Removal of acrylic nails

[Nomad]

Long story...but I've had acrylic nails for awhile and took them off. I did this 1-2 years ago, but they looked so terrible, I only lasted a month and put them back on. I'm determined to last a long time this time and possible permanently go without them.

Anyone know of any good products I can use to make my now super thin, rough, dry nails look better and heal a little faster?

*also, I think it should take 5-6 months for them to grow out....does that sound right?????

 

[AnnieO]

I never could get acrylics to stay on for more than about 10 days, so I gave up. I used Sally Hansen's Hard As Nails until they got over the trauma... A coat every day or two.

 

[InsaneCdn]

Never used acrylic nails, but used to have thin ones...
Get a suede nail buffer (a hand-held one, not electric), and buff daily... increases blood flow, which increases strength.
Tap your nails on the table-top (make them click)... similar effect, you can do both.

 

[LittleDudesMom]

A question from someone who has had acrylics for about 10 years - what made you decide to quit? (I also tried a few years ago but couldn't stand it).

*Sharon

 

[Nomad]

LDM...great question! For the last few weeks, I've had one nail, then two nails, where the acrylic just kept falling off. Part of the reason I liked the acrylic nails (other than they look very good) is that I didn't have to mess with them for a good two weeks. I came to realize that they were probably falling off because the health of my nail (s) were deteriorating.
I couldn't fix one and I went out of town. So, I used super glue. I needed a "fill," and a few extra days went by. They were all lose. I went to a different salon where I was visiting. The new person commented that I should get a pink and white since I like French manicures and it would hold better.
I took a good look at my nails and many were lose (partially because it was now over two weeks and partially because of the health of my nails) and I thought it would be a great time to just pop them all off. Of course, she tried to talk me into a new full set or the pink and white.
Oddly, I'm normally someone who prefers natural things and I never liked them for this reason and the money part of it ain't so hot either!
I just made the decision then and there that it was a great time to easily get them off and to try again more earnestly.
I had my nails polished, but the polish doesn't hold more than three or four days at this time (nails are too thin, etc.)
So, I have clear polish on now that I'm going to continue to do myself.
As suggested here...I'm going to put on myself Sally Hansen's Hard As Nails and keep them short. Every week or two, I'm going to get a regular manicure at the salon, probably if I'm going somewhere. I know that it wont last more than three or four days, so I will time it when we are going somewhere. I have picked up a more natural nailpolish from the store...with less harsh chemicals. I'll take that with me when I go. I will probably have very short nails for 5 or 6 months. When my nails are healthier, I might do a regular manicure once a week. If I recall correctly, when my nails are healthy, a regular manicure lasts me about six days. I would often take the polish off the sixth day...and sometimes leave them natural or put on clear the last day.
We'll see how it goes...
I'm REALLY going to avoid the acrylics...surely they can't be good for us and this also gives me a chance to try the more natural polishes, etc.

Well, sorry about that long answer.

Thank you guys for the good suggestions...considering them all.

 

[DaisyFace]

Use the Barielle Nail Strengthening Creams. Unlike Sally Hansen's lacquer-based hardener, this is a cream that actually absorbs into the nails.

Works wonders!

 

[Star*]

I've never had nails my entire life - I've never had much luck growing my hair out either. Then I found out that long hair is a gene. It's actually called the (what's the name of that cat with the long hair?) well when it boomerangs in the old noggin' I'll (yeah yeah YOU know but I can't hear you so stop yelling) - put it on the post. Siamese? Ragdoll......no no no....Grumpy cat? (laughs out loud) Angora...There that's it. Angora gene. For real that's what it's called. Ever see those girls and there may be like five or six in a family all going to church and their hair is down to their ankles almost as long as their skirts and you think WOW - and they are spouting off the book of ACTS about not cutting their hair and you're thinking you're less than a holy roller? Well actually....you're not. They have an angora gene. Some people are DESTINED to grow long hair - and nails. Some are just born with crappy nails, crappy hair and in my case I also got the gene for crappy teeth. I floss, brush 3x a day, saw the dentist 2x a year, and did fluoride treatments all my LIFE - and my teeth just were soft, brittle, and between that and boxing, and my x - well I have a few left. The ones I do have are deep rooted, but that doesn't count for much. My hair was falling OUT - and I think you and I had this discussion about NO ammonium lauryl sulfate shampoo and MIRACLE of MIRACLE....my hair is not thin and falling out. That and I rinse in vinegar about 1x a month. (do not get that junk in your eyes unless you know how to dance like a witch doctor over hot coals nekkid in front of your dogs while pulling down the shower curtain and yelling Whooo Momma does that **** burn the old retinas out like sunshine on a Vampires skin) and I mean that sincerely. Pretty sure they haven't recovered fully from the drama of THAT day........I mean my dogs not my eyes. I rinsed my eyes with lots of water and ....well once I got the shower curtain back up that is. Golly what a mess THAT was......for someone to clean up. Hey I was wounded.

