We once hired a lab assistant who insisted on wearing nylons and heels every day. Her entire salary for the first month must have been spent on those nylons as they were ruined by microdrops of acetone - daily! 
Gels are apparently contraindicated for weak and/or brittle nails. That makes me 2 for 2. 
I’m not a girlie girl…at least I don’t think I am. Some folks here have met me IRL…and they can feel free to comment.
I get my nails done…manicures and pedicures. It’s a treat. Heavens…started at least 15 years ago when a group of 6-8 of us got pedicures every two months,…and went out to dinner. Sometimes we got manicures as well.
My nails are sort of brittle, and really gel polish keeps,them from breaking as easily. I do give my nails a “rest” every six months or so…but the new gel polishes and the removal agents are better now…so my nails don’t get as damaged.
I just did gel on my fingernails last week. Probably won’t get it done again until the second week of May. I can take the polish off if I need to.
I usually get three weeks from my gel manicures.
Regular polish? I couldn’t get out of the nail place without screwing my nails up,somehow!
Enjoy your gel, ladies!!
Gel is great for weak and brittle nails. It makes them strong and looks great (while the gel polish is on). It’s not great for your nails, but it doesn’t make mine any worse than they are without the gel and they look a whole lot better!
Hardly ever wear makeup. Always paint my nails. I have long fingers and good nails – gotra take advantage of what I have!
I do bright colors on my toes, lower-key colors on my hands. My son wears polish, and he has gotten me into more vivid tones.
TBH! The only time my nails looked really terrific was when I was pregnant. I attributed that to those HUGE prenatal vitamins! My nails,were strong and looked terrific…no polish…and they didn’t break or anything.
No…not hormones…those horsepill vitamins were the reason.
Anyway…it’s a choice to have manicures. Not necessary.
But I do like my pedicures with sandals…and it’s getting to be that kind of weather. Supposed to be 80 here on Easter!
But I guess sandals wouldn’t be the right shoes for a job interview!!
I rarely wear nail polish and never on my toes. However, when I was interviewing, 10 years ago, I went and got a gel manicure of light pink. I don’t like French manicures, I have very small hands and the square tips look odd. I wish I had the time and money to get gel tips regularly - I would get fire engine red, because it’s my favorite.
Recently I started using essie gel couture line with their brand top coat, and I am hooked. It lasts for at least 2 weeks, very easy to apply, and does not require UV curing lamp. Fairy Tailor gives nice sheer color.
The Essie gels without lights work well.
Is it difficult to remove the Essie gel? I like a gel manicure because it lasts longer and dries quickly, but the removal really does a job on my nails and has to be scraped off, taking a layer of nail with it.
I get an acetone remover, not the regular stuff. Costs a little more, but it works.
I don’t do manicures because I have peasant hands and feel no need to draw attention to them.
So what is the ballpark going rate these days for a manicure, regular vs. gel?
If you ever meet me, don’t judge me by my nails please. Or let me know when you are coming and I’ll tie my hands behind my back.
My hands look like a kids. Very small and my nails themselves are very small and short. Sort of weird! Never in my life have I chewed them, but never have I grown them - at all. I clip them down always.
Gourmet mom: I’ve found removal of the gel varies a lot. The woman I go to regularly only uses acetone and doesn’t scrape at all. If I’m going out of town for more than a couple of weeks, she takes off the gel and gives me a buffing manicure and my nails look great. There is no damage. However, once out of town and having them done, the manicurist used one of those electric polishing sticks to remove the gel and it was a disaster. My nails hurt!
I keep mine as short as possible. I use clippers on them between appointments sometimes to keep them short. I do really heavy housework and gardening and the gel holds up great, when my regular manicurist does them.
I am concerned about the UV light and use a lot of sunscreen on my hands.
I tried the Essie but it didn’t work for me.
I do love a gel manicure because it lasts at least 2 weeks. But I do think it damages your nails and everything I have read said ideally you would only do them for special occasions. I know my nails feel pretty beaten up after they remove the gel polish.
I must get a pedicure ASAP. I cannot stand my toes with no color, I think they make my feet look sickly.
D and I had manicures last week when I was visiting her - first time together and first one in 20 years for me. It was an impulse move in a mall. $20 for regular manicure. It was absolutely wonderful. They used this great smelling lotion and massaged our hands forever, then stuck our hands in bags of warm wax, then cleaned up and manicured. I thought it was worth every penny! I won’t wait 20 years for the next one. (In fact, I came home from my visit, and had an impulse pedicure! First one ever! Also fantastic. But tickly.)
I pay $25 for a regular manicure, and $30 for a gel with UV light (with my regular manicurist near my house in the northeast). At a spa/salon in a nice hotel, a manicure can range from $40 to $60. To remove the gel, my manicurist soaks cotton balls with acetone, then tops each nail with the cotton ball wrapped in aluminum foil and lets it sit for 10-15 minutes. Still, the residue needs to be scraped off and it’s tough on my nails if I do it often. So, I get a traditional manicure weekly, then an occasional gel - timed for a vacation or when I want it to last longer.
H (who does my nails) uses the soaked cotton balls, but no scraping. Sometimes she uses a kind of emory board if any gel is left. Sometimes it takes a second round of the cotton balls on a nail or two. She does put a clear base on my nails first.
I wish I could take you all to H. She is wonderful.