Let's Talk About Nail Extensions!
July 20, 2017 8:02 AM Subscribe
For reasons, I want to get nail extensions for my short bendy nails. I have tiny nailbeds, if that matters -- every single manicurist ever likes to comment on them. I'd like to have short squoval nails, probably without fancy patterns or anything inlaid -- part of the point is to prevent some habitual fidgeting. But I've never done this before, so I need some guidance...
1) What should I be looking for: acrylic, wraps, gel something? I'm overwhelmed by the amount of information, but I don't know anyone who gets these well enough to ask.
2) What should I avoid? I've gotten gel/shellac manis when I can, so I'm comfortable with the whole manicure...thing. Should I expect that a regular nail salon does these?
3) Additional wisdom?
I'm not sure why I'm so intimidated by this. It seems like a thing that adult ladies do, I guess, and I'm only 39, after all.
1) What should I be looking for: acrylic, wraps, gel something? I'm overwhelmed by the amount of information, but I don't know anyone who gets these well enough to ask.
2) What should I avoid? I've gotten gel/shellac manis when I can, so I'm comfortable with the whole manicure...thing. Should I expect that a regular nail salon does these?
3) Additional wisdom?
I'm not sure why I'm so intimidated by this. It seems like a thing that adult ladies do, I guess, and I'm only 39, after all.
Not every nail salon does acrylic nails. I've not gotten gel or wraps or anything else, just plain old acrylics several times. They are VERY fun to play with (tappity tap tap tap). And they look gorgeous and fancy.
I've had good experience at nail salons I've scoped out with regular manicures beforehand, making sure they're clean, have good reviews, good pictures, etc.
I apparently get my hands wet a lot, though, and I got worried that somehow I'd end up with water underneath and that would be a problem, so I don't get them anymore. It was a great way to stop picking, but I do okay with that as long as I get regular manicures of any kind.
Get them removed at a salon - don't try to do it yourself. And do go for upkeep every 2-3 weeks.
posted by Ms Vegetable at 8:17 AM on July 20, 2017
I've had good experience at nail salons I've scoped out with regular manicures beforehand, making sure they're clean, have good reviews, good pictures, etc.
I apparently get my hands wet a lot, though, and I got worried that somehow I'd end up with water underneath and that would be a problem, so I don't get them anymore. It was a great way to stop picking, but I do okay with that as long as I get regular manicures of any kind.
Get them removed at a salon - don't try to do it yourself. And do go for upkeep every 2-3 weeks.
posted by Ms Vegetable at 8:17 AM on July 20, 2017
There's a really wonderful youtube channel all about the wild world of acrylics called Nail Career Education. I've been watching Suzie for a while and man, I've learned so much. She does a really good job of explaining what she's doing, why she's doing it, and what a client should expect when getting the nail services done. I think you should check it out.
Here is a video on the difference between nail tips and nail forms. I'm no expert in this, but I suspect that for short nails you'll be happiest with someone who uses nail forms. You can call salons and ask ahead for techs who use forms rather than tips. This is not a weird question, you will not be weird for asking.
You don't have to do acrylic, either. Gel (nails, not polish) is also a thing (a newer thing, Suzie is old school and does acrylics) but I don't know that there's really any difference to you with a skilled tech other than preference. Here's a video on the differences between acrylic and gel.
To get an idea of what it's like, here's a video of Suzie putting short squoval nails on a guy with very tiny nails that might approximate your experience.
For your #2, I'm pretty sure every nail salon these days offers gel/shellac polish. That's really pretty standard now. But that's a different thing from the extensions themselves.
posted by phunniemee at 8:19 AM on July 20, 2017 [6 favorites]
Here is a video on the difference between nail tips and nail forms. I'm no expert in this, but I suspect that for short nails you'll be happiest with someone who uses nail forms. You can call salons and ask ahead for techs who use forms rather than tips. This is not a weird question, you will not be weird for asking.
You don't have to do acrylic, either. Gel (nails, not polish) is also a thing (a newer thing, Suzie is old school and does acrylics) but I don't know that there's really any difference to you with a skilled tech other than preference. Here's a video on the differences between acrylic and gel.
