying. The same thing is that you use UV rays to harden it.
I’ve gotten gels before from the sheer luxury of not having to worry about my polish chipping. I mean its so tempting right? But it honestly destroys the nails. When the nail tech asked me if I was sure I wanted gels I should have known and stopped there. But instead I ended up with brittle, flimsy nails that took months to restore back to their thick, healthy form. As tempting as gels are, don’t give in! Just use good polish like Butter and really good top coat. Xo
Garance…Take this from me I never had nails ..they were soft nails,with ridges,,,etc. then….. I started going weekly, to a very good manicurist ,,,and now I have beautiful nails..and gel is wrong if you have all the problems you described…good manicures get costly but I love my nails…so its worth it… Good Luck …Lee Golde
DON’T !!
My nails are strong and can survive 3 superbowl concerts but gel is so bad !
It nice to see nails that are perfectly done but they really suffer (can’t bread).
Have a good mani, pamper your hands with extra treatments and handcremes but lay off the gel.
Take a neutral tone, like the ones you showed us in a precious post – if there’s one that chips, it doesn’t show as much as black or red !!
Ruined my nails!!!! They’re super strong usually, but the gel just sapped them of life. Also my nails grow really fast, leaving growth gaps. So if you’ve got regular human nails, that grow at a reasonable speed go for it!
Mais pourquoi n’as tu pas aimé la prestation de Bruno Mars?? C’était fou!! Je le kiffe Bruno Mars, alors je ne suis pas trop objective, donc dis moi!! Mais quand même il a chanté comme un dieu, leurs pas de danse étaient stylés, le show était “simple” mais carrément bon, il vit sa musique, il est généreux, nan vraiment je vois pas ce qui a pu clocher!:)
Ive been toying with the idea too, but my nails are so short and stubby I feel that it would only draw further attention to them. It does look good though – I say go for it and if they get very brittle just gorge on almonds! (I hear that helps)
http://www.girlinmenswear.com
tu mets un nude ou un transparent et c’est bon, pense juste à bien les limer et ça ira :)
Je l’ai fait la veille de mon mariage l’annee derniere. Le deuxieme jour j’avais un “crack” dans l’ongle qui me paraissait si profond que j’avais l’impression d’effleurer le grand canyon du bout des doigts.
Impossible de le supporter une journee de plus. J’ai fini dans le seul salon d’Ecosse ouvert un dimanche apres-midi ou ils m’ont carrement “poncé” le gel off, avec ces petits polissoirs rotatifs qui sont tout de meme tres agressifs. Gros Gros regret… J’ai normalement des ongles tres durs et ils ont vraiment eu du mal a s’en remettre. Pendant 2 ou 3 mois j’avais une demarcation sur l’ongle “ongle abime par le combo gel/ponceuse / ongle sain qui repousse”.
Donc a moins d’avoir dans ton carnet d’adresse le meilleur salon mani-pedi de NYC, je te deconseille de te faire ca!
Pace Salute Garance :)
If you have brittle nails don’t put anything on but Dr. Hauschka Neem Oil. It comes in a little pump bottle to have on your nightstand and put on whenever you see it – it also comes in a pen with which you can push back your cuticles at the same time, keep in your handbag and again use it whenever you see it. I promise you your nails will be glossy, healthy and strong within a month or so. During fashion week nobody will look at your hands if you wear lipstick!
It’s probably too late but I recommend getting a higher quality gel/QQ! The coat is thinner and it’s easier to remove. It does less damage to your nails and is ok if you do this as long as it’s not monthly – just a couple times a year should be ok.
Je suis comme toi, du coup je n’ose pas aller vers les faux ongles, car un coup de lime de trop et c’est l’ongle naturel qui est détruit, qui fait mal et il faut des mois pour le récupérer.
Just get a french (ha) manicure with clear polish. And carry a bottle with you so you can put another coat on when it loses its shine. As long as your nails are “done” they will look nice.
I have always done my own nails and suffer the same problems. For normal days I use a buffing pad which has a side for smoothing out ridges and a side that shines up your nails beautifully.
Don’t do gel. As for me, most of the time they’re just natural, nothing on them, that’s how much I love my hands! I think you should put a neutral polish and your hands will look great.