Anyway....back to your nails. At the Dollar General they sell A bottle of Hair and Nail vitamins for $5.00 and it's good stuff. The pills could be smaller, but they work. My hair is softer, and my nails are harder. I only wish they came with a blow dart tube for DF to administer them - because they're really that big and I stink at taking large pills. (Then again I am such a pill so moving on) ....Once you get those in your system for about eh......a month or two you start o see results. The best nail polish I've found to HARDEN your nails is in a GREEN bottle sold by Sally Hansen and you have to FOLLOW.THE.DIRECTIONS. (chortles) because ifyou miss a coat, or skip a day - it stops working and your nails will get chipped or soft or crack. If you FOLLOW the directions the stuff works like nobodies business and it's relatively inexpensive. Now if you want the BOMB - go to Sally's Beauty supply and look for some stuff that is in a bottle shaped like a diamond - has diamond cuts on it - and ask the clerk (she'll know exactly which one you want. It's the PINK one. That stuff makes my nails so hard I can open laundry soap boxes with my thumb nail. No joke. I have nails that are so tough I'm afraid to wipe without a wad of t.p. (this is not a joke) I have literally cut my own hiney and had to cut my nails back. I mean lethal. And my nails peel and chip and split....so. If you want nice lady nails...Go Hansen. If you want Lethal Weapon 10...Go Sally Beauty.

Just make sure you follow the directions on either bottle. I use both, and now I have both pretty and hard nails. (( I swear when I move my hands fast I can hear those Chuck Norris sounds ))) Whapaaaaah.......Whooooooooo.........whapaaaaaahhhhh........whoooooo.

 

[dstc_99]

You could also look into the gel polish that is now available. It is a form of polish that stays on just like the acrylic paints but is made for natural nails. It still requires a light sand of the nail in order to apply it but MUCH less than acrylics. It generally lasts a good two weeks and looks great. The only thing you have to remember is that it can peel off. IE: reminds me of some type of plastic peel and stick stuff almost?? Anyway what I am trying to say is that if you see it lift at all don't pick at it. It is different from acrylics in that the whole nail of paint can peel off if you pick at the edges.

My favorite part about it is that it is dry as soon as they are done with them. Litterally you can take your hand out of the dryer/light thing and stick them in your purse to pay without any concerns.

 

[susiestar]

I would get a bottle of almond, walnut or shea oil and apply it to the nails at night every night. On top of polish is okay. You need to esp coat the cuticles and skin around the nails. I would also use nail strengthening polish on them. To get a smoother look as they grow out, do a coat of a ridge filler product first. A good ridge filler will have little fibers in it. These form a protective coating and they create a smoother base for the polish. They also keep the colored polish from staining the nail.

If you cannot find a ridge filler with the little fibers, you can take a good base coat and use a little trick I learned from a lady who taught at a top beauty school. Get a tea bag and dump out all the tea - any kind of tea. Tear the bag into a piece big enough to cover the nail. You want a torn edge and not a cut edge because it is softer. Paint a layer of base coat on the nail and lay the tea bag piece over the polish while it is very wet. Use the base coat to push the tea bag piece into the polish and to make sure it is fully bonded into the layer of base coat. Let dry completely. Cover with regular polish as usual.

You can always use the tea bag trick if you have a broken nail that is too far down to cut or that you want to keep for a special occasion. Lay a small piece of tea bag over the break and once it is torn to size, glue it in place iwth a coat of your nail polish (best with a base coat, but you can use your colored polish if you are not at home or are short on time). Cover with another coat of polish and it will help keep the break from getting worse.

If you are going to paint your nails, use oil or shea butter on them 12 or more hours before. Make sure they are totally dry before you apply the oil or shea butter again.

The oils I have suggested, along iwth either shea or illipe butter, are excellent for skin and nail and hair issues. I use them instead of lotions. You would be surprised how fast either of the butters absorbs completely. They don't end up feeling greasy at all. I buy them from a seller on ebay and have had amazing results.

 

[DammitJanet]

Take Biotin, its a vitamin. It makes nails get harder and hair grow. My dermatologist gave me that advice.

