Yes, it’s 2018, and yes, I’ve officially left behind my wooden cart and my donkey and ye olden times to join the modern world because — GASP! — I got a salon gel manicure for the first time a few weeks ago.
I know, I know, I’m only eight years late to the party, but here’s the deal: beauty-wise, nails are something I can actually do myself, and I can usually do a pretty decent job, which I attribute to steady hands after 16 years of playing classical piano.
So, 1) I very rarely get my nails done at a salon, and 2) even when I have, I never saw the point of getting a gel nail mani after hearing so many nightmare stories from friends about how gel mains absolutely trashed their nails.
Never say never
But you know how it is — one should never say never in Beauty Land! The opportunity presented itself for me to get a gel mani a few weeks ago at a brand meet-and-greet in the city, and I carpe diem-ed it with a deep teal from OPI.
I wish I could remember its name, but I can’t. I was too distracted by this sign at the salon…
Like, what does that sign even mean? Are they saying, “Don’t even try to talk to us. Just please shut the hell the up,” or is it code for “feel free to chime in on that group text because we don’t mind if you stare at your phone the whole time?”
And don’t even get me started on Papyrus! I’m just glad it wasn’t Comic Sans…
Three weeks of WOW
Anywho! #rantover. Gel nails. Mine lasted until I got tired of them and wanted them removed — an incredible three weeks — with nary a chip, and trust, I tempted fate during that time, too. I washed dishes and gardened without gloves a few times, and I also made a point to type with mucho fervor when I found out about Nick Jonas getting engaged.
Even though it was fun to actually have a mani that outlasted all of my crazy, by the end of the third week, I was SO DONE. Weirdly enough, the gel polish started feeling heavy, and I felt like my nails couldn’t breathe. (Side note: I have a mild case of claustrophobia.) And I was really annoyed that I couldn’t just chip or peel off the polish on my own. Suddenly, my gel manicure turned into a needy boyfriend who wouldn’t leave me alone, and I desperately wanted to break up with it but couldn’t figure out a way.
The DIY removal route
I googled a few “how to remove gel nails at home” tutorials, and HA HA HA. All I have to say is that unless you love being frustrated while sitting around with foil-covered fingertips, find a salon, and have it done professionally.
I’m sure there are peeps out there who are able to successfully DIY remove their gel nails at home, but I tried twice and failed.
The day after my second attempt, I boogied on down to a salon and paid $7 to have a very nice lady soak, scrape and chisel the gel polish away, and while she was doing this, she talked at great length about how she never, ever does gels on herself because of the damage they cause.
My nails are “tow up”
When she finished, I was relieved to finally see my natural nails again, but man…they looked scratched up and dry, like they’d been buffed within inch of their life with a metal scouring pad, or like I’d been holding hands with Wolverine AND Freddy Krueger.
They should pull through, but I think I’m lucky because my nails are on the tougher side. They haven’t split or peeled thus far (knock on wood), and I’ve been diligently coating them with CND Solar Oil every few hours, which seems to help a lot. It’s gonna be a long time before they’re back to normal, though.
It was the best of times… It was the worst of times…
Needless to say, that was my first and last gel mani. I don’t know how you’all who do them over and over manage it. Your nails must be tough as…well, nails. Mine couldn’t handle it.
Back to regular nail polish for this girl, which is fine with me.
Now, what color should I wear next? 🙂
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Ok what is confusing to me is the difference between gel nails and Shellac nails. Or are they the same thing? Anyways the only time I’ve gotten that done is when I was going on a trip and wouldn’t be able to touch up or do my own nails. Chipped ugly polish drives me nuts so Shellac is the only solution for me. But afterwards you’re nails get pretty tore up and thin, which is no fun.
Hi Rachel,
Shellac is a type of manicure made by CND. It’s half gel, half regular nail polish:
“Shellac is the brand name for a new, patent pending nail product created by Creative Nail Design (CND). It is a hybrid, meaning half nail polish, half gel.
The product can be applied similarly to nail polish on your natural nails (no sculpting or filing). It is cured through UV lighting, just like Gels.”
Here’s some more info:
https://atelieremmanuel.com/the-difference-between-acrylic-gel-and-shellac-nails/
Ummm… that sign? Why would they want you to text while they’re Doing. Your. Nails. The only way that sign could get any more offensive was if it had been typed in Times New Roman. (Yes, I too have a font pet peeve.)
