Let's talk gel nails!

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I've had gel nails for about 3 weeks, and got them filled today.

I absolutely LOVE gel nails and have ever since my first time getting real gels (the first few times I got "gel" nails they were really acrylic with a gel top coat and I was told it was "powder gel", and because I was uneducated, I didn't know any better).

I've had both sculpted gel nails and gels with plastic tips used. Currently I have the plastic tips and gel overlay.

My tech won't do sculpted gel nails because he says they aren't as strong/don't last as long, and in my online research, I've seen that it's split pretty evenly on opinions on whether gels are better when sculpted or with the use of tips.

In all honesty, other than the price (with tips being cheaper than sculpted nails), I haven't noticed a difference at all, so I stopped getting the sculpted extensions because it saves me money.

Which do you prefer? What about your nail tech? Why?

 
So now that I'm on the hunt for a new salon/tech, I'll have to start researching stuff again. Currently, I have both a uv lamp and an led lamp. I like the speed of using gelish or other "paintable" gels but the wear time varies (for me) between 3 and 7 days. I use ibd hard gel when I want something longer lasting and that's the brand my former tech used. I typically went 2-3 weeks between fills and every 6-8 weeks a whole new set. Expensive though! I was paying (probably overpaying) $45.00 for fills and $85.00 for new sets if I remember correctly. That was 5 years ago. And I think they always took around 2 hours to get done.

 
I'm talking actual gel nails, not gel polish like Gelish, Shellac etc.

Ouch!!

I've never paid more than $70 for a full set or $40 for a fill. Currently I pay $60 for a set and $40 for a fill.

There is a place around here though that a set is like $85 which I think is insane!!

 
Yea the prices can be crazy. I just think gel nails look so sophisticated and feminine. I feel like my hands are prettier when I have a nice gel french manicure.

 
I get bored of French manis very quickly, but I do like my nails to look polished and nice. For now, I'm rocking the au naturale look with no color, just shine, and I love it. And the beauty of gel nails is that when I get bored of this, I can paint them, take that off if I get bored, and paint them again. Can't do that with acrylic!

 
I'm not experienced with gel -nails-, so I'm really glad this thread is here and look forward to reading about people's experiences. The closest I've gotten to them is researching doing a bit of natural nail reinforcement using acrylgel technique (sprinkle some powder on a gel polish basecoat) and I know realistically I would not be going to the salon to have a gel nail application with refills every three weeks. Does anyone here do their own? Refills? Gel nails?

@KeepOnSingin, I'm really happy you're enjoying them! I imagine I would too - the idea of having fairly indestructible tips is awesome. :) /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> It gives you a lot of freedom with the polish application too, which is great! Are you restricted to using non-acetone remover with them or do you have a file-off top?

 
Quote: Originally Posted by Monika1 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
  I'm not experienced with gel -nails-, so I'm really glad this thread is here and look forward to reading about people's experiences. The closest I've gotten to them is researching doing a bit of natural nail reinforcement using acrylgel technique (sprinkle some powder on a gel polish basecoat) and I know realistically I would not be going to the salon to have a gel nail application with refills every three weeks. Does anyone here do their own? Refills? Gel nails?

@KeepOnSingin, I'm really happy you're enjoying them! I imagine I would too - the idea of having fairly indestructible tips is awesome. :) /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> It gives you a lot of freedom with the polish application too, which is great! Are you restricted to using non-acetone remover with them or do you have a file-off top?


Indestructible tips are an awesome thing to have! And yes, it gives you enormous freedom with polish application.

Like I said in a previous post, gel nails are not affected by acetone, so if you're like me and loathe anything that isn't pure acetone when it comes to removing polish, it's amazing! I had some super intense glitter polish on last week when I went to get my nails filled, and to aid in the removal, my tech had me soak my nails in a bowl of acetone.

I don't mind going in every 3 weeks for a fill. Fills don't take very long at all! Less than an hour for sure! A full set takes 1 1/2 to 2 hours, but the fills are quick and easy, and you only need to get a new set when you have fully outgrown the tip and none of it remains on your nail.

And actually, just the other day at our staff meeting, one of my coworkers glanced at my nails as I was signing in and then she picked up my hand to examine them because she thought they were real but was wondering how I got them all to be so long and uniform, and only saw they're fake when she turned my hands over to look at the underside. The funny thing is though, most of my nails are very close to the length of the tip, and many meet the end of the tip, so if I were to take this set of nails off now, my nails actually would be almost the length they are with the gel on.

 
I've done my own and can tell you that it's cheaper buying all of the materials but is more time consuming unless you have a partner to do your non-dominant hand. But then you miss the pampering of having them done for you. The fills aren't bad and lots of places I've been throw in mini hand/shoulder massages while you're there. I just purchased some acrylic tips and powders and a bunch more IBD gels to do my own gel nails again. I'm tired og regular polish chipping after a day. I'm also going to try something new: regular polish under a final gel topcoat. If it works, I just might die of joy lol. I don't know why I never thought to try this before.

 
See, I wouldn't even be able to do my non-dominant hand and have it end up looking halfway decent...so I would have absolutely no hope trying to do my own gels or acrylics! But, I will also absolutely never again get any sort of acrylics. I hate acrylics. They always break on me, they have awful fumes, they ruin your nails and acetone ruins them. IMO, gel is a million times better in every way but price.

 
I bite my nails (unfortunately) and Avon have started selling a gel nail polish that strengthens nails up to 40% Do you think this might help me stop biting them? :) /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> xx

 
Quote: Originally Posted by MissBeccaLecca /img/forum/go_quote.gif
  I bite my nails (unfortunately) and Avon have started selling a gel nail polish that strengthens nails up to 40% Do you think this might help me stop biting them? :) /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> xx

I am not that knowledgeable on gel polish as I've only ever gotten 1 gel polish manicure, and this thread is solely about gel sets (like acrylics, but gel).

 

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