Fake Nails - Zanesville,OH

Updated on August 08, 2011
S.M. asks from Zanesville, OH
10 answers

I love having long nails, but now I have 2 young kids and no time to take good enough care of them. My nails break easily, and it seems like I have to file them every other day and they still look awful. I take calcium supplements, and I use strengthening polish, cuticle gel, and so on, but it doesn't help. I'm considering trying fake nails, I just wondered how practical that is, if it's more or less work, and how they hold up to a busy mom lifestyle. I can't afford to get them done professionally every week, so it would have to be an at-home kit. Any favorite brands you can recommend? Or tips on how to keep them looking nice?

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J.W.

answers from St. Louis on

I hated fake nails. I couldn't pick anything up with them. When I finally got fed up it took forever for my real nails to grow out and look normal again.

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F.M.

answers from Lincoln on

fake nails look nice, but they will ruin your natural nails! Woman usually have to go every 2-3 weeks to have them filled, sometimes they can get expensive too! if you break a nail, they charge you to replace one. you can get fungus under the fake nail and they will remove it and put a new one on, they charge you for that. I was constantly washing my hands because i have little ones too and the water gets under your nails and causes fungus. when i had mine, my natural nail got so thin it would hurt me so bad when i had to get them filled... so i stopped. that was three years ago and my nails are still damaged to this day!

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J.S.

answers from Austin on

No matter what anyone says fake nails are bad for your natural nails. Also what Mallory said "long nails and kids do not mix." Maybe try some prenatals in addition to your calcium as you need the other vitamins for strong nails (B-complex, C, A, E, D, calcium, zinc, iodine and iron). Also, wear gloves when washing dishes or cleaning as the water/soap/cleaner is h*** o* your nails.

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M.P.

answers from Pittsburgh on

Sorry but long nails and kids do not mix. Its a safety AND a hygeine matter. I cut mine off the day I brought the baby home and found that 'stuff' couldn't help but get lodged in there. Gross. Additionally I think that all health care workers should be required to have short nails. Nothing is more disgusting to me than a nurse with long nail. I can only imagine what is under their nails.
Besides-long nails are way out of style anyhow.

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L.V.

answers from San Francisco on

Depends on what you are trying to do and what you normally do during the day. There are all sorts of fake nails that you can do, but trust me an at home kit is not worth it at all. The cost of those kits are extremely high ($10-$50) and the product are not at all that great. I tried one before I started going to my nail salon and it looked extremely fake! Your best option is to go to an EXTREMELY good salon with good workers and talk to them. Usually if the salon is extremely good, the girls are extremely knowledgeable and can help you decide what will work best for you. But from my experience, I have only used 2 types of fake nails:

Acrylic- One of the most common types of fake nails and is also the cheaper alternative to do when it comes to fake nails. However, the problem with the acrylic is that they file at your nail to get the powder stuff on and then after it dries, they buff it and then they use regular paint on it. This is a total waste because if your hands are in water a lot like mine are, the paint fades and chips away leaving your nails to look extremely bad. These lasted me maybe a week and a half to two weeks if I was lucky.

Pink and White- This is probably the best out there from talking to all my girlfriends. The paint never fades because the powder that they use is colored and it doesn't fade. After having my daughter I went this option, but depending on how sensitive you are you can get a burning sensation on your nail as they file away at your natural nail to put the powder on. These lasted me at least 2 weeks and sometimes I would go 3 weeks before getting filled.

Now, as for the practicality of it...well, it actually depends on you as a person. I had fake nails for years before I had my daughter (needed them because of the field that I was in always had a spot light on my hands and fingers). Shortly after getting pregnant I stopped getting my nails filled because the fumes were so bad it made me sick. Then after having her, I waited about 6 months to go and get them done. It was the worst decision I ever made! The fake nails were always lifting, I couldn't pick anything off of our tiled and hardwood floors, and I always had to be careful of what I was doing because one bang to the nail and it would hurt like crazy!

Now instead, I go and get my nails done at the salon (manicure and pedicure) every 3-4 weeks (mommy time...yippee!!). I bring my own nail polish that I buy from the store (I usually get Essie because it doesn't chip as much as others) and in between my trips to the salon if it starts chipping or fading I just take the paint off and repaint my nails. I've noticed that since I started getting my manicures my nails don't break as often. Although my nails are not long, the girls at my salon have found a happy medium for me. Their long enough to look nice, but short enough to not break!

Hope this all helps...there are also other options out there that I didn't list...feel free to ask me if you have questions. Good Luck!!!

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M.P.

answers from Sacramento on

I would not try to do fake nails by yourself. and they will damage your real nails. there is no way around it.

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T.W.

answers from Syracuse on

I've gotten fake nails twice before, once for my wedding and once just because, they look nice at first but after 2-3 weeks you have to go back to get them filled. Both times, I felt my actual nail was thin and ruined and took awhile to grow back to normal and healthy. I also would not buy a do-it-yourself kit, not worth it.

I would go and get a nice manicure done, much less expensive than having nails put on, and then try to maintain it as best you can.

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K.P.

answers from Bloomington on

It is expensive to get your nails professionally done, It is $30 to get them done and $16 for a fill in here which they say you need done every 2 weeks. Check out the cosmetology schools in the area, I just graduated from cosmetology school and it is $20 to get them done and they look good too. Or try just getting a manicure, it is only $4 at my school. Another thing you could try is shellac nail polish it is thicker than normal polish. good luck!

C.C.

answers from San Francisco on

My own nails are fingertip-length, however I do have pink and white acrylic on them to keep them from breaking. They look like a french manicure, but since it isn't polish, it doesn't chip. I get them done every 2-3 weeks and I think it's $20 each time (not including tip). It takes about 45 minutes to get my nails done, which isn't a huge investment of time every 2-3 weeks! I probably spend more time than that flossing my teeth. I really don't have trouble keeping my nails clean (but then, they are not "long" either). My natural nails don't grow in a nice shape and they break very easily, so I see no benefit to keeping them natural. I like to have manicured nails; I just think it looks nicer. Also, in the past I've had them taken off, and it does not ruin your natural nails. If you take off the acrylic, it will take 2 or 3 weeks for your natural nails to grow out, and they look exactly the same as they always did. Anyhow, it works for me.

M.D.

answers from Washington DC on

I got mine put back on right before Christmas...I just took them off a week ago. Reason being I have NO TIME. I was dragging three kids to the salon every two weeks to get them done. Plus I'm facing unemployment and they are expensive, especially because I was getting the pink and white acrylic, not the pink and white paint job. I miss them terribly...but I just can't justify the time. Plus now I get get a mani/pedi for the same price as just the fill! No clue on at home kits...sorry.

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