Shall I go Fake?

M

mnglamourgirl

Cathlete
Totally girl topic here...I've been debating getting my nails done for quite some time. I'm in the home staging/design business and stage a lot of high-end homes. In my job & the real estate industry, appearance means a lot. The homes I stage must look good and I must present myself well, right? Okay, so I've often wondered if I should have like a professional manicure/acrylic nails. I love the look of a French manicure because it's so classy and can go with anything. My natural nails are fine, but often times are not polished or even the same length. Or worse, I go to appointments with chipped nails.

Anyways, I'm curious to know what you all think: are manicured nails worth the investment?

Terri
 
Terri -

I have acrylic nails and have had them off and on for years. I think you should go for it. I love the way they make my hands look and feel. When I don't have them on - I tend to bite my nails and my hands look awful.

I go every two weeks for a fill-in.

Just my two cents, but I love mine!

Dianne
 
I think it is different for everyone. I got them once and couldn't wait to soak them off, they didn't "scratch" right. OTOH I work with the public too and understand the importance of looking good and my natural nails are strong and all the same length. Natural nails, don't hold polish so I wear clear and keep them fairly short. It is alot of upkeep though. I kinda envy my friends who wear acrylics and get their nails done every two to three weeks and then forget about it. One thing though, I personally don't care for the "growing out" look and would probably go every two weeks if I was wearing them myself (another reason for me not too). I think too grown out looks way tacky. I also don't like the appearance of grown out with an extra coat of polish, too much height difference between the real nail and the acrylic.
 
I would just be careful. If the nails are not put on correctly, moisture can get under the natural nail and cause an infection. My girlfriend's real nail lifted right off the nail bed because of moisture trapped underneath. I personally get regular manicures and pedicures but do not have acrylic nails.
 
I love to get my nails done, but can't afford the upkeep right now. If you keep them up, they look beautiful, but if you don't, they just look fake. If you have the time and money, I say go for it!

Sally
 
I had acrylics for a while for the same reasons as you - because I deal with clients and such. I also had the french-tips.

Although I loved the look and low-maintenance, you must know that to upkeep the French-trip is a total PITA. When you outgrow the French-tips you have to remove the ENTIRE acrylic off and get a new set - it's different from just having acrylics and getting fills.

A friend of mine couldn't stand the pain, another person I know had her REAL nail ripped off along with the acrylic.

My nails grow really quickly, so I couldn't even go two weeks without needing a refill, so I stopped.
 
As a manicurist for the last 17 years, I'd say go for it!! You can have the french tip polish with just a manicure on your natural nails. Or you can go fake. I am not a huge fan of acrylic as I have seen the damage to the nail bed. Mostly done at the quick in and out nail shops. I specialize in Fiberglass which is a nail wrap. Much thinner and more natural looking than acrylic. But, not nearly as popular it seems. When I got into this business it was at a time that many women were wanting to try something other than acrylic so I went that way. I feel Fiberglass is not as damaging to the nail bed as acrylic is. I have tried a few different things on my nails but Fiberglass works the best and I have worn artificial nails for about 20 years...:)...Good luck in your decision...


ETA: Artificial nails usually need to be filled every 2-3 weeks. But my clients feel it is worth the investment...
 
I say no. Don't do it. I've been told by many many many people that fake nails damage your natural nail and weaken it, making it that much harder to go back to being all-natural.

Here's what I have used with TREMENDOUS success to keep my nails strong, beautiful, healthy, and growing fast! Hoofmaker. You can buy this product online, but some Walmart stores have it in their pet section. Horse trainers and breeders use it to build strong hooves on their horses, but it's nail beauty's best kept secret!

Here's how I use it when I want my nails at their most beautiful:

Just dab a little on your fingertips, then rub the lotion into your nails. [NOTE: A little goes a long way - I've had the same tub of Hoofmaker for about eight years. It's definitely worth the money.] Do this every night (and even every morning if you're in a hurry to get your nails looking hot). You will notice an improvement within days. Keep a fingernail file at your bedside and do a 60-second filing every night, just along the edges - I'm talking about a really quick file job, nothing that will take more than a minute.