I let Cory send me a mother's day gift that was Mandy taking me out to get my hair cut, lunch and then a mani/pedi. I have only had fake nails one other time in my life and that was for a Xmas party when I was working. I had them taken off immediately after the party...lol. I cant type with long nails. This last time when we put the acrylics on we got them cut just a hair longer than I normally kept my nails. I was hoping that would be easier for me to handle. Ha! I hated them. They are actually pretty dull so I had them taken off after about a month. I decided to try the gel nails because my nails were so brittle. That didnt work either. The gels peel off after about 2 weeks.

I took those gel nails off myself by soaking my fingers in nail polish remover. They were so weak that they were paper thin and I would tear them constantly. I just kept cutting them down to nothing until I could tell that it was my new nail growing in. I could tell because I didnt have ridges in my nails anymore. I have a bottle of that Hard as Nails but havent used it yet.

I will never get my nails done like that again. I dont think its healthy for the nail. Of course, Im not a girly girl either.

 

[AnnieO]

OMGOMGOMGOMGOMG stay AWAAAAAYYYYYYYY from gel nails!!! They were much much worse than the acrylics for my fingernails!!! I got them back when I was preggers, they started looking bad after 10 days and I could either get them redone, pay a ton of money to have them removed or do it myself. It took me DAYS to get them off with acetone nail polish and a orange stick!!! NEVER EVER EVER AGAIN. My nails finally recovered but that is due to the prenatal vitamins I am still taking.Oh yeah. Prenatal vites are DA BOMB.

 

[LittleDudesMom]

Good recommendation on the Biotin Janet - I take one every day for my hair!

 

[witzend]

I have very strong nails, and am not sure why I did acrylics a few years back. I kept them for about a year, then just gave up on them. I did use a buffer to keep the snags off of the surface of the nails, and coated with clear polish. The truth is that you just have to wait it out and file them back as they grow. Otherwise they will absolutely tear and snag. Four to six months should be realistic. Moisturize your hands and nails with lotion after you've been doing dishes or otherwise had your hands soaking.

This is a cool link.

http://health.howstuffworks.com/skin-care/nail-care/health/how-fast-do-nails-grow.htm

 

[trinityroyal]

Omega-3 fatty acids, good sources of protein in your diet,a healthy blend of vitamins in your diet, and no chemicals or other junk -- healthy nails and healthy hair.

Give your body time to build up a good store of vitamins and minerals, and give your nails time to recover from all the abuse they've suffered with the acrylic, and gel, and polish or whatever.

I don't use nail polish or hair color. I eat well and use tons of moisturizer on hair, hands, nail beds, etc., to counteract my (very) dry hair and skin. My hair and nails are really really strong. In the past, before I improved my diet and overall health, my hair and nails were thin and brittle.

 

[dstc_99]

I just realized I said gel. What I meant was shellac. It is a type of paint. Not a powder or gel that makes the nail thicker like acrylics do. It is the same thickness as paint and it won't come off with finger nail polish remover. It requires some other chemical or you can peel it.

 

[Kathy813]

I have the shellac nails done for holidays and vacations and love that they are dry immediately and the shine is incredible. I remove them myself very easily. I found out how using google.

I use acetone nail polish remover (it has to be straight acetone) and use cut up make up remover pads cut to the size of my fingernails. Then I dip each one in the acetone and attach it to my fingernails with bandaids. That way I can continue to type or surf the Internet while the acetone works its magic. You have to leave it on for quite a while . . . I usually leave it on for about 45 minutes. Then I just scrap it off with an orange stick and it comes right off. My nails look just like they did before the shellac.

I found acrylics to be much more damaging to my nails after they were removed. My nails were thin and sore to the touch.

One word of caution about the shellac nails. The UV light can be bad for your skin. Amazon even sells special gloves to protect your hands from the UV light that is used to cure the shellac.

I figure since I only do it once or twice a year it isn't a problem but if I did have them done every two weeks I would probably buy the gloves.

~Kathy

 

[PatriotsGirl]

I got the shellac ones before - I just sat down and scraped it off without a chemical. Took a little while, but got it off.. They are pretty, until your nails grow and mine grow pretty fast.

 

[busywend]

I had acrylic for years as well. With a new job I found I was struggling to find the time to get to the salon for the fills. They looked awful most of the time, so I had them removed.
I just waited out the growth....although my nails do grow very fast, so it was only a couple months (also the reason I was struggling to find time for fills!).
I have natural, short, non-polished nails right now. I love it. When they start to grow I cut them back down....for some reason I am loving having short nails right now. I am not sure if I will get acrylics again or not.
I did try Gel nails....they do peel off. It looks nicer and more natural to me. However, the UV light is a bit concerning. I guess they are supposed to put sunscreen on your hands before you go under the light.