long time wearers of gel or acyrilic nails

moneylover

I am going to give up. I cannot grow my nails. Its just hereditary I have decided as my mum was the same

All most strengtheners do is make the nails dry and when they break the break is often worse and sometimes painful
My diet (before anyone mentions it) is excellent and I have tried every type of product on the market - biotin to horse hoof hardener. Always wear gloves for housework etc.

So, have been wondering about artificial nails. Am I right in thinking gel look more natural or does it just depend who does them?

I know that artificial nails damage your nails but do they carry on getting worse and worse and can you get infections etc or can you actually wear artificial nails for years and years and years without worrying too much? Am 65 so you can see how many years I have tried to look after my nails!!

The only other thing I wondered - does Shellac create a stronger nail? Or would the added strength of the Shellac (or Gellish) just be negated by the surface buffing of the nail that is done first?
Many thanks

Fire_Fox

Before you give up have you tried avoiding all sulphate surfactants (in most shampoos, shower gel and hand wash) and all alkaline bar soaps to stop stripping the lipids from the skin and nails? Whilst using a hand cream containing lanolin to supplement the lipids and protect the skin/ nails from unavoidable hand washing? Lanolin is rich in cholesterol which particularly depletes as us ladies age.

Sorry but have you tried targeted healthy eating, not those pointless nail supplements but really balanced with protein little and often from breakfast, ALL the minerals and plenty of essential fatty acids? Sometimes you need all three together, oftentimes we only try one remedy at once.

moneylover

yes, totally healthy eating, plus non sulphate shampoos as have used those for years.
The last thing I may try is dermanail but I dont hold out great hopes

sparrer

I can only give you my thoughts, no doubt others will come along to disagree but this is my experience. At 61 I had gel nails applied for an event, liked them so much I kept on having them replaced. After 3 years I had them removed and was horrified to find my own nails were little more than paper thin after so many treatments. To be fair I didn't know there were two types of 'filing' to create a key for the adhesive, one with a sort of dremel machine and one by hand, needless to say the salon I went to used the machine, so the depth of the file can be hit and miss. I now know, alas too late, that manual filing is best.

For the past 18 months I've used rubber gloves in the kitchen, always wear gloves when I'm gardening, massage them with a nail conditioner every evening while I'm sitting down and wear a (rather expensive) nail vitamin product all the time. It's only now my nails are beginning to grow again and not split, crack, or just fall apart. It was honestly the worst thing I ever did but to be fair in my case it was in the name of vanity. I think I'd rather just put up with nails that don't grow, if they're kept neat and short with perhaps a clear varnish they look nicer than 'talons'. Good luck whatever you choose to do

TeaCake

Fake nails will ruin whatever nails you have in the long term. Do you currently go for a weekly manicure treatment for dry/weak nails at a professional beauty salon? If you don't, see a professional for 6 weeks to see if it makes any difference to your nail health.

moneylover

have had manicures! By the next week it looks like I have never had one! I will maybe have two good nails left on each hand and those will have died by the next week! It was the manicurist who said that I should consider artificial nails!

My hands only go near water to be washed and I try not to garden to much but I have to live my life..

Sparrer - good for you for getting your natural nails back to health after gel nails. However, what were your nails like before you started having gel - were they 'average'? Am very very interested to know what the expensive 'product' you use is, there may be something out there I have not tried! Thanks in anticipation!

sparrer

moneylover wrote: »

have had manicures! By the next week it looks like I have never had one! I will maybe have two good nails left on each hand and those will have died by the next week! It was the manicurist who said that I should consider artificial nails!

My hands only go near water to be washed and I try not to garden to much but I have to live my life..

Sparrer - good for you for getting your natural nails back to health after gel nails. However, what were your nails like before you started having gel - were they 'average'? Am very very interested to know what the expensive 'product' you use is, there may be something out there I have not tried! Thanks in anticipation!

My nails were very grooved, sometimes they split easily then another day they would be very brittle and just break off, hence not wanting to take a chance on their condition for aforementioned event. Tried everything I knew and was eventually recommended OPI Start to Finish formaldehyde free strengthener. It's over £12 a bottle which is far more than I would have dreamed of paying (poor ol' pensioner ), but was given a part empty bottle by a salon I went to in desperation for advice. Now I wouldn't buy anything else, it's really made such a difference. Hope this helps

moneylover

thats interesting Sparrer, I havent tried Opi Formalehyde free but I have used Nailtiques 2 which I get from Amazon and lots of people have success with - same sort of price or more and I suspect that could be the same ie protein based and free of formalahyde. Will compare what is in each product and I will post if they are actually different- does it soak in nail or is it a varnish please?

sparrer

moneylover wrote: »

thats interesting Sparrer, I havent tried Opi Formalehyde free but I have used Nailtiques 2 which I get from Amazon and lots of people have success with - same sort of price or more and I suspect that could be the same ie protein based and free of formalahyde. Will compare what is in each product and I will post if they are actually different- does it soak in nail or is it a varnish please?

It's a base coat, top coat and strengthener in one, so I would think it must soak in to a degree. It isn't a coloured top coat but does give my nails a pearly look.

Fire_Fox

moneylover wrote: »

yes, totally healthy eating, plus non sulphate shampoos as have used those for years.
The last thing I may try is dermanail but I dont hold out great hopes

Have you tried cutting out all sulphates and using a lanolin hand cream? Shampooing is once a day to once a week, hand washing is multiple times a day usually. Dermanail like most mail hardeners is based on drying alcohols.

moneylover

Fire_Fox wrote: »

Have you tried cutting out all sulphates and using a lanolin hand cream? Shampooing is once a day to once a week, hand washing is multiple times a day usually. Dermanail like most mail hardeners is based on drying alcohols.

no sulphates, I did say further up the chain and wash hair with rubber gloves on anyway, not sure about lanolin handcream have used so many....
Am interested in what you say about Dermanail - what do you know of it, please? It doesnt have formalahyde in it...
loodie loodie loodie recommends it - she says that flexinail which I was thinking of is rubbish - her website is v interesting however I am not a nail technician or similar so cannot say for sure that all she says is right.. just works for her.

Anyone on here who is v knowledgeable may like to look at her site...
http://loodieloodieloodie.blogspot.co.uk/2010/11/nail-hardeners-1-of-7.html

a hardener that gets the best score on makeupalley (how I love that site) is called "instant artificials" but I havent explored what is inthat yet.