I've had gel overlay (over natural nails not a tip) for about 3 months, and one broke yesterday and my mom found out they were fake. Me being 16 years old hed a long lecture from her about how i am runing my nails, and  In 20 years my nails will fall off becuase ive had fake nails? A little over doing it I guess.

  Any whoo, i was wondering do the gel nails(overlay) really ruin your nails. Because i really see no damage. I had acrylic once for a dance for a week and that was bad never doing that again!  Is overlay really better than tips?? How do i get the rest of the gell nails off..should i go have them taken off? Ive decided to take them off and let them grow out and have them done again in a few weeks? Is that a good Idea? Do tips or overlay? Isn't gell like actually gel and not poweder then hardened under a UV light? How do i find a good, legal place to do it that will be reasonable in price. I am willing to pay for quality, but make about 5.50 an hour. Should i just go and get a gel set at wallgreens and do it myself? I found that the longer i had the nails on, the longer i could go between fills (about 4 weeks) is that ture and should that be happening? Well i really need help any answers would  REALLY REALLY help! Thanks

 I've had gel overlay (over natural nails not a tip) for about 3 months, and one broke yesterday and my mom found out they were fake. Me being 16 years old hed a long lecture from her about how i am runing my nails, and  In 20 years my nails will fall off becuase ive had fake nails? A little over doing it I guess.

  Any whoo, i was wondering do the gel nails(overlay) really ruin your nails. Because i really see no damage. I had acrylic once for a dance for a week and that was bad never doing that again!  Is overlay really better than tips?? How do i get the rest of the gell nails off..should i go have them taken off? Ive decided to take them off and let them grow out and have them done again in a few weeks? Is that a good Idea? Do tips or overlay? Isn't gell like actually gel and not poweder then hardened under a UV light? How do i find a good, legal place to do it that will be reasonable in price. I am willing to pay for quality, but make about 5.50 an hour. Should i just go and get a gel set at wallgreens and do it myself? I found that the longer i had the nails on, the longer i could go between fills (about 4 weeks) is that ture and should that be happening? Well i really need help any answers would  REALLY REALLY help! Thanks

no, no and no.  LOL

Any artificial nail will NOT ruin your nails - IF done properly!  Rule #1, no matter what type you have, they should NEVER EVER drill on your natural nail!  And if for some reason  you do have damage, it is not permanent.

Gel nails need to be filed off - rule #2, NEVEr let someone pry them off with a nipper, a tip, or their nails!!  Dont let them do this with acrylic either.

Your mom has hear too many old wives tales.  The products we use have been tested over and over again!  I personally have had nails for 14 years and the rare occasion I remove them, there is NO DAMAGE!  Ive never had fungus or any other infection either.

And you are right, gels are gel, not power.  We call tehm gel because thats what they look like - GEL!  Liquid and powder are acrylic.  Heres a tip - gels have ZERO odor.  None.  Nada.

Theres no reason not to get tips if you need length.  Im not sure where you heard that an overlay is better than tips, Ive never actually heard that one before!

Gel at walgreens is not a true gel - it is a thick nail glue.  It wont last as long and isnt the same chemistry.

Going longer between fills is not recommended.  When do you decide to get a fill?  Your rate of growth shouldnt change and lifting should not be an idicator od needing a fill!  2-3 weeks max, otherwise your nails become unbalanced and are more likely to break.  I personally charge more the longer you go between fills!  Why should *I* be punished for doing a good job?

Um, I have a client, so I need to go, do you have other questions that I missed?

WOW! u just answered and assured so many of my problems  THANKS!!!!!  

BUT!!!! i wish that i would of checked this b4 i went to go get my gels taken off. Which now by reading your post i gess did it all wrong. First, i soaked in acetone for about 5 minutes. Then what really made me feal uneasy is the acetone i was soaking in the Lady put back into the bottle for the next customore like right there at the station i was at!Literatly poured it back in the bottle right in front of me! Then she took a tip and whent uneder the fake and my nail and pryed it off. At times was uncomfortable but towards the middle of my nail hurt that i jerked my hand. Then she dirlled the nail and did a manicure.

   I am not to shure if we mean the same thing by drill. Whenever i useto get them filled and when i had them taken off. The took like a sand paper like thing that spun and filed the top of my nails? From reading your post that sounds all worng! It seems wrong now that i think about it!

   To clear some things up are saying that the gel im buying for more money is just acrylic with a gel top over it?(read form another post) Thats what i thought but they said it was gel powder but it DID smell! But they said that the GEL is better for ur nails? True or false? If true where can i find a place that uses actual GEL and not "fake" gel.

  Are you saying that i should just save the extra money and get acrylic? The place i go to (which i guess is all wrong) told me that overlay is much better than tips especially since i have natural long nails. They also said that the gel and the overlay is much less damaging and healither?!? WHAT?!?! i think thats a load of bull to get me to spend more! Also when the nails were all off there were all these white ridges in my nail and was sort of rough from them dirlling it off! Im guess that i should find a different place but how? I know my aunt gets some gel from switzerland that cost $38 to fill, and ive seen them put it on it is all GEL no poweder! Is that the price range i should expect? That salon is about at least an hour from my house to far to drive. Being in Chicago i should find somewhere but how? Any suggestions?

If you were me you what would you do? Acrylic tips? I just loved them too much and im missing them. Trying to get my MOM to let me get them put back on which is not an easy task, but am working on and she is letting up. She did let me keep them up! But my mom is very old fasioned she is in her 40's and has NEVER dyed her haid, do her eyebrows, gotten a manicure or anything like that!

THANK YOU FOR BEING SO PATIENT WITH ME AND ANSWERING ALL MY QUESTIONS IT REALLY MEANS A LOT TO ME TO FINALLY GET THE RIGHT ANSWERS!!!!! ITS A BIG RELIEF!!!

You got it!

Drill = electic file= finishing machine = "Dremel".  heres a tip, if they are using a Dremel tool (make for WOOD working!) RUN outta there!  Electric files (aka Drills) are a tool and can be used safely, BUT should NOT be used on the natural nail!  Only the enhancement (acrylic, gel, whatever).

Another tips: getting nails should NEVER EVER hurt - or cause bleeding for that matter!

If the technician dipped her brush into a liquid, then into a powder and put it on your nail IT IS ACRYLIC.  PERIOD.  God it irks me that they can get away with lying like that!  Sure, you can do acrylic and put gel over the top - no problem, but it is NOT a gel nail!!!  It is acrylic with gel over the top!  As for finding a place that uses actual gel, well it wont be a "corner salon".  And it wont be cheap.  Sounds like your Aunt has real gel - thats what you need to look for.  Unfortunately Im in Minneapolis, so I couldnt tell you where to go in Chicago.  Call around.  Find someone who speaks english (Im *not* saying that those who dont are bad, but you need to be able to communicate whatt you want!) 

Im not saying save your money and get acrylic - for one thing, "those" places generally use illegal substances for acrylic.  You just need to educate yourself and do some legwork to find out who does what you want!

What would I do if I were you?  Hmmm.  Well, my first suggestion is to listen to your mom, since you are only 16.  But maybe you could try and educate her?  There is a great website called http://www.beautytech.info made for consumers that answers a lot of questions - and I think they might even have referrals? 

And you might consider going to a beauty school - they are cheap, but generally CLEAN and LEGAL and they have instructors to help out.  Bring your mom, maybe they'll talk her into a hair color

That's exactly what my mother says about falsies, but they look so good and I hate the way my real nails look when they grow...too much hard work.