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Nail salons have changed a lot in the past decade. Newer options have made nail care a lot easier.
Many nail places have upgraded themselves into salons and spas that cater to the luxurious care of hands and feet that many women (and men) have come to expect.
For the record, up to 18 months ago, the only manicure I ever got was gels for my wedding (10 years ago) and I kept that up for a year.
I was simply not one for manicures. That changed with Shellac a year ago, but more on that later.
Traditional gels like the one I got for my wedding are available for women that are long lasting but require "fills".
This means that every few weeks, some of the gel is scraped off and reapplied to make it look fresh. The regrowth of natural nail at the base is filled in with fresh gel.
It's a fairly big commitment to make because taking everything off can damage nails from over-filing them and the chemicals used to dissolve the gel, and it needs to be done every few weeks.
It's also a financial commitment. I tried these gels for a year straight but my nails ended up looking too thick from all the gel (or a bad manicurist?) and I let the nails grow out rather than get all the gel scraped off.
Ultimately, my nails were thin, dry and cracked. The gel would also loosen at the bottom of the nail and could be wiggled up and down! These gels can run about $50 or more.
Shellac nails are the new big thing in nail style. Shellac is a kind of nail gel but without the commitment of traditional gels.
It can be soaked off in a matter of minutes. This kind I tried for twelve months.
What's to love? The fact that I can walk out the door as soon as they are done, without the fear of ruining my nails by searching for my car keys, or having to pay in advance so I wouldn't have to dig into my wallet.
Shellac is shiny, with a great range of colors, from clear or French to an array of pastels and rich, primary hues. It's fairly inexpensive (from $25-50, I paid $35) and seriously does not chip!
I have swum, played tennis, worked out and done gardening, laundry and housecleaning on a regular basis and it still never chipped.
I found the downside to Shellac was that the chemicals used to soak off the old gel thinned my nails out completely, rendering them highly susceptible to breaks.
The ensuing filing of the whole nail is also bad for the nails. Ask your manicurist to make it as minimal as possible.
Mine would sometimes file down until I felt my nails were see-through! Stop all that filing already, we need our real nails!
I'll be far more proactive about this in the future. My nails also had dry patches and white marks all over them, making another session almost mandatory to cover up the damage!
My mistake was getting it done, back-to-back for over a year. I should have taken breaks and had it done instead for a special occasion or vacations.
This method is best done occasionally. I've had natural nails now for six months and it took several months for my finger nails to become healthy again.
And of note, all gels are cured (hardened and dried) in UV light for several minutes. This is the same light used in tanning beds. Wear a good sunscreen or fingerless gloves when under these lights.
There is also the acrylic option, something I've never done and find highly unattractive (sorry to acrylic nail lovers!). These are fake nails, almost embedded into the real nail and it's quite a process to remove.
Again, this is another expensive option that can harm the nail and nail beds and needs a commitment! One upside for those that like them, is that they can be fashioned into various shapes (rounded, oval, square) with lots of nail art applied.
Fake nails made of fiberglass or silk wrappings are an option for those who don't want to deal with the chemicals needed to soak off acrylics or gels. Instead they are sealed with glue. I won't try these either but some women love them.
And lastly, the "regular mani" - with plain old nail polish and remover! For as little as $12-14, a regular manicure consists of nail and hand care and a polish with the regular stuff. The downside is that chipping can occur within days or on your way home if you're unlucky!
I am currently getting a manicure once a month (it lasts about 5 days) and using the rest of the month to use regular clear polish, or nothing at all, at home. I moisturize my hands and nails a lot. I find a healthy diet really contributes to good nails, as well as a calcium supplement and a little sunshine.
And as always, make sure the salon and salon professional is well-trained and licensed, and listens to you. Check into complaints against the salon.
Look around to make sure all areas are sterilized, and items are thrown away or sterilized after each use, and ask to see licensing certificates. I do that all the time.
And if it seems too much of a commitment, it probably is. Don't get talked into extras that will result in you needing to return every couple of weeks if that's not the kind of commitment you want or can afford. I have learned the gentle art of a polite "no thank you," especially when at unfamiliar salons.
Are your nails natural or do you get them done at a salon? What kind of manicures do you get?
Edited by Jody Smith
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