To get an idea of what it's like, here's a video of Suzie putting short squoval nails on a guy with very tiny nails that might approximate your experience.
For your #2, I'm pretty sure every nail salon these days offers gel/shellac polish. That's really pretty standard now. But that's a different thing from the extensions themselves.
posted by phunniemee at 8:19 AM on July 20, 2017 [6 favorites]
When I've done this in the past, I've just gotten acrylics and had them shaped the way I want (short squovals). They come in a lot of colors, or you can just get plain and then have a regular polish manicure on top of them (that's what I used to do). The polish sticks better to the fake nail than your real nail so it will last a while. I don't think gel will get you the extension you want, and while there are other methods, acrylics are probably the most common and cost-effective.
If you hate them, you can have them removed. People will warn you against acrylics because they're so damaging; they are damaging to your nail bed, but for me it was a toss-up of always biting/picking my fingers and having something pretty I would leave alone. If you love them, you can expect to get them filled every two weeks or so. That's when you go back to the salon and they kind of file the acrylics down and put more material close to your cuticle. Any salon (that does acrylics) can do a fill for you; if you end up not liking the salon where you get them put on, you can always go to another salon for future maintenance.
posted by stellaluna at 8:20 AM on July 20, 2017
If you hate them, you can have them removed. People will warn you against acrylics because they're so damaging; they are damaging to your nail bed, but for me it was a toss-up of always biting/picking my fingers and having something pretty I would leave alone. If you love them, you can expect to get them filled every two weeks or so. That's when you go back to the salon and they kind of file the acrylics down and put more material close to your cuticle. Any salon (that does acrylics) can do a fill for you; if you end up not liking the salon where you get them put on, you can always go to another salon for future maintenance.
posted by stellaluna at 8:20 AM on July 20, 2017
I looked into this for similar reasons and was worried about the damage acrylics do. I like to get a gel polish instead. I can't bite them when they're polished with gel so they grow out and look better after I've had it for a few months. I go in to get them redone every few weeks when I'm doing it.
posted by sockermom at 8:31 AM on July 20, 2017
posted by sockermom at 8:31 AM on July 20, 2017
I did acrylics for a number of years and then gels and now occasionally powder nails.
Acrylics are falling out of favor because of the work in maintaining them and the chemicals. But here's the deal. They sand down your nails and glue a fake nail to them. Then they apply powdery material on top. The fake nails have to be reapplied every few months (this is called a full set and is at least $40) but the tips (the powder stuff) needs to be done every 2 weeks. This is at minimum $25 and an hour to two hours of your time every 2 weeks (at a cheap nail place). The nails grow out underneath and can look really bad if you go longer than 2 weeks. The color polish does chip after a week or so though.
If you opt to remove them, which needs to be done at a salon, your nails underneath are really thin and gross. In my experience it takes 4-6 months after for them to look okay. Thus, only go for acrylic if you're really committing to it. Also find a really well regarded salon. But any salon can redo your tips.
Gel has taken over in the last 5-8 years and many salons do this. Gel nails merely use a polish with no fake nail. They paint the nail with the gel and then the cover. They set under a UV light. A huge advantage here is that they dry in minutes. You can get them done in under an hour. They do grow out in about 3 weeks although some people can keep it going longer. They don't look as bad when they grow out. You need to get them removed at the salon and it does take quite awhile for the removal. When they remove the gel, there is damage to the nail but not as severe as with acrylic. Also there is a lot of evidence that the UV light damages your hands. I get a weird sunburn now. I should wear fingerless gloves. There is an informal rule that one should take breaks from gels. I generally only get them for big trips or events. It is typically about $40.
I've moved to powder. SNS is the brand I've used. Not all salons do this. They say it is a better alternative to gel because there is no UV. The salon paints an adhesive on the nail and dips it into a colored powder. It takes less than an hour for the whole process. One does need to go to the salon for removal. The nails underneath are slightly less damaged than with gel. The powder lasts a little longer than gel - about a month. It is about $40. Most people I know are moving to powder.
