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Gel Manicures for Equestrians

Off Course
#21

I do the gel polish at home. I have the UV light an everything. The only brand I use is CND Shellac.

I got “gel nails” once - for my wedding - and they ended up getting pulled off and ruining my nails until they grew out, but that was probably my fault as I picked at them constantly. The gel polish - at least for me - doesn’t damage my nails.

My nails last 2 weeks no matter what I’m doing. I redo them after 2 weeks because they’ve grown out, not because of damage. I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve had to re-do a nail, and I’m pretty sure that 100% of the time it was because I messed something up in the application that made it weaker. Once I broke a nail under the polish but the polish held everything together and I didn’t even realize it until I took it off later.

Putting sunscreen on your hands before a UV manicure is a good idea if you’re worried. I don’t, personally, but you certainly could.

My nails are weak and they peel and I bite them if they aren’t done. With Shellac I use bold colors because you don’t have to worry about them. I would never do my nails in such dark colors if not for Shellac.

I’ll try to take a photo pf my nails today. This polish was applied on the 7th. You can see the nail growth.

Having said all that, I am going to try the nail wraps that Emily described. I work in a hospital, though, and designs aren’t very professionally appropriate in my department, so deep colors are about as far as I can go on a regular basis.

http://tinypic.com/r/4r5k7l/8

#22

I get my gels nails done every two weeks. I keep them medium length and have made a habbit of gloves at the barn. They last, and make my thin nails thick enough not to peel and rip. Love the

#23

For those that have weak nails, are you on a good fish oil supplement? I have to take three a day of these ( http://www.integrativepro.com/Products/Essential-Fatty-Acids/Eskimo-3) and my nails do not break. I never use nail polish because it always yellowed my nails and since I have had mold poisoning and am currently being treated again for lead poisoning, I won’t add anything to my skin, hair or nails that has those kinds of chemicals in them.

#24

[QUOTE=caffeinated;7913042]
I got two gel manicures and they absolutely ruined my nails. Fortunately my nails grow quickly, and two months later they’re about back to normal. If I was doing lots of barn work, I think I’d be worried more about ripping my nails down to the quick - they’re thicker and very hard but under the right circumstances if they DO break I think the damage would be a lot worse than it would if you had bare nails.

I’d do it again for a special event, maybe once or twice a year as a treat. But I’d go somewhere really good to have it done, and wouldn’t re-do it, since the removal process tore up my nails so badly (even worse when the second set began to peel).[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=Equitational;7913130]What I did at home (Gelous) did NOT require UV light, that might have been the big factor why it didn’t come out well. It was basically just like a thick base coat (and sometimes wouldn’t dry when I was done I ended up just taking it all off). So far I like my nails from the salon, but I will have to wait and see after 2 weeks how it is when I go back. The process they used was a gel base layer with corresponding polish (activated by UV light). I’m not very good at doing my own nails (I get a lot on my cuticles) so I’m not sure if I could ever do it at home with the UV light.

I also have a terrible habit of chewing and biting my cuticles around my nails. I think doing my nails regularly and getting professional manicures would help me better break this life long habit.[/QUOTE]

Again, gel polish and gel nails are two different things. A gel manicure is usually just the gel polish (but different places use different names, so I will not claim that’s always the case!)
Gelous is just a base coat with a fancy name and thick texture.

What both of you described otherwise was a set of gel nails. I don’t know why you would get them for a one time thing and remove them - yes, it would damage your nails, and seems wasteful of your money, time, and nail condition to do.

If you get a nail caught, the gel nail WILL come off before your fingernail rips off or anything, but you can end up hurting from pulls. I keep my nails very short because I don’t like the feel of long nails - they are always in my way - plus much longer and they will sometimes pop off on me. Now, my nails hold up very well except that my nail tech can tell if my TB has been overly exuberant. When he is, he yanks hard on my hands to try to get his head down to bolt or buck, and I end up with bubbles around the edges of several nails.

#25

[QUOTE=AmmyByNature;7913315]

http://tinypic.com/r/4r5k7l/8[/QUOTE]

That looks like the exact color I chose! Christmasy!

Still confused about the gel polish versus gel nails. So gel nails is actually when you’ve done the steps with different application under a UV light. The gel polish is just a knock off thicker polish that doesn’t require UV light (and whatever chemical reaction that takes place).

#26

No, netg, I got a gel polish manicure.

Not a set of ‘gel nails’

For whatever reason the acetone they used to remove the stuff did not do a great job (and that even with twenty minutes of soaking), and they ended up scraping pretty hard to get it off which did a huge amount of damage to my nails (whether my nails are particularly soft, or something, I don’t know). The second time I went I was late getting back to the salon so I started chipping at the polish which made it even worse, as some of it peeled off and took nail with it.

But I definitely had no “nails” applied, or tips/extensions or anything of the sort. It really did do a horrific number on my nails, whether it was a matter of going to a bad place where they don’t do it right, or what, I don’t know.

1 Like
#27

[QUOTE=Equitational;7913659]
That looks like the exact color I chose! Christmasy!

