Do you get your nails done often?

[pearaffair]

If you love rings, you probably like it when your nails look good too! Do you go for manicures? Shellac? Gel? What about doing it yourself? Got any tips? French tips, that is!

 

[pearaffair]

I used to paint my own nails often (buff and base coat etc) but now that I'm pregnant I'm giving my nails a break.

I really like Sally Hansen miracle gel polish. That stuff lasts!!!

 

[PintoBean]

I can't cut my toe nails nicely for the summer time so I get a pedicure.

I usually cut my finger nails down every 2 weeks. Long fingers so my fingernails grow super fast. I brush on a sheer Essie pink polish on my finger nails when I need to look more polished with a top coat.

 

[Austina]

I used to get Biosculpture manicures every 3 weeks because I did TV work for a while and wanted my nails to look good. When I gave that up, I carried on for a while, but didn't like all the filing which was making my nails thin.

I bought all the equipment, and started doing my own gel/shellac manicures, that way I have time to soak off the polish without excessive filing, and I can give my nails a rest every now and then and a good feed with oil.

My nails grow really quickly, so they need doing every 2 weeks. With practice, I can now get a professional look without all the time it took to go and get them done, and of course, it's much less expensive.

 

[elle_71125]

I paint my toes all the time in the summer because I like wearing flip flops. I think they look super weird without color. No one needs to be seeing that!

I rarely paint my finger nails. I cut them when they start making typing annoying. I actually just painted them for the first time in months so that I could post in the CS forum. Personally, I hate having anyone do my nails. I've tried it and it just isn't for me. Plus, they push my cuticles back and that creeps me out..lol.

 

[Ally T]

I always do my own. My toes are permanently painted through the summer months as I also think my feet look far better polished, and I only wear polish on my fingers at weekend as I am not allowed to wear it for work. Mostly I use a sheer, clean looking pink on my fingers (Essie Madamoiselle mostly) but I go bright with toes (Chanel Lotus Rouge & Essie Peach Daquari are my must have colours).

 

[KaeKae]

About six months ago, I stopped going to the salon. I had been getting gel manicures, and then for a few months an acrylic overlay, but not tips. The manicures looked beautiful, but the nails underneath had become so thin and damaged.

I am finally seeing progress, healthy nails with less and less peeling. And I've started doing my own polish again. I like the Sally Hansen Miracle Gel the best. It lasts several days for me.

 

[whitewave]

My nails never get longer than the tips of my fingers. I'll go get weekly manicures and they will look great but then they will all peel and look how they do now-- painfully short. I'm using Sally Hansen quick grow since I hope to have my caysie setting within two weeks!

 

[valeria101]

Never

 

[Calliecake]

Every other week with my manicurist.

 

[tyty333]

I only go for special occasions. I'm so hard on my nails it just doesnt seem to last. I do love the way they look though!

I'm actually going to do my toes today since its summer and they will last!

 

[MaisOuiMadame]

I have very healthy nails, but apparently the cuticles are super sensitive and get damaged easily (results in white spots on the nails when growing out). NO nail tech seems to be able to completely leave them alone, even when I tell them not to touch the cuticles. So I stopped having them done.

 

[Queenie60]

I get a gel manicure every 3 weeks - using light, sheer colors so that my nail growth does not show. My nails grow quickly. I get a pedicure about every 4 to 5 weeks. I have the equipment to do the shellac myself however have gotten lazy this past year. I may start doing my own again. I did instruct the manicurist to not file my nail bed. My nails are still very strong and healthy.

 

[Arcadian]

I hate when other people do my nails because without fail they do something like mess with my cuticles which I do not like. On my hands I have natural long nails that grows extremely quick but also are really strong, so me covering with fake nails makes little sense. Every 3 or so months I cut them all the way to knubs, I have to because they get so long and interfere with...everything. Makes me feel like a freak though because my nails are just an extension of my fingers and I use them as such.

I go through periods of using polish, but when your nails are nearly an inch long from the tip of your finger, thats a whole hell of a lot of polish to use!