You will notice that your nails will grow faster, they will look healthier, they will be break-resistant and even feel thicker/stronger. I find that I actually have to trim my nails with clippers because they get so long and just won't break. I've had people exclaim over my nails, and they just can't believe they're real and that they're so healthy.

Also, I don't wear nail polish. That just dries my nails out and makes them brittle. But I find with the hoofmaker that I don't need polish.

Give it a try before destroying your natural nails with fake ones (and the chemicals that go along with them).

EDITED TO ADD THAT this suggestion is a WHOLE lot cheaper than getting a manicure every few weeks, too! Save your money and use Hoofmaker, then buy more Cathe DVD's with the money you saved. :)
 
I, too, had fake nails and I found that the upkeep was time comsuming. I'd rather go for a manicure every week and I keep my nails short. What about a clear polish? It's easier. Doesn't Neutrogena have a polish for your nails that dries in 30 seconds and looks natural?
 
I don't wear fake nails and love the idea about "Hoofmaker". I'll try that, thanks!

That said, I do like to wear fake nails for special occasions or if my nails start to look especially crappy. I use "Real Life Nails". They are fake nails you buy at Walgreens/Walmart/CVS, etc. They come in short/petite and come in french nail. I buff my natural nail slightly and glue them on with super glue. They fit my fingers perfectly, last for weeks, and come off much easier with minimal damage to my nails. Plus, I control all the pre-nail filing (sometimes those manicurists can go to town), which can be really damaging to your natural nails. I love them and I have had many people tell me that they look exactly like a professional nail job, if not better! Best part...they are only about 5 bucks!!! Look into them! Make sure you get the artificial nail remover too as these nails rarely break off on their own before I have to remove them. I usually remove them for about two weeks and then wait atleast two weeks before putting them on again. Then your real nails get a break and don't get too damaged.

Have fun!:7
 
I had mine done once, I couldn't get used to them and I didn't like having to get them done every 2 weeks. My nails were always thin and broke easy but since I've started eating clean I am actually able to grow strong nails which is nice.
 
I am very hard on my hands, and have crystal nails because otherwise I simply cannot keep my nails nice. I feel more put-together when my hands look nice. Even with the artifical nails, I still break them! My nail salon just laughs when I walk in after a week with a chipped nail. If you do plan to do it, do take your time to look around. Not all places are the same quality and with a bit of research, you can find a place that will keep your nails healthy. I have taken them off for months at a time - and it takes about 3/4 months for your natural nails to grow completely back and they will be very soft and brittle in the mean time. And there are inconveniences with artificial nails. Like not being able to pick up that dropped credit card easily, a dropped Cathe DVD! They don't scratch as well - I do agree - but my dogs LOVE to be scratched with them.
 
As an "investment", I don't think you can do a cost-benefit analysis about nails; it's strictly a cosmetic thing. That said, I personally love getting my acrylics; I do have to have a brand-new set put on every few months or so, then follow up with every-other-week fills. I'm very vain about how my hands look, and getting nails done just makes me happy. It's an extravagance but probably my only one.

Terri, I presume from your screen name that you are a Minnesotan; know that changes in the Minnesota climate can affect how well your natural nails "take" to the acrylics. I've found that when fall starts falling, the air dries out and we edge into winter (which, just in passing, doesn't seem to be happening this year), the incidence of chipping and breakage seems to increase. My own sich might not be the best example because I do a lot of water athletic training and instruction in a highly-chlorinated pool, and that can affect how well you keep your nails too. A French manicure might be a good alternative.

I say, if you have the money AND TIME to invest in regular upkeep, go for it, both for your own personal satisfaction and professional appearance.

A-Jock
 
I love my acrylics and I also work in real estate. I always feel more put together and feel more professional. I have to go every 2 weeks for a refill but the polish stays on for those 2 weeks and I don't have to think about it unless a nail lifts which some nail glue will take care of. My natural nails were thin and chipped easily before. I could never really polish them because my nails would turn yellow and really chip quickly. I just could never keep my natural nails looking nice and I did use everything I could fine including this moisturizer they use for horses. It did nothing for me.