Thank you for the gel mani heads-up. I had been considering one, because manis never last more than 2-3 hrs. with me. I think I’ll just keep on being a natural nail girl.
Hi Suzanne,
You’re welcome! I think that if I ever do it again I’m going to do Shellac, which is supposed to not last as long, but is supposedly easier on your nails. And it would have to be for like an active vacations where there would be lots of hiking involved!
And lol about Times New Roman… Why does it bug you?
I think because I was a secretary for a long time back in the day and it was pretty much all there was font-wise. It was TNR all day, every day, at a job I didn’t really like that much. It’s just a negative association for me.
I’m really going to just have to check in with your blog before I make any purchases at Sephora, lol. I did an order this morning and then saw the post on the new Hourglass mascara, which of course I have to have because of my sad, sad lashes.
Hi girls. Im a manicurist……been doing nails for 30 years now ….Shellac is a gel lacquer that apples like polish , cures with an led or UV light and is designed to last 2 weeks …it is easier on your nails because it is easier to remove. Just a cotton ball soaked with cnd special remover ( that has conditioners in it to mosurize while it does it’s thing) and about 8 minutes is all u need and violas!!! It is all melted and lifted from the nail and u just wipe it away.
In my experience, MOST of the time it’s the application and removal “ techniques “ that trash the nail, not the products…..aka a manicurist that’s in a hurry or to aggressive. Sometimes you find a place that uses cheap products that can dry the nail or be extremely hard to remove . That’s not good either! Done aggressively over and over and u have paper thin nails left .
OPI gel polish is made to last 3 weeks and takes about 15 min or longer to soak off … so be patient. Both brands I use and love but I am patient and tell my clients the health of their nails is most important so allow plenty of time for your luxury gel mani so Ican do it right !!
A good tip is to ask to see the procducts that will be used before and ask what procedure they use to appt and remove … if it sounds painful … ITS NOT RIGHT find another salon .
Happy mani’s girls!!
I have never tried the gel polish. I did shellac nails for over a year with a couple of breaks in between. Each Shellac mani would last me two weeks and I loved it because my nails would grow nice and long and wouldn’t break as much, but it was a bit spendy, so I stopped when I couldn’t justify spending $100 a month on manis. On the plus side, I now get to use my favorite nail polishes from Smith & Cult, Chanel, and Tom Ford instead of being restricted to CND colors.
P.S. The secret to keeping your nails healthy with shellac or gel polish is to keep applying solar oil to them daily.
I love getting gel manicures for special occasions so I don’t have to worry about my nails being chipped, especially if I’m being photographed. Applying that CND solar oil is actually really good to do while you have the gel polish on your nails. It keeps your cuticles moisturized, which helps prevent your nails from becoming all dried out. CND sells a gel removal kit (I think I got mine at Ulta) that makes removing the manicure fairly easy, but going to a salon to get them removed is always easiest!
Oof, I’ve never done that, and I never would. My nails pretty much have all the problems: weak, soft, peely, breaky…they can barely tolerate regular nail polish. I’ll use it once in a while, but they always start to peel when I do. I’ve tried the tricks: oil, moisturize, hydrating base coats, vitamins, it’s just like, eh, forget it.
What color next? It’s summer! I vote for something that makes your nails look like the insides of pretty seashells
Ooh, good call. Maybe something rose gold and shiny!
Essie & Mercury on and Pacifica Tourmaline look really pretty! I’m interested in testing out Essie’s new brush too 🙂
You will love it unless you have tiny nails. It is very flexible and I only need one stroke for my pinky. Completely blows the old brush away!!!!
Essie Gel Couture. Seriously works. No light , no damage.
I don’t mind that one, because you can remove it yourself. It’s the salon gels that I have trubs with!
Hi Karen,
I have a mixed feeling about those as well. I do get them from time to time (big events, vacation etc.), because regular nail polish stays fine for one day only, now that I clean my 2 year old all the time ?
So anyway the secret to not getting Your nails shredded is to not to keep it for long (I have it on for a week) and to gently take it off. So I file off as much polish I can, then soak it for longer than recomended and then with a wooden spatula take the rest off. If You pull the pieces of the remaining polish, nails will get destroyed.
Moreover I find Opi’s gel the hardest to remove. It’s sad, because I love their colours! ?