Still confused about the gel polish versus gel nails. So gel nails is actually when you’ve done the steps with different application under a UV light. The gel polish is just a knock off thicker polish that doesn’t require UV light (and whatever chemical reaction that takes place).[/QUOTE]

This isn’t exactly correct.

Getting “gel nails” is fake nails. They put a shaping sticker under your nail and use a little pot of powder and a wet paint brush that “makes” nails. They’re longer and thicker than your regular nails. They have to be (as far as I’m aware) ground off with a sander and then reapplied. I believe that the gel (aka acrylic) is set with a UV light, but I’m not 100% sure. I’ve only done this once. This is rough on your nails because it has to be ground off. Most people who do this do it regularly so when it’s ground off they get it redone at the same time.

Real gel polish, or a “gel manicure” is just polish that’s set with a UV light. It’s a little thicker than regular polish, but it lasts much longer. It doesn’t “dry,” it “cures” in the light, so there is no drying time where it can get smudged. After the last coat and then 2 minutes under the light the manicure is done. It gets rubbed vigorously with alcohol and you’re done. This is painted on your regular nails. No fake nails underneath. This type of polish has to be removed using pure acetone, not regular nail polish remover. People remove it either by soaking or (better) by wrapping your nail in a little piece of tin foil with an acetone-soaked bit of cotton ball.

I have heard that there is something else that they’re calling “gel,” but if it’s not cured it’s not gel in my opinion. The whole reason that it’s awesome (apart from the durability) is that there is zero dry time. I don’t know how you remove this stuff.

I do my own, so I take my time and make sure I’m not destroying my nails. If they’re scraping off your nail to remove the polish they’re simply not doing it right. When I remove the little tin foil/acetone cotton ball pouches from the ends of my fingers, 95% of the polish has flaked off and come off my nail already.

Did this help with terminology?

(My color is CND Shellac’s “Red Baroness.” Very seasonally appropriate!)

1 Like
#28

AmmyByNature, that makes sense now. I know of acrylic nails but was unfamiliar with any other similar method. So far I like the gel polish. If I only have to do it once or twice a month it may be worth it (maybe I could even figure out how to do it at home). I was very amazed how fast they cured!

I’m self employed (real estate)…I wonder if I could write off getting my nails done? If so, it would definitely be worth spending $50 a month on nails.

#29

[QUOTE=Equitational;7913732]
AmmyByNature, that makes sense now. I know of acrylic nails but was unfamiliar with any other similar method. So far I like the gel polish. If I only have to do it once or twice a month it may be worth it (maybe I could even figure out how to do it at home). I was very amazed how fast they cured!

I’m self employed (real estate)…I wonder if I could write off getting my nails done? If so, it would definitely be worth spending $50 a month on nails.[/QUOTE]

It’s no too bad if you do it at home - I do, and I can’t even figure out how to flat-iron my hair.

Polishes cost $10-$15 a bottle, and you’ll need a color(s) and base and top coat, but you only have to do it twice a month so I think it’s worth paying more for the polish. Other supplies are cheap. They (meaning the manufacturers) say that you need the “official” light, but that’s not true. I got mine on eBay from hong king for $15. The CND brand one is like $250.

I can only speak for CND Shellac but I love it. I got my mom and my best friend so hooked on it that they both bought their own kit and do their own nails now. I have a list of instructions and stuff to buy that I put together for them and if you’re at all interested in getting started I’d be happy to pass it along!

#30

Is there a difference between gel and shellac? What is shellac?

#31

[QUOTE=AmmyByNature;7913710]
This isn’t exactly correct.

Getting “gel nails” is fake nails. They put a shaping sticker under your nail and use a little pot of powder and a wet paint brush that “makes” nails. They’re longer and thicker than your regular nails. They have to be (as far as I’m aware) ground off with a sander and then reapplied. I believe that the gel (aka acrylic) is set with a UV light, but I’m not 100% sure. I’ve only done this once. This is rough on your nails because it has to be ground off. Most people who do this do it regularly so when it’s ground off they get it redone at the same time.

Real gel polish, or a “gel manicure” is just polish that’s set with a UV light. It’s a little thicker than regular polish, but it lasts much longer. It doesn’t “dry,” it “cures” in the light, so there is no drying time where it can get smudged. After the last coat and then 2 minutes under the light the manicure is done. It gets rubbed vigorously with alcohol and you’re done. This is painted on your regular nails. No fake nails underneath. This type of polish has to be removed using pure acetone, not regular nail polish remover. People remove it either by soaking or (better) by wrapping your nail in a little piece of tin foil with an acetone-soaked bit of cotton ball.

I have heard that there is something else that they’re calling “gel,” but if it’s not cured it’s not gel in my opinion. The whole reason that it’s awesome (apart from the durability) is that there is zero dry time. I don’t know how you remove this stuff.

I do my own, so I take my time and make sure I’m not destroying my nails. If they’re scraping off your nail to remove the polish they’re simply not doing it right. When I remove the little tin foil/acetone cotton ball pouches from the ends of my fingers, 95% of the polish has flaked off and come off my nail already.

Did this help with terminology?