But overall, I wouldn't encourage acrylic. It is so much maintenance. Try gel or powder to see how you like it.
posted by k8t at 8:38 AM on July 20, 2017
Acrylics are falling out of favor because of the work in maintaining them and the chemicals. But here's the deal. They sand down your nails and glue a fake nail to them. Then they apply powdery material on top. The fake nails have to be reapplied every few months (this is called a full set and is at least $40) but the tips (the powder stuff) needs to be done every 2 weeks. This is at minimum $25 and an hour to two hours of your time every 2 weeks (at a cheap nail place). The nails grow out underneath and can look really bad if you go longer than 2 weeks. The color polish does chip after a week or so though.
If you opt to remove them, which needs to be done at a salon, your nails underneath are really thin and gross. In my experience it takes 4-6 months after for them to look okay. Thus, only go for acrylic if you're really committing to it. Also find a really well regarded salon. But any salon can redo your tips.
Gel has taken over in the last 5-8 years and many salons do this. Gel nails merely use a polish with no fake nail. They paint the nail with the gel and then the cover. They set under a UV light. A huge advantage here is that they dry in minutes. You can get them done in under an hour. They do grow out in about 3 weeks although some people can keep it going longer. They don't look as bad when they grow out. You need to get them removed at the salon and it does take quite awhile for the removal. When they remove the gel, there is damage to the nail but not as severe as with acrylic. Also there is a lot of evidence that the UV light damages your hands. I get a weird sunburn now. I should wear fingerless gloves. There is an informal rule that one should take breaks from gels. I generally only get them for big trips or events. It is typically about $40.
I've moved to powder. SNS is the brand I've used. Not all salons do this. They say it is a better alternative to gel because there is no UV. The salon paints an adhesive on the nail and dips it into a colored powder. It takes less than an hour for the whole process. One does need to go to the salon for removal. The nails underneath are slightly less damaged than with gel. The powder lasts a little longer than gel - about a month. It is about $40. Most people I know are moving to powder.
But overall, I wouldn't encourage acrylic. It is so much maintenance. Try gel or powder to see how you like it.
posted by k8t at 8:38 AM on July 20, 2017
Response by poster: Thanks, everyone! There's a lot of great information here, but I want to restate what's in the question. I want to make my nails longer. I'm not clear how gel or powder does that -- do you need nail forms?
posted by chesty_a_arthur at 9:46 AM on July 20, 2017
posted by chesty_a_arthur at 9:46 AM on July 20, 2017
I want to make my nails longer. I'm not clear how gel or powder does that -- do you need nail forms?
The idea is to get a gel, and that means you leave them alone and they grow out -- my own nails are the longest they've ever been right now because I've been doing gels and ergo I don't bite them. (You really don't bite or fidget with gels, for whatever reason, or at least I don't, and I am a nail biter.) Nails grow fast, so gels are a good way to grow out your natural nail so it's longer on its own. If your nails don't grow for whatever reason, or you want them long immediately, you will need to get acrylics. (Which I think are a real pain in the butt, for the reasons above, but YMMV.) That said, there are also some revolutions in the Press-on Nail technology, so you could also just go to Target and stock up on those and fiddle around -- they are way better than they used to be.
posted by Countess Sandwich at 9:50 AM on July 20, 2017 [1 favorite]
The idea is to get a gel, and that means you leave them alone and they grow out -- my own nails are the longest they've ever been right now because I've been doing gels and ergo I don't bite them. (You really don't bite or fidget with gels, for whatever reason, or at least I don't, and I am a nail biter.) Nails grow fast, so gels are a good way to grow out your natural nail so it's longer on its own. If your nails don't grow for whatever reason, or you want them long immediately, you will need to get acrylics. (Which I think are a real pain in the butt, for the reasons above, but YMMV.) That said, there are also some revolutions in the Press-on Nail technology, so you could also just go to Target and stock up on those and fiddle around -- they are way better than they used to be.