I do gel nails all the time – I actually bought the light and do it at home. I actually have crap nails, and while this doesn’t help them, it doesn’t make it any worse. My nails actually grow a little while being protected by the strength inherent in the polish. I want to try powder next. Don’ t worry – you can wait 8 years before you try that trend.
I got ONE gel manicure and I did try to remove it myself and almost caused myself irreparable damage. I soaked and buffed and soaked some more and literally filed my nails down so much my skin started to show! Yes, you CAN do that to yourself and it is very painful! It took at least 3 months until things were normal again. I’ll go with naked nails, I love makeup, but manicures are way too high maintenance.
OMG just the thought of having something on my nails that has to be scraped off makes me feel kind of woozy. I don’t think I could ever do this. My nails aren’t that great to begin with. If anybody went after them with a chisel, I’d probably pass out!
I think the sign is trying to discourage patrons from making phone calls while at the salon since, let’s be honest, no one wants to sit there listening to someone else’s conversation. As someone else pointed out, I’m not sure why texting would be encouraged, either, since it involves… you know… your hands, but I guess they figure they have to “allow” some sort of communication. Why people can’t just forget their phones altogether for the half hour or so it takes to get their nails done is beyond me. But I digress…
I’ve never gotten a gel manicure done, either, as I regularly do my own nails (twice per week) with regular polish. I could wax poetic on the reasons why I prefer doing my own nails, but probably the funniest reason I’ve told myself is that it saves me money. As I stare at the literally thousands of nail polish bottles sitting in Helmers around me, I wonder who I’m really kidding. What a pain that you had to have the polish removed at the salon!
I’ve never had a gel manicure either. When I was younger, I always did the acrylics but I stopped doing that when I got pregnant with Max, who’s now 18.
Since that time, I’ve amassed quite a collection of nail polish and regularly do my nails myself.
My nails aren’t the strongest and I think a gel manicure would ruin them, for sure.
I’ve never done gel nails either, much to the dismay of my nail tech. They keep trying to push me but I refuse. I’m in the dark ages of silk wraps, which I’ve been doing for 15+ years. My nails were always soft & breaking to begin with, but with the wraps I have the long strong nails I always wanted and polish stays on the wraps way better than natural nails. With silk wraps there’s lots of glue but no UV light, which I don’t really want my hands subjected to anyway.
I cannot really say that gel polish is purely damaging. It depends on the polish itself and the way of removal
I actually had an oposite experience: I put a gel polish on my disasterously chipped nails and they started to grow stronger. I don’t remember what was the brand, but it also soaked easily off.
But my last gelish experience was similar to yours: lasted well for 2 weeks (though I rarely keep for more tham a week), but removal caused nail damage. I honestly did it myself and spent good 3 hours (!) to remove it gently.
I love that with gel polish as you can do everything and loom good anytime. I’m consodering to buy LED lamp and some gel polishes on my own as I basically hate wasting my time at salons and excessively chat with the staff that’s curious about anyone’s private details. Also my work, business meetings and trips forces me to be groomed. Also gel polish on toes is so convenient in summertime: Polish once, walk for a month.
One thing for sure I dislike on gel manicures are outgrown cuticles. I have no words to describe how I dislike this “look”. Eventually, if you trim them off leaving gel on nails, still it looks nasty. For this reason, I rarely keep gel polish on finger nails longer than 1 week. Toenails are fine for a month.
I love gel manicures, but only get them a few times a year, usually when I’m going on vacation or for a special occasion. I love how long they last, but I hate the removal process. Sometimes the polish starts to lift on it’s own and I have the bad habit of picking off the polish.
I feel like polish chips so easily on my nails. If I’m going to pay for a manicure, I want it to last so I go with the gel. My did look pretty rough after my last gel mani so I’ve giving them a break for a while.
Also, that sign is way confusing. Are they saying you should text instead of taking a phone call? Very strange.
Pretty color! I’m not sure I could wear any color for three weeks. I’d get bored with it and start picking at it. I have week, peeling, splitting, dry nails so a salon gel manicure would definitely do them in.
nice color
nail salon where I get a pedicure, has sign, no talking on cell phones, as well
they don’t want to listen to clients yenta-ing it up all day probably, I don’t either when I am there, so good on them
never had a gel nails done tho, I am the captain of that ship
I call the cavalry and get my husband to assist when I remove my gel nails at home! I get the cotton and aluminum foil ready and he does the wrapping. We put a show on and then when it’s over I start removing. It’s a much easier process if you let the acetone soak for a while. To be honest, I haven’t even put polish on my nails in a looonnnnng time, cuz I’m lazy.
