Quick Question

What do you want to know?  Im a professional nail tech.

OK, easy enough!

Acrylic is your basic liquid and powder enhancement.  It is more rigid, not flexible, but generally very durable.  This is the stinky one, too!  I personally love acrylic, but it is not for everyone.  Another thing with acrylic is that 90% of the corner "discount salons" use illegal products.  thats a whole other discussion!

Gel nails are odorless, flexible and super shiny.  They are in a gel form - no mixing - and are hardened under a UV lamp.  Gels are applied in several layers and each layer needs to be hardened under the lamp.  You will find that most "discount salons" don't do actual gels - they use acrylic (if it's stinky - its acrylic!) and may put a coat of gel on top for shine.  THESE ARE NOT GEL NAILS!!!!!!!  Gel is called that because it is made of gel - not a liquid and powder.  My favorite lie is when they say they are using "gel powder"  Umm, ok.  Whatever.  Anyway, getting off my tangent, gels are good for people who bang their nails areound - like someone who types all day - because the flexibility acts as a "shock absorber".  Gels are also wonderful for people who tend to lift with acrylic because gel sticks to  the nail in a superior fashion.  Because of this, though, gels cannot be removed with acetone - they need to be filed off.

Side note -- NEVER EVER EVER let someone rip your nails off!  That is one reason nails can be damaged after an enhancement service.  Another reason is letting someone use  a rill" on your natural nail-that is a biiiigggg no no!

OK, back to the topic:

Which is better?  That depends on the person.  A qualified nail technician should talk to you about your needs and figure out which product will work better for YOU.  I never do the same product or technique on everyone, if that worked, we wouldnt have so many choices!

If the nail is breaking, either the nail is too long, the technician used the wrong technique or product, or you need a new tech.

Hope this helps

Jessica

 

15 min for gels?  I highly doubt that you actually got gels.  They take at LEAST an hour - and that is for someone who is super quick!

Here is a website that lists what to look for in a salon: http://www.beautytech.info

And you are right, nails shouldnt snap off every time you pick something up - ANY kind of nail should stay on unless you really force it.

Well ive had gel overlay (over natural nail not tip) for about 3 months and i LOVED THEM. only problem the Mom fround out they were fake(im 16) But had acrylic for a dance and found them nice, but when the fell off they really left my nail rough, textured and flakey. One of my gels fell off becuase i smased it in the car door. It came off and left harldy any damage behind. I LOVE the gels they seemed to even last onger and were more durable. With the gels i went 4 weeks per fill.

im realllly deep into basketball.and i dotn want them breaking in the middle of a gaame. or worse hurtiung my fingers because of it.

any ideas?

I agree.  Sports are not conducive to ANY kind of long nails.  Short nails can be gorgeous too - spend your money on a manicure!

I know what you mean.  I had my nails done for the first time at age 17 and felt soooo conspicuous!  Its not so much a fad, as with the advent of all the corner discount salons, it is more affordable for teens to do it.  Problem is, then we (meaning professional techs) have a lot of work to do to educate them why these places are so cheap and why it is not in their best interest to go there!  *sigh* 

That is true, though I have seen some decnet looking nails.  BUT most of those places (not all, but probably 98%) use a product called MMA, which was banned in 1974 for use on nails!  Add that to the lack of sanitation and the amount of damage they cause, and its no wonder they are so CHEAP!

Well, the FDA makes recommendations - it is up to the state to implement them into law.  37 states have done so -BUT, it cost over $800 to test just ONE tube of liquid to figure out if it is MMA.  So, unless, they have blatently left bottles stating that this is what is in them out on the table, states are never going to spend that money to test it.  MOST of those places will put it into a different bottle - either from a reputable brand or an unmarked bottle.  So, its pretty hard to tell! 

Some signs:  MMA yellow easily, smells extremely stong, is very hard to file and remove.  When you file them it smells like a litter box.  "Normal" acrylic has none of these characteristics.

I would call and ask them how they are applied.  Water nails could mean a number of things.  Certain acrylics will cure under water (usually they are an odorless acrylic).  There is a nail art technique that uses water and nail polish to produce a marbled effect.  And there is a funky acrylic technique that puts a bubble inside the acrylic, essentially making a "snow globe" inside the nail tip. 

 Most likely, its a form of acrylic.