posted by Countess Sandwich at 9:50 AM on July 20, 2017 [1 favorite]
My understanding about gel nail extensions is that the nail tech uses a 'hard' builder gel - it comes in a little pot and has to be applied with a separate brush - that must be filed off. They either user a nail form, much like acrylic, or glue on a tip and build on layers. The hard gel cures in UV light like soak off gel, but you have to get it filed off like acrylic. I'm unclear about whether you need to get your natural nails buffed as much with gel as you do with acrylic.
posted by nerdfish at 9:54 AM on July 20, 2017
posted by nerdfish at 9:54 AM on July 20, 2017
Maybe this will help: "Extensions, aka the artificially long nails you might think of when you hear "acrylics," are not part of every dip or gel manicure. For added length, the products are applied either over a tip — a long piece of plastic glued to the end of your nail — or over a form, a little sticker under your natural nail that guides the extension and peels off once the nail is hard." So the answer to your update is yes; you need some artificial element affixed to your nail to make it longer, regardless of whether it's acrylic or gel. I had always thought this was most commonly/only done with acrylics, although some of these comments suggest otherwise. I think it probably really depends on your salons and what services they offer; can you comb through Yelp and start making some phone calls to ask what your options are, or post your location and people might be able to make salon recs?
posted by stellaluna at 10:34 AM on July 20, 2017
posted by stellaluna at 10:34 AM on July 20, 2017
I also have super short nail beds with thin nails that peel. It's annoying. Growing up, I was a nail biter and wasn't able to stop until I started acrylics. I love love love them. I had long nails for the first time in my life. They make cool clicky noises, I could use them as tools. After a couple of years it wasn't worth to me anymore. I got tired of the up keep and all the $$$ I was spending on them. My nail beds were destroyed. They looked terrible for a couple of months.
I have also tried gel manicures. I love them, but they did not help with the growing longer part. Plus my nail beds were fried after removal. (Not as bad as acrylics, but still gross)
For the past couple of years, I've been using a combination of Jamberry wraps with a top coat of their gel system. It sounds so stupid, and I hate pretty much most MLMs, but this is what works for my genetically weak, short-bedded crappy nails. I don't sell them and hate their marketing. But wearing the wraps for a few weeks lets the nails grown underneath. If you take them off properly, it won't damage your nail. Plus, having the gel coating over the wrap keeps it from attaching to your nail bed. Right not, my nails are naked and slightly longer than they would be if I hadn't used JB. I think most of their wraps are tacky, but they do have plain colored ones and even clear ones you can use over normal lacquer. There's a learning curve and it's more effort than going to a salon, but I watch some shows/listen to podcasts during my kitchen table manicures. But finally at 44, I'm starting to enjoy doing my nails.
I can't believe I just typed that much about nails. If you are interested, send me a message. I have a bunch of extras I'd be willing to send you if you want to try them. Seriously, I am not a seller, just an impulse buyer... :)
posted by notcreative at 6:55 AM on July 22, 2017 [1 favorite]
I have also tried gel manicures. I love them, but they did not help with the growing longer part. Plus my nail beds were fried after removal. (Not as bad as acrylics, but still gross)
For the past couple of years, I've been using a combination of Jamberry wraps with a top coat of their gel system. It sounds so stupid, and I hate pretty much most MLMs, but this is what works for my genetically weak, short-bedded crappy nails. I don't sell them and hate their marketing. But wearing the wraps for a few weeks lets the nails grown underneath. If you take them off properly, it won't damage your nail. Plus, having the gel coating over the wrap keeps it from attaching to your nail bed. Right not, my nails are naked and slightly longer than they would be if I hadn't used JB. I think most of their wraps are tacky, but they do have plain colored ones and even clear ones you can use over normal lacquer. There's a learning curve and it's more effort than going to a salon, but I watch some shows/listen to podcasts during my kitchen table manicures. But finally at 44, I'm starting to enjoy doing my nails.
I can't believe I just typed that much about nails. If you are interested, send me a message. I have a bunch of extras I'd be willing to send you if you want to try them. Seriously, I am not a seller, just an impulse buyer... :)
posted by notcreative at 6:55 AM on July 22, 2017 [1 favorite]
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posted by chesty_a_arthur at 8:15 AM on July 20, 2017