So I got acrylic nails (spelling???) and have had them for quite a while now... my question is, my nail tech always says they're meant to last about two weeks but I feel like they're both battered and you know, growing out, after about a week and a half or so. They ain't exactly cheap so course I'd love to find ways to make em last longer and look better for longer. Anyone else got artificial nails and wants to chat about this? I am not expecting miracles but I'd like to budget for touch ups every two weeks. It's not like this stuff don't take quite a bit of your time either...
I have had gel nails on and off for at least 15 years now, more on that off. If I need to make them last three weeks, I can. When I'm on vacation, or just crazy busy, or my nail girl is on vacation... On the whole though, I agree with you. Artificial nails look really good the first week, then start declining. In the perfectionist's eyes, at least. I am sure other people don't notice and that's how I make mine last longer, by keeping on telling myself that. They do grow and lose their new-ness and all that and that is perfectly normal though. I guess I just get bored of the design quickly. I love having some design because I like to experiment, but I think they look fresher for longer to other people if you always wear the same color, without nail art. That's just not my style though.
I second that: a good salon will work wonders, and so does caring for your nails properly, by not exposing them to household chemicals, bumps, and so on. If you let your nails stay on too long, without getting a retouch, that does increase the risk that your nails will need to be replaced completely though, which is harder on your natural nails underneath. So it's good to try to get the most out of them, but don't leave them on for too long! Part of having acrylic or gel nails is just the need to visit your nail salon on a regular basis. If you don't like that, maybe you could try having natural nails for a while?
In my experience, they last as long as they last. Yes, you can take good care of them by not, like, cutting them and stuff like that, but different people's nails grow at different rates, and different people have different rates of using their hands for everyday things. No matter if you protect your hands with gloves, if your nails take a hit, they can be damaged. My advice if you have acrylic nails is just to enjoy them for as long as they last and then get them fixed or replaced. I will say though that I very regularly give my nails time off from acrylic. I might go for as long as six months without them so I get the chance to get a good look at the natural state of my nails, which says a lot about your health and even sometimes shows skin cancer signs, etc.
Ah, so I totally forgot to ever come back to this one... here I am. Nope, my nails still ain't lasting me no longer than around 10 days or so... which is only four days shorter than two weeks I know, but it all adds up, and I hate it when they fall out at an inconvenient time, I call the salon, and my tech says, no sorry, fully booked... As for doing my own nail polish I make a mess of that... duh, that's why I get fake nails in the first place. Oh well, it is what it is. Gotta accept the frequent salon trips and the cash spent I guess...