False Nails

[shellideaks]

I've never had false nails before, thinking of getting some next week and just looking for some advice from anyone who wears them.

Is there different types? If so which is best?

And do your own nails need to be a certain length to have false ones applied?

 

[lindseymw]

I do my own acrylics.

The tips, I use two different types depending on what I fancy. One is the white tips (bright white) & the other is off white half well tips. Half well ones I find better for shorter nails. The 'well' is the bit that sticks to your nail. Half well means it comes down further down your nail & is blended by sanding it.

Well-less (bright white tips), there is no blending & only has a small area to stick to your nails. These are better if you already have nails.

I have done UV nails before but find acrylics lighter and I get use to them quicker.

 

[Chris77]

When I had artificial names, I had either gel or acrylic. Acrylic is definitely cheaper and I actually preferred the acrylic. The gel tended to be really thick in my experience. I've always had them professionally done because I don't know how to do them myself, nor do I have the patience.

No, your nails do not need to be a certain length (at least from my experience).

 

[shellideaks]

I think I'll get some acrylics then. My normal nails or abysmal, they're really weak and snap whenever I try to grow them.

Anyone got a rough idea on cost? And also how long they last? I'm wanting them for Saturday but wondering if I can get them done a few days before then? x

 

[BellaBoo0512]

I had acrylic nails done for my wedding. They looked nice for about a week or two and then started to look tatty. The tips of my fingers were sore for about 3 days after having the nails done (don't know if this is normal or not?!) then when I wanted to take them off I was told to soak them in acetone.. I did this for ages and couldn't get them off for ages. I vowed I'd never get them done again. My nails were really brittle afterwards too.

Now I just use nail strengthener and polish them myself.

 

[seoj]

My natural nails have always been weak and peel super easy-- ever since I can remember. Which is why, for years I got fake ones (acrylic). And it was a bit costly- I would go to some really nice salons though and pay well for good nail techs- had some mishaps with bad ones! One lady even sliced most of my fingers while filing my nails down- but that is something that only happened once, and shouldn't ever happen!

Cost wise- you can get a full set for about $40 here- and $25 or so for fills (which should really be done every 2wks- although I would usually push it to 3wks But that was when I was paying $40 for just the fills! So the nails grew out, but still looked decent enough...

Maybe this will help

https://www.webmd.com/beauty/nails/artificial-nails-acrylics-gels-silks

BTW- after years of having fake nails, I finally said enough and I've gone natural. The crazy thing though- my nail beds got longer somehow? *I used to chew my nails as a kid though and my nail beds were short from that. And my nails (after the initial grow out from having the fake nails on- since they can destroy your natural nails) are actually stronger! Still not strong- lol- but nice enough now that I don't miss fake nails at all

 

[Bittersweet]

Acrylics all the way, you can get these painted with shellac or gelish too if you wanted. Here they are about £25 for plain tips (white) or £30 for glitter tips

My nails were down to the quick and very very tiny and is managed to get mine done. Since then I have managed to keep them a reasonable length although they were weak at the start once my nails were removed so I got gelish to help them strengthen

 

[Chris77]

Here you can get a full set for $40 and $20 for a fill. French is more. They usually last 2 weeks, so if you want them for Saturday you can definitely go ahead and get them a few days prior. Mine would start to lift way before then though which is part of the reason I no longer get them (doesn't happen to everyone and most people I kow can get 2 or even 3 weeks out of them, but I never could. I found that after a week, they really started to look tacky.)

I haven't had acrylics in about 3 or 4 years. I just use nail strengtheners now and go for just regular mani's every 2 or 3 weeks.

 

[Char&Bump-x]

I'm at college training to be a nail technician at the moment. Acrylics are definitely more popular here because we have a local chinese nail bar who only does acrylics and is cheaper than everywhere else in town. Avoid those like the plague even though they are cheaper as they tend to use imported products which are sometimes not licensed (or legal!) in this country!

There isn't much difference between gels and acrylics other than the chemistry. You'll probably hear that acrylic is stronger but it varies from person to person.

You don't need much of a nail to have extensions, I've done them on serious nail biters!

 

[katherinegrey]

I had acrylics for my wedding, and they looked lovely for a long time, but I had to bite them off in the end to get mine off, they were a nightmare to remove, and left my own nails really brittle for a long time afterwards.

 

[Sqwidge]

I would try a nail strengthener, like Nailtiques - I've been using this and my nails are a 1000times better than they were a few months ago.

 

[BabyMamma93]

IMO it depends what you do with your hands..
I used to wear false nails alot, usually when going out, i then bought white tips and stuck them on, and was then bought a 'quick dip acrylic kit' which was okay, but would only last a week..
ive had them done once at a proper shop and if i remember rightly they lasted 3 weeks..
My cousin was training, and she did them for me for £10, they was okay, a big bobbly and one nail wasnt straight, i think they lasted a week or 2..
then when she opened her own nail salon, i have been there once too, again they werent prefect, i duna if she didnt do as well cos she didnt charge me full price, or if shes still not that good.. they were a bobbly still, wasnt filed down right on the ends and started to lift at my nail bed quite quickly, overall they lasted about 2-3 week...

I have excema, and used to scratch alot, so nails never lasted me 2 mins, i also had a cleaning job, so again due to water and chemicals they wouldnt last..
I now work in a office and would love to have nice nails all the time, i just cant afford to pay for them.. where i live (leeds UK) you can pay anything from £20-£40 for a full set of acrylics, some salons have deals though and you can pay £10-£15