<p>Resurrecting this thread to report on my shellac manicure experience.</p>
<p>As I feared, the shellac manicures looked great at first, but after a few of them my nails were seriously weakened, and peeling even worse than usual. Although the manicure did hold up almost two weeks at first, after two or three of them my nails started to break even more easily. I actually got an acrylic tip on one thumb because the nail broke into the quick and was painful. This happened even though I was keeping my nails short.</p>
<p>I’m now in the process of letting my nails grow out so that none of the existing nail was affected by the shellac, and the peeling has abated to some degree. I’m doing the same thing with the acrylic tip, which I have cut back and filed. I tried some Sally Hanson products that are supposed to strengthen the nail or stop peeling. They just start peeling off after a couple of days. I’ve been making a point of using one of those oils that moisturize the cuticles frequently. And I’m avoiding the nail salon. I think that part of the problem may be that the manicurists use those big foam files across the top of the nail, too. That may be fine for most people, but not my thin nails.</p>
<p>I guess I am just not fated to have great-looking nails!</p>
<p>Consolation, thanks for bringing the thread back. I had much the same experience as you did with repetitive gel/shellac manicures–although my nails were fine as long as they were gelled, once I tried to stop having the gel manicures done, they were seriously weakened. (I had pretty strong nails before.) I have spent about six weeks growing my nails out, wearing just an ordinary base coat/top coat (clear, no polish) manicure that I’m doing myself on VERY short nails (so I don’t catch and rip anything). </p>
<p>I have talked to several women who say “I get a gel manicure every ten days without fail, because otherwise my nails peel and tear.” Hmm… I think it might be the gel! I just don’t have the time/patience/extra money to get my nails done that often.</p>
<p>I tried the gel manicure, the first one was great, the second one was fine, the third one chipped and cracked immediately. The salon redid it and that one also cracked and chipped right away. I have thin nails and thought perhaps the gel would be the solution for me, but it seems like the gel is not strong enough to hold up and as the part of my nail which has lost layers by being roughed up with a file grows beyond the quick, that nail plus gel is still not strong enough to handle day to day life. The slightest hit and it bends at the quick leaving a crack across the entire nail, then the gel chips off the white part :)</p>
<p>I don’t mean, as DMD said, that taking the gel off left me with a problem, I mean the nails chipped and broke with the gel on after about a month.</p>
<p>I don’t seem to have a problem and I’m wondering if it is the acetone that is used to remove the gel that it causing so much weakening. I say this because I don’t use the acetone for removal- I peel the gel off! This is STRONGLY discouraged, but I can’t help myself as the polish starts to lift a little at the base at the 2 week mark. I know this also weakens the nail, but I’m wondering if it is actually better than the acetone.</p>
<p>I will say that it is a pleasure to have nice-looking toenail polish, though, and the pedicures last forever (regular polish). So I got something out of it! :)</p>
<p>I actually go three weeks or longer between shellac polishes. This means that the cuticle part of my nails is new growth and a bit of it. It looks fine because the tops of my nails look terrific…no chips or nicks. I wonder if allowing this new growth makes a difference.</p>
<p>My daughter also goes over 3 weeks between shellac polishes and has no weakening. I would go that long if I could keep myself from peeling it off! I have never had chipping of the polish.</p>
<p>I have never done the gel manicure – it sounds good – but I do go about once a week to the local upscale nail salon for a manicure. Can’t say I enjoy it – the nail file sawing back and forth – the limited English – “cuticle – push back?” where it’s hard to convey what you want – but I do find my nails look better than if I did them myself.</p>
<p>The nail techs at my salon speak good English and are very personable and fun. They are Vietnamese, but the owner (Vietnamese) insists that they communicate to each other and to the customers in English.</p>
<p>I was getting a gel manicure every four weeks this spring but was in the mountains for summer vacation when the peeling got the better of me and I picked it all off. That was July 1st. My nails still have weak areas that break off as soon as they grow beyond the tip. I was blaming it on my picking the gel off instead of having it removed, but now I’m thinking scraping it off with acetone isn’t any better. I have strong nails, so this is new to me.</p>
<p>I’m really bummed, I loved the look of the gel manicure. (even my 6th grade girl students noticed ). I may even start back up again…
Pedicures every 6 weeks - heck yes!</p>