Seriously though, on hands these days I just don't bother to use polish because Ive been so busy I do the very basics once a week; I use a couple of nail files (one coarse, one fine) to keep them from snagging onto everything, then a very light buff with a white block. I don't really know the grit of the white block but its extremely fine. My nail tips seem to stay naturally white though so I don't really do french on them.

However I do my toes every 10 days as they don't grow as fast as the hands, so I can have fun there!

I also use Sally Hansen Miracle Gel. Lasts so much better on my toes than my hands so I can really stretch for 2 weeks. When I do hands I can only go a week because again, they just grow so fast and it looks kinda bad. When I use with the topcoat and step outside for 5 minutes they generally dry to the touch by the time I come back in.

 

[ringo865]

On my suggestion, Hubby bought me a gel nail kit for Xmas 2015. I love it and usually do my nails "American" (ivoryish tips and clear or sheer pink nail). I like this style/color because when my nails grow out, I can just file/fill in the growth and apply a fresh topcoat. Colors are nice but they suck getting off. Sometimes I'll file the color off. Soaking takes so long at home. Sometimes I'll go to the salon and pay $5 for them to remove the color, then go home and put new on. I love that I can do it myself whenever I want and it's not $20-30 (or more) each time. #miser

I used to have acrylic and have to say, after years of resistance to gels, I like gels way better. They don't "lift" and they are super strong (my natural nails are like parchment paper)!l without being 2mm thick like acrylic. They last for three weeks (love doing them mostly natural so I can easily fill the growth and I just discovered "no wipe" topcoat which avoids the tacky residue remocal step.

Oh, and I love putting diamonds in the LED light to watch them fluoresce.

 

[Bluegemz]

Thick gel polish over natural nails, every 2 weeks at the manicurist. If I want a quick change, I can polish over the gel. Feet every month at the manicurist.

 

[junebug17]

I had acrylic nails for several years but after a while I got tired of going every few weeks, and of the expense. Was also getting concerned about the health of my nails. I let my nails grow out and now I do them myself - a few coats and then topcoat. It's a bit of a pain because they tend to chip easily but I just fix them as they happen. I have this plastic thingie that looks like a little hat so I can touch up one nail without ruining the others. I keep my nails really short so it really doesn't take too long to do them myself. I don't bother with my toenails - honestly my feet don't look that great because of bunions so I don't wear sandals or flip-flops much anymore.

 

[stracci2000]

I do my own manicure and pedicure.

 

[vc10um]

Pedicure every 6-8 weeks with my awesome nail tech. Manicure only for special occasions (weddings I'm in) and vacations (to keep them from breaking). Because I type and use my hands a lot, I always chip regular nail polish, so I get Shellac, but that stuff RUINS my nails. Even when properly removed, given plenty of time to soak, etc. It took nearly 2 months for my nails to return to normal after my last vacation. But, I'm sure I'll go for another Shellac mani before my next one, anyway!

 

[Gussie]

I get a gel manicure every 3 weeks on the dot. I have had the same french mani for I don't even know how long. My nails are so strong and grow so fast but I love them looking clean. I get pedicures every 4-5 weeks during sandal season and never during winter.

 

[marymm]

I don't like other people doing my nails. I keep my fingernails short-ish and shaped nicely (no polish); and I do my own pedicures (and enjoy it) all year round. Just picked up "Playdate" by Essie (soft lavender purple) for summertime toe nails.

 

[minousbijoux]

Pedicures more often than manicures. I go through phases, though, where I have regular manicures with gel (say every 8 or 9 days) and pedicures every 2 weeks, then phases where I just don't feel like making the commitment!

 

[lilmosun]

I do gel manicure - typically every two weeks because my nails grow fast. If I know it has to go three weeks, I usually do a french manicure and ask for a little longer white section.

I've have had nails that are impossible to keep short (drove my piano teacher crazy when growing up).

I did them myself until about 6-7 years ago when the girls a work decided to go together. I realized that they looked much nicer and began going every 6 weeks to have the cut and shaped. In between I did my polish eventually switching to gels because not only because it lasted longer but I was notorious for not waiting long enough for my polish to dry.

Then I realized that it was easier to go get them done....faster because they can polish one hand while the other cures, etc...and because I like changing colors, I'm not buying bottles of expensive polish that might get used once or twice.

