If you work at Starbuck's you can't wear fake nails because they're afraid they'll fall in a drink

Not for me, when my nails get long, I can't type!

We're not supposed to either but our management is sooooo far removed that nobody's been caught yet. Mine will fall off before I have to work on Monday.
Typing is a trick.

Last time I had mine done was for my wedding in 2002. They just bugged me so much, I felt like I was going to pop one off, or hurt myself... I got those things off just as soon as I could.

I used to keep them up regularly for a while when I was in high school. I slammed one of my fingers into a door jam and ripped the salon nail and my own nail right off my finger... boy was that painful and disgusting. I had an ET finger for the entire summer.

phone home lizziness.... sorry, I couldn't help myself.

I tried getting fake from a salon. I found out that they do more damage, so I stopped. And I concentrated on strengthening my own nails and stopping the biting. After about a year of continual care, I had beautiful nails. I haven't bitten them since. That was about 6 or 7 years ago.

I carried a file with me everywhere...still do. If I found myself biting, I'd pull out the file and smooth whatever rough patch I was focused on. I kept the Sally Hansen nail biting formula on, and made sure to keep my nails polished. It's not as tasty biting through enamel, you'll notice and stop biting immediately. I also used Reconstrux from Sally's twice a day every day and took a calcium supplement (still do the calcium).

My HAIR used to cut through my nails when I was washing it. I've not had that problem in years. My nails are now healthy and strong. I like them much better than artificial nails that would just damage my own nail beds anyway.

I had acrylic nails for years and loved how they made my hands look....they were a reasonable length...with clear polish and square white tips....I am a nurse and a policy was distributed that banned the nails....so no more.

Liz

I just remembered this thread because I was shaping my nails. Something I've had to learn because I haven't bitten them since I took the fake ones off!

Just look at all the cool inspiration you can get at 3FC.

My nails wont grow at all. They are weak and break easily. I started buying the cheap decorated ones at The Dollar Tree. The glue is super glue (Im assuming). The package said not to leave them on over 3 days. So I attempted to remove them. I had to soak my nails in remover for 2 hours to get them things off!!

I would love to get them professionally dont but I dont have extra money to spare.

I used the glue that came with them or was beside them at the dollar store. I soaked them off in a hot tub. I figured since I often lost one in the dish water .....

My nails were the same. If you afford a few bucks and have a Sally's nearby, try the Reconstrux oil. It's, I think, $5 or $6 a bottle. Lasts about a month maybe. Use it religiously twice a day. And start taking a calcium supplement. Mine are very strong now. They use to be so thin that my hair would slice through them when I'd wash my hair.

All I can say, is that I managed a salon for years...and I will never wear acrylic nails after all I have seen. If you MUST get them done, go to a REAL salon like a hair place that has a nail technician working there. Trust me-it is well worth making the appointment rather than a cheap walk in job-to know that you aren't going to have your nail beds ate apart and your cuticles destroyed.

The "walk in" nail salons, if you know what I mean-are the worst offenders for acrylic nails. A lot of times they are not using OPI and other US approved products-they refill the bottles with harsh, cheap, strong stuff from their country. When caught, they often have to close down for a few days, etc. Just a warning.




I get manicures-not acrylic. It takes care of my shaping, cuticles, etc. nicely. Between them, I always wear a nail strengthener-it really helps to keep my natural nails nice and strong.

If anyone does their own-always use base coat-it helps the polish adhere to your nails (lasting longer) and keeps the darker shades from staining your nails. Use a top coat on top, to help seal, strengthen, and make the polish last. The 3 steps makes polish go from chipping after a 1-2 days-to lasting about 5-6. It really helps.

They just covered this on one of the judge shows the other day...Judge Judy or Maria. A girl, new to this country, went to have her acrylics, that she'd had done for years, filled at one of the shops where they all only speak Chinese. She ended up with a fungus on several nails. She won her medical expenses and medicine from the salon for a botched job.

I've heard bad things about the Korean/Chinese run salons all around. It was after hearing some of these stories that I decided to remove the acrylics and never go that route again. After watching the process, I felt comfortable repeating their steps for my own manicures/pedicures...though getting a pedicure really is NICE! But what you said about the several coats certainly made a difference in how long my polish lasted. I also used to dry between coats and noticed that salons don't do that. They quickly apply each one. So I started doing that myself and it works.