As for the Super Bowl: Red Hot Chilli Peppers were really good, and that’s it :)
Surtout pas! surtout si tes ongles sont fragiles à la base
Le gel ça abime les ongle et les fragilise encore plus.
Sans mentionner le fait que ça epaissit les ongles, et c’est pas pratique dans la vie de tous les jours…. bonne chance pour faire les lacets ou défaire l’emballage d’un nouveaux produits beauté!!
Une belle manucure nude, ou un beau rouge foncé qui tiendra 48h mais qui sera remarqué….
Coucou Garance.
Oubliiiiie!!!!
Ça fragilise les ongles et à long terme.
À la place utilise un durcisseur en alternance avec des vernis de couleur.
Moi je suis comme toi en ce moment , je penche vers le nude.
Ah oui, il existe la marque ELF ( sur internet aussi) qui a pleins de vernis couleurs sympas et surtout pas cher. Pour avoir essayer , je conseille, ainsi que leur maquillage. Ça vaut Chanel et guerlain chez qui j’étais abonné ( surtout leur eye liner a appliquer au pinceau: une tuerie!!).
Voilaaaa.
A bientôt.
X.O
A
Je pense que si tes ongles sont fragiles, il faut trouver une autre solution! Mes ongles n’ont pas beaucoup apprécié le gel du coup, depuis je n’ai plus réessayé
Xx
http://www.Lauralexo.com
Someone already mentioned the brand. Biosculpture. I had it done to me 3-4 times. Marina (she does my nails) hardly buffs them, and the product isnt thick or strange looking at all and comes off like a charm! My nails feel stronger and look better. I had normal gel twice, I didnt like it.
I am very picky about my nails since I had my first mani when I was 39. I was a nail biter ever since I had teeth :(
I just bought the Sally Hansen gel kit and I love it. I have very weak nails and even professional manicures chip off in a few days. I’ve done my own gels 3 times now and they always look great, just like normal polish but stronger and shinier, not tacky and fake as I originally feared. They last 2 weeks at least. As long as you safely remove them – using acetone soaked cotton pads and tin foil, after 15 minutes the polish lifts off itself – there will be minimal damage. And I only lightly buffed my nails with a fine grit, which worked just fine. Just make sure to let your nails rest for a week or so in between!
NOOO, I done it once and although it looked great it ruined my nails…The damage was so bad that for about 2 months my nails were so thin and unhealthy…
I decided to try a gel manicure for my birthday and had perfect nails for 3 weeks straight! Made Christmas very festive. I was so impressed I went back and got glittery gold gel nails in January and they lasted beautifully-shiny, no chips, sparkles galore- for another 3 weeks until they had grown out dramatically and I resigned myself to the end of golden glitter nails.
The first set I had professionally removed and my nails looked strong and healthy after the color was removed. After the second set I removed the color myself by soaking in an acetone-based remover (I know “OMG!” for all the organic nail purists, but hey it works and I use it very sporadically). My nails, after 2 gel manicures almost back to back, are fabulous. They grew quite a bit, so I did have to trim and file them back, but I have no damage at all
Garance, as you know from “the Chop”, nails, like hair, grow back. You may be lucky like me and have weeks of maintenance-free nails. If not, they will grow back. My two cents.
Yes, your nails will recover from Gel! I tried it once for a trip but I wasn’t to impressed by how little they lasted so now I just do regular nail polish. I have become extremely lazy to paint my nails so now I usually do nude or light colors as chipping shows less and gives me the luxury to go longer without having to paint them. So if you want to try Gel, I say GO for it, do it in the name of research! But know that it will take a few weeks to get your natural/normal nails back!
J’ai le même problème que toi mes ongles sont très fragile! Je me suis laisser tenté une fois par le gel et honnêtement je l’ai regretter! Mais il faut essayer, tu te fera ton propre avis!
http://www.lecomptoirdelilou.com/
Go to Sakura in NYC to get the Japanese Calgel which is a breathable gel. I’ve been wearing gel manicures nonstop for the past year and a half and will never look back. They make my nails strong, unbreakable, and longer than they have ever grown before. (You DO need to be careful when removing to avoid stripping the natural nail, but it’s totally doable.) I’ll never go back to crappy regular polish that smudges and chips and never lasts longer than a day.