The funny thing is that I once thought manicures were an extravagance and waste of money but with between cost of my time and polish to do it myself, I am hooked.

Pedicures - I have bad feet...prone to ingrown toe nails, painful to maintain and an embarrassment. My primary care offered to do a podiatrist referral but I kept putting it off. One day the girl doing my hands did the usual offer of a pedicure. I finally admitted my problem and she took a look. She said "Let me try and if I can't fix it, you can go see a doctor". She worked a miracle...my feet look normal! I should've started having pedicures decades ago. My friends and I call her "Dr Anna" and I see her every 6-8 weeks.

 

[lilmosun]

so I get Shellac, but that stuff RUINS my nails. Even when properly removed, given plenty of time to soak, etc. It took nearly 2 months for my nails to return to normal after my last vacation. But, I'm sure I'll go for another Shellac mani before my next one, anyway!

Even though my shop carries Essie and OPI as well, my manicurist will only let me use CND. She swears it is better for the nails. And when I've been out of town for long periods, she can always tell if I've gone to one of those quickie nail shops that uses generic brands.

 

[katharath]

Personally, I hate having anyone do my nails. I've tried it and it just isn't for me. Plus, they push my cuticles back and that creeps me out..lol.

Oh I'm a freak about other people doing my nails. I mean, I really really hate it. I don't actually "do" much with them myself, usually they're just bare, but I do like a clear shiny coat or a sheer pink coat on them. I've had longish nails my entire life for the most part, to the point that I hate the "feel" of short nails, it feels all wrong to me.

Timely story: I had really low vitamin D levels for awhile and knew it, but never really listened to my dr and tried to fix it; finally after labs last fall she said my level had become so extremely low that I had to take the strong prescription level once-a-week vitamin D tablets. This time frame had coincided with my noticing that my nails had become extremely brittle; I could hardly grow them out at all anymore, they broke so easily. This has never happened in my entire life. Then I started taking the heavy duty vitamin D tablets and within two months, my nails were long, strong, and healthy again (my hair was noticeably thicker too!). My doc had me on the heavy dose for 3 months, and then my level looked great again. Lesson learned; I take a daily vitamin D now (a regular dose, not the super strong one) at my dr's urging and I'm happy to do it!! I should've listened much sooner.

 

[AprilBaby]

Just the last two months getting them done at the salon. They look fantastic but wow the cost!

 

[madelise]

Yes. All the time. I would not be able to not have my nails done. They are of utmost importance to me. Luckily, DH also liked nice nails. He says they look more feminine.

Besides, I wouldn't be able to take all my ring selfies with the distraction of haggardly nails/fingers. I'm a nail biter whenever my nails don't look good, and I'll chew off my cuticles and make them bleed. It's so gross.

 

[luv2sparkle]

I get a pedicures more in the summer. I wish I liked it more, but I don't. I don't like strangers touching me, and I especially hate male nail techs. No thank you. My toes are naked and I hate it. I am working myself up to go to the nail salon. I liked it better when I could go with my daughter. But she lives in AZ now, so that is pretty much out. I would paint them myself but it just does look so much better when a pro does it.

 

[lilmosun]

For those with bad experiences, it might be a case of finding the right salon.

The nail salon I go to is one that I've had different friends recommend for decades before I started. Everyone there knows me, we chat, they take their time and its very relaxing. If a nail or polish chips between appointments, they get upset that I didn't come in to get it fixed (and when I do, it's for free).

I hate/dread when I need to get my nails done elsewhere. Many nail places have techs that only seem interested in getting the job done as quickly as possible so they can move onto the next customer. Some are very rough and I freak what they are doing to my nails/hands..and when I try to say anything, they just want me to leave it to them. (And I'm not even referring to those places that aren't clean etc..which I won't even step foot in). I've also gone to salons in hotels where the experience is better but the workmanship isn't.

 

[LLJsmom]

Finger nails - never. I might do them myself maybe once or twice a year. I like them super short so I will cut them at least once a week.

Pedicure- maybe once or twice a year, if there is a wedding. As long as my feet are clean, good enough.