(My color is CND Shellac’s “Red Baroness.” Very seasonally appropriate!)[/QUOTE]

Except that some people call gel nails, a “gel manicure.” I don’t, but have seen and heard it done, just because it helps add to the confusion. :wink:
And they need not be longer or use a form than your regular nails - they are just a thick reinforcement of your nails. You don’t remove and redo every two weeks as you would with gel polish. They do get shaped down after the gel application, whether with a sander or another tool. The scraping off of the nails caffeinated described still sounds like it, but if the shaping wasn’t there it was probably a gel polish.

My gel nails have polish which cures on as an option with the nails, but it’s clear so otherwise the nails dry without requiring curing and can get regular polish.

Shellac’s just a brand of gel which wants to convince you it’s different. :slight_smile:

#32

Most nail places use “gel” and “shellac” pretty much interchangeably. I think maybe when gel manicures first came out, they called them shellac to differentiate them from actual gel nails, but these days they pretty much mean the same thing.

I got my Red Carpet starter kit at Ulta for $75 and it has the light, bottles of all the various prep and finish coats you need, small bottles of acetone and alcohol, and I think it came with two bottles of color polish too. I’m not really thrilled with the longevity of the product though. The colors are getting thick and retain bubbles when I put them on, and I think the polish is harder to clean off my cuticles when I accidentally get some on there (this could be true of all gel polishes, not sure). Other at-home brands may be better.

So for now I get my gel manis done at the salon and use my UV light at home to dry my regular polish.

#33

I’ve been DIYing the gels at home with the UV light. I can keep them reasonably respectable for about 10 days, and I can repair any chips to the tips as I go. I usually end up stripping it off because my nails have grown so the cuticle end looks weird. Getting it off is what screws the nails up, I think.

However… My PT ended up with severe deep layer burns to her finger tips from a professional gel job, and that’s made me a bit gun shy about the whole thing.

So, I decided to try the L’Oreal Gel Envy polish and top coat instead. You know, it does a pretty good job, lasts a week and is easy to get off and replace. The colors are a bit unsubtle for my taste, but they do have a lovely coppery brown, and I thought I might go buy a deep red for Christmas. Guess I’d better get on with it!

#34

I’m pretty sure CND’s Shellac was the first brand of gel polish to hit the market, that is why its used interchangeably at some places.

I get mine done every 2.5-3 weeks and they hold up great, despite being out at the barn 3x/week and at the gym 3x/week. The key to it lasting a long time is making sure the nail bed is prepped correctly (either with that bonding stuff the salons have or even rubbing alcohol helps dry the nail bed out). Then, don’t submerge your hands in water for a long time without gloves.

Also, despite the cost its worth it to me. My hands always look professional (unless I’m lazy and let the time in between manis go too long) and who doesn’t love a good manicure? I know I cannot do the same job the salon does.

Ammybynature, Red Baroness is probably one of my favorite Shellac colors! I also love Sultry Sunset and Hot Chilis. I would say those three are my go to when salons have Shellac.

#35

[QUOTE=KateKat;7914021]
I’m pretty sure CND’s Shellac was the first brand of gel polish to hit the market, that is why its used interchangeably at some places.

…

Ammybynature, Red Baroness is probably one of my favorite Shellac colors! I also love Sultry Sunset and Hot Chilis. I would say those three are my go to when salons have Shellac.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, Shellac was first and it’s the one I use. I got one at a salon once after the other brands had come out and I found it much harder to remove than my Shellac. Now I only do my own or make sure that the salon is using real brand name Shellac.

I think Hot Chilis is my number one favorite - but I can’t use it every time! I try to mix it up with something else in between the Hot Chili. Tutti Frutti is a fun color, too. I’ve not seen Sultry Sunset, but now maybe I’ll have to try it.

I like layering, too, with something translucent and a little sparkly on top of something else. You can make some totally wild colors that way, and I love the sparkle.

#36

NexGen is what I’ve gone to as even the gel tends to chip with my rough wear… NexGen/dip is the same cost and my nails grow out so long with it! Love it! Hundreds of colors, too.

#37

I do the gel polish/shellac – it’s the only way my nails don’t break/look good enough for my professional job. I go into the salon because I could never get them to look as good doing them myself, plus they trim cuticles, etc. Mine typically last 1.5-2 weeks, being a daily rider. Major added bonus, the gel polish has no “dry time”.

#38

I get SNS manicures at a salon. They are the absolute best. No chips or scratches ever. After a few weeks, 3 to 4, I may have one pop off if I’m not careful. The polish pops up similar to a fake nail. I love that the color lasts indefinitely and that my nails do not break with the sns on. I dislike that if I take the sns off at home how my nails look underneath. I’m not a pro horse person; but am at barn 4 to 5 days a week and do all my own grooming etc and pitch in with barn chores. I would recommend sns to anyone looking for a durable manicure

#39

I get bio gel manicures and LOVE them. I have the tips trimmed fairly short so they hold up well to riding and light barn work - can easily go two weeks without a fill, and sometimes get away with three

#40

This 100%. Having the horses at home and riding, my nails are NEVER clean. Thank you gel. It’s the greatest. nails will be weak after taking if off but once they grow out, they are just fine.

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