I'd say it depends on your nails and how strong they are naturally. I realize my nail bed could be damaged in some way when I ever decide to give them a break. I just don't care since they never really looked the way I wanted then to when they were natural. I've had mine done over the last few years and I haven't had any infections or had to take them off yet. You do have to find a reputable place or find a good technician...if you can get a referral from someone...I suggest that. I love them!!! If you have tried everything for your natural nails and still aren't satisfied and if you have the time and money I say do it.
 
I think the fake nails look great. I always try to go a little shorter on length for workout purposes. All in all for me they are uncomfortable. It really weakens your natural nails. It takes awhile for them to be back to normal which for me is miserable. But I still do it off and on. Working in the public I would probably do it though.

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I love the look of well manicured nails and agree that the french manincure is classy. The way you present yourself and attention to esthetic details in your work are very important so I'd say go for it! I am a massage therapist so I have to keep my nails clipped VERY short. I hate it, I've got nice long hands but my nails look like I've chewed them to nubs:( I don't care what other people do but it bugs me that by all appearances to the general public I am a voracious nail biterx( Get your pretty nails and enjoy them!!:)

Take Care
Laurie
 
I've had nails on and off for many years. I always would get them and then feel guilty about spending the money on them. Last year I was going to a high end salon for my fill-ins. Hated spending that much money on them, and she took forever. One day I was in another town, short on cash and I went to a nail shop in a strip mall. I liked the way they looked. So, the next time I needed a fill-in , I looked around my town for something less expensive and that's when I found Tom and Holly! I walked in and he took one look at my nails and told me I had a fungus - I couldn't see anything. He then took all my nails off and talked to me a long time about all the nail salons that are popping up. He said my fungus was due to poor quality materials that let water seep in under the nail. He told me a bunch of stuff like how some places will have signs saying they use OPI products , but if you look under the table it is not OPI acrylic powder, etc. He told me a lot about artifical and natural nails and set me up with some fungus stuff and nail hardner that worked great. After awhile I was ready to get some again from HIM! I can get my nails to look ok , but polish lasts about a day and half on my natural nails.

Well, I just adore Tom and his wife Holly and have been going there for over a year now. I now have gel nails. If you get the white tip and it grows out, they can spray or polish on the tip again for you. My thing is to really find a good place to go. Look around at the cleanliness of the place and ask for referrals. I had heard a lot about Tom before I went there. And just because it is a higher end salon doesn't necessarily mean that's the right place. Tom and Holly are Vietnamese (sp) and in a strip mall. They're prices are cheaper than the salon I went to , but more than the other nail shops around.
They are hard-working honest people who care about they're reputation. It might be difficult at first to really find a place like this.

You can always try it and then remove them if you decide it is too much trouble! Marnie :)
 
Thank you all for your responses. I agree that I must do something because just winging doesn't look good. Right now, I have my nails short because one broke off so I had to clip them all - I HATE that!

My pros for nails are:
-looks professional/well-cared for
-a little bit of "me" time

My cons:
-expensive (for gels $65 for a set at a salon; $55 for a nail shop
-fills time consuming ($35 salon; $25 nail shop)

I had gel nails several years ago and went to the salon and LOVED the manicurist. She was so good and she's hard to get into. My girls' got a gift certificate for a local nail shop so they got their nails done on Saturday (just polish). It smelled so strong of chemicals and as I looked around, there were dead flies and cobwebs around the windows. I have 2 girlfriends that go to this place and they just rant and rave about how quick and cheap it is to get them done. Well, I'm not really a fan of quick & cheap (get what you pay for philosophy). On the other hand (no pun intended), I'm looking at several hundred dollars a year, just for good-looking fingers. And to be honest, I feel a bit guilty spending that money on myself. I know that my money could be spent paying bills, etc. But I so desire good-looking hands!

Terri
 
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