Ok, I have read enough of people who had ruined nails like me. I won’t do it. I’d rather have my long plain nails for a long time, than have pretty nails for 3 weeks, followed by months of short peeling ones.
I’m glad I asked!
Put me in the never again category. I work outside, with my hands, a lot. I had the gel/shellac polish (not supposed to be the “bad” one–just the polish) done for S1 wedding. That stuff is durable! I think they should make a house paint that good. I did all the tricks to remove it–filing, soaking in foil/acetone…no luck. I had to go back in and they used a Dremel to remove it. Um…no. Then again, I think of my hands as tools, not accessories. It is pretty though.
I’m afraid I include myself in the no-more-gel-manicures category. They did weaken my nails, but no worse, really, than they were before, and it did completely break my cuticle gnawing habit. However, the last time I got the gel manicure done, the UV combined with the chemicals was actually painful (at about a 4) and I’m afraid it would be worse the next time.
I bought myself a very nice set of manicure tools (I found it on Amazon for about $30) and now give myself a regular manicure whenever I feel like it. Learning to trim my nails and cuticles using my left hand (my right hand is dominant) has been an interesting exercise.
Explain to me why the cuticle picking and gnawing is a problem when you don’t have the gel polish? I’m the same way. I pick and chew unless I have the gel manicure (or back in the day when I did the solar nail pink and white acrylics). I keep my nails short anyway- even with the gel. My nails are really strong right now for about the first time in my life. I actually think it is from my bone density injections (Forteo).
MOWC: I stopped cuticle gnawing because of the gel polish because I’d start to do it and the polish would remind me not to!
I have never had the gel polish, but back in the day I used to get silk wraps and sometimes tips for nice long nails. At some point I had the wraps removed and the nails were as you describe in very poor shape. It takes a long time to get better because the nails must grow out (they are “dead” and can’t heal in any way), and nails grow slowly. It can take 3 to 12 months for fingernails to grow out! Using acetone often, and keeping just regular polish on all the time can damage your nails. Something about blocking oxygen transfer is the problem. It sounds like the gel stuff is too tough to remove in many instances without damage. Also, if you are using a UV light to set the gel, this is not such a good idea for frequent use. I use sunscreen on the backs of my hands when I am going to be exposed to light outdoors, and I have some brown spots anyway.
I was a manicure addict for a while years ago, and if something broke I had to run right away to get it fixed. Now, I don’t get manicures and I keep my nails unpolished but evenly trimmed and filed. Once I had a baby, I no longer got manicures, and was done with that. Less stress all around.
I am a terrible nail biter. So I get acrylics. I wear them short and with clear or very pale polish so they look natural and understated - not like dragon nails. I’ll pick off or bite right through the acrylic - it’s a horrible habit and I’m very unaware when I do it. My natural nails underneath are probably shot but I’ll never see them again anyway, so so be it - doesn’t really matter.
"had to go back in and they used a Dremel to remove "
I go to an inexpensive Vietnamese place (though twice the price of NY!) and they use the Dremels. Or they wrap the nails in foil with acetone-soaked cotton balls underneath and finish off with the Dremel. It’s still all preferable to my natural state nails - whenever I have any length I pick straight at it so I’m still far better off with enhancements.
Dremel? Like the little power tool? Good Lord!
I think the reason the gels or acrylics stop pickers, at least for me, is that it makes the end of my nail thicker and I do not subconsciously pick at every rough spot I encounter. If I could wear the gels I would, but after I tried it for a wedding, two manicures later, the nails were bending and cracking the gel, so useless. And back in the day, acrylics used to lift in about 1 week, so I guess i am destined to have unattractive nails and to pick at stuff 
My dog! I used Dremel to remove old grout in the shower. No way that thing comes anywhere close to my nails! eeeeeeek.
Kiddo got some sort of bomb-proof nail stuff… It took an extra hour and $50 to remove it… I should have asked her about it prior to giving her a spa experience for her birthday. 
Chemists use acetone to wash glassware in the lab… Now you know why chemists don’t get manicures. We’d be broke!
Had same problem. I stopped doing it. I use a Loreal no light gel. It dries in 5 minutes, lasts about a week. you can fix any chips and maybe get 2. comes off like regular polish.