I have my own nails and love them, I would never us acryllic nais now that I got my own that are about an inch out from my fingers. And they are soo much cheaper, I spend about $1 a month on my nails.
When you first get acryllic nails they will be in the way of everything, picking up anything small like money, grabing your weights, putting on your clothes, you name it. If you do go with acrylics, start as short as you can then get them a little longer each time until you find the length that works for you.
With real nails you don't have the problem of when you get acryllic nails, as they grow with you and you don't notice the difference, it's like you start out with a 2 lb wieght then you add on to a 3 pound wieght etc, there is a little difference, and you naturally learn to move your hand the right way and pick things up. WIth acryllics one day they are super short the next day they are 1/2 inch from your finger tips are better. And it takes a while to learn how to do your normals stuff without catching and breaking the acryllics off, as they aren't all that strong either, and do tend to pop or break. Which then means another appt to have the neail put back on and more money. Acryllics do cost a lot the two friends I know that have them and have worn them a long time, it's nothing to spend $50 a month to have them done and look nice all the time. You also have the fun have having to sit there for an hour and have the things put on your hands, cut filed and painted.
I would seriously try to grow out your real nails for the long run it is better for your fingers as well as your nails as the acryllics will make your nails even weaker so once you start wearing them, you can't as then it becomes a protection for your real nails, as they get even weaker, and then really break.
You have a lot to think about and if you want a good nail strengther, go for Sally Hansense's line of nail care, put a very very thin layer on your nails about every two or three days and it will help them a lot. Make sure you take off all nail polish at least for a full 24 hours allow your nails to breath and they'll stay strong, if you don't allow them to breath they get weak as well not matter what you put on them. Which also one of the reason why accryllics make them soft and weak, you cosntatly have a piece of plastic glued to the top of your nail and it can't breath. As well as the fact that the glue itself will make your nails x-brittle. I have a friend who is a nail tech and she's always telling me, if she could figure out how I grow my nails she'd be rich as well as the fact people wouldn't be ruining their nails to get nails as there are quite a few long term affects that wearing nails can have, on the body.
Kit
)
