Beauty

[Shelbelle]

As much as I would love to have the durability of them, I would never get one, I have nice natural nails, long and strong, and would never take a chance on damaging them.

[nrm]

I love having my nails done with OPI gel polish. I'm going this week for a mani and a pedi- the pedi is regular polish. My manicure w/ gel lasts a month w/ no chipping. My nail,beds show so I could go every 3 weeks but I've been too busy. 

Good luck.

[juperier]

@sauce62  Do you mean "Shellac" as in the brand from CND? In other words, a gel manicure? Personally, I change polish way too often to go that route. But; I've done a lot of reading about it. My advice would be to make sure you go to someone who has a good reputation, even tho it may cost a bit more. There is a lot of science behind gels and they are quite different than regular polish. Improper application, curing and/or removal can lead to nail damage, lifting, allergies etc over time if improperly done. Unfortunately, not every nail tech has the knowledge necessary to maximize safetly.

[I am still oxox]

Exactly what I have been doing for the last few months, granted  it is costly but my nails look great, and last up to three weeks

---

@Lipstickdiva wrote:

I have had both acrylic and gel and I found that the gel manicures were just as damaging as acrylics were if it's something you do on a regular basis every few weeks.

I have an acrylic overlay over the top of my natural nails and then I get gel polish on top of that.  My natural nails are horrible and always have been. They are paper thin and tear all the way down to the point they are painful.  Nothing I have tried on my nails or taken has helped with that. 

Natural nail polish peels off my nails one one big sheet after 2 days. The same thing happens with any of the products I put on my nails to try and strengthen them.    

---

[mare54]

Love em! I can get almost 3 weeks out of one set. I also wear rubber gloves when I have to clean up the kitchen and have my hands in water. So I think that helps. 

[SurferWife]

Is shellac nails the same thing as gel nails!

[nrm]

Shellac and gel are the same. Shellac CND is a brand name and OPI is another. I prefer OPI because I like the colors and it has a better shine and wear. I've gone as long as four weeks w/ OPI ,but the Shellac CND didn't last a week. Also, I'm not careful cleaning or opening things but my OPI really lasts. 

[SurferWife]

@nrm...thank you for clarifying. I have gel nails. My nail tech uses CalGel brand. Mine last a month. I wore acrylic nails for 25 years and made the switch. My nails are so much the better for it! My latest design.

[nrm]

@SurferWife Happy nails! 😄