I just want to say my husband removed my baby grand piano from the house ! And yes I’m mad ?
So I purchased a Smart Piano ? he hates that too .
So my nails . I gave up on gel because it ruined my nails and went w Gel Powder . It lasts 3 weeks cost like $40 but my nails look fine and healthy underneath.
So far no issues . And hubby isn’t complaining about the price . He even comes and gets a pedicure !
I’ve done gel nails a few times, usually for special events. However, I rarely keep my nails painted in general. My nails always feel so dry after a gel manicure, and since my nails grow fast, they look silly pretty quick. Plus, my last gel manicure peeled off after a day – I think they must have messed it up!
I wore acrylic nails for too many years to count. When I decided I was done with them, I let them grow out. I just kept filing them down as they grew. Even removing them that way didn’t save my nails. They were very fragile for a good year. I have remained very cautious about doing gels or Shellac ever since. Now I do my own mani and polish my own nails. It’s great to have perfect nails. But, the possible damage isn’t worth it to me.
I wouldn’t want to commit to more than a weeks worth of the same color either, and my nails are so brittle gel would probably kill them.
I also think the sign is to keep you from talking on your phone and distracting others with your chatting. This behavior is so prevalent, despite its rudeness, and its sad that there needs to be a sign. It is weird the way they have phrased it, as others have mentioned, since you can’t really be texting while someone is working on your hands. I agree with Heather—why can’t you just put away your phone for 30 minutes??? You are there to relax and be pampered but you are not enjoying it if you are “plugged in”.
I have no opinion about the font but enjoy the idea that fonts evoke a response in people, and it tickles me that you are discussing why you like or dislike it! Maybe you two should start a font club like the character Brick on the tv sitcom The Middle. It’s a funny, clever show.
I do my own gel mani’s because I like them to be thick, about 6 -7 coats vs 4. My nails are paper thin so this allows me to keep my nails beautiful and strong looking without worrying about chipping or peeling. I soak them in tiny, shallow ramekins of acetone and scrape myself, then file with a brick and it works really well. Now that I know how to do it myself, I don’t go to the salon anymore. I think I do a better job myself at this point!
I don’t even like what regular polish does to my nails so I would never have artificial (gel, acrylic, wraps, etc). I also find it unnerving how short they cut nails in the salon. Any shorter than the tips of my fingers and I start to get very itchy. It’s just an invitation to bacteria and infection. Sorry, I’m just going to ball my hands up and squeeze my fingernails tightly for a minute or so. 🙂 I laughed at your font comment – I know how you adore CS but didn’t know about papyrus (or forgot). I would guess the salon has had complaints about loud phone talkers from other customers. I’m often astounded by how loudly people are yapping away in public on their phones. Like “um, hi. You’re not alone in the privacy of your home. I don’t need every detail of your life screamed out in this small space, for half an hour”. You may be able to tell this has happened to me. It was at my son’s orthodontist at about 8AM. It was very hard to take. 🙂 The only good thing was my son looking at me with the “omg” eyes every few minutes, so I took heart that he knew that behavior was incredibly rude. HAHA!
So. I have a love hate with Gel Nails. I also waited a long time to get them since I’d heard about the horrors of destroying your nails (never mind the damage to your skin because you literally have your hands under straight up UV for a min or longer).
I work retail , so needless to say I’m ROUGH on my hands. There are days I’m ripping open boxes with my hands. Since I’m a manager, I need to look semi-professional, so I like that my gel mani stays put and never chips. However, as you pointed them out, taking them off is a b*h and a half. I’ve yet to get them off myself, and I hate the pushy girls at the salon who are like..”ok what next” when I’m all “no..just remove them and leave them be!”
yep. tried gel nails years ago and they ruined my real nails after I realized what a pain they were to upkeep and removed them. never again!
I’m not surprised, I had a similar experience… Never again!
I so wish that I could do gel nails but just once was enough for me. They made my nails so incredibly weak. It took several months to recover.
Also, I totally know what you mean about your nails not being able to breathe. I felt the exact same way after a while.
Also, I’m losing it over that sign.