how long does a gel manicure last?

[Anonymous]

I’ve never had a gel manicure, but I have thanksgiving weekend and then an event the following weekend so am thinking of getting a gel mani a few days before thanksgiving (before I start cooking!). How long can I expect it to last?

Also, my nails tend to split and peel- is a gel mani a bad idea?

[Anonymous]

Mine lasts about 2 weeks. If I do them back to back for a while my nail does end up thinner when I'm done.

[Anonymous]

Mine are about a week and a half. If you want something really durable, I would go with dip. Mine last three weeks and it's because they grow out, not chip.

[Anonymous]

2 weeks, due to growth, not chipping. After 1 week I'm already over it though.

[Anonymous]

Gel lasts 2 weeks for me also. Ensure you go somewhere to soak it off (not drill) when you are done if your nails are already thin. As for dip, it does last longer but they have to drill it off which wouldn't help your nail health.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:2 weeks, due to growth, not chipping. After 1 week I'm already over it though.

+1 me too - but you can't take it off at home so you have to go into the salon again

i got a gel manicure for a cruise once and i loved it at first then hated it when it started looking shabby and i couldn't just remove the color

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:2 weeks, due to growth, not chipping. After 1 week I'm already over it though.

+1 me too - but you can't take it off at home so you have to go into the salon again

i got a gel manicure for a cruise once and i loved it at first then hated it when it started looking shabby and i couldn't just remove the color

I bought acetone to do removal at home but it's a pain and it smells so bad. I just shape my nails nicely now.

[Anonymous]

Wear gloves if you are washing dishes by hand or bathing kids (for example). My gels usually pop off by day 7-8 because I always forget that they weaken if you are constantly getting them in water. My sister has hers last 3 weeks because she is careful!

[Anonymous]

10-14 days for me. But the removal process really weakens my nails so I avoid them except for special occasions that are several days out from the polish.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:2 weeks, due to growth, not chipping. After 1 week I'm already over it though.

+1 me too - but you can't take it off at home so you have to go into the salon again

i got a gel manicure for a cruise once and i loved it at first then hated it when it started looking shabby and i couldn't just remove the color

Of course you can. It's annoying, but it's possible and not worth a trip to the salon.

[Anonymous]

Depends on the technique. Sometimes they lift/chip after a couple days and sometimes they last a couple weeks.

I have had much better luck with builder gel, which is a flexible gel somewhere between gel polish and acrylic in hardness. Luminary is the brand my salon uses but BIAB is another popular brand. Every set has lasted 3-4 weeks with 0 lifting. It's amazing. The best thing is that I never need to soak it off, she just files down leaving a thin layer of gel and does a fill on top of that, so natural nails aren't buffed over and over causing damage.

[Anonymous]

It lasts a few weeks but it will destroy your nails which sound like mine. Once I have it taken off all my nails break and split and I have little short stubby nails until they all grow out. But they look nice for 2 weeks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Depends on the technique. Sometimes they lift/chip after a couple days and sometimes they last a couple weeks.

I have had much better luck with builder gel, which is a flexible gel somewhere between gel polish and acrylic in hardness. Luminary is the brand my salon uses but BIAB is another popular brand. Every set has lasted 3-4 weeks with 0 lifting. It's amazing. The best thing is that I never need to soak it off, she just files down leaving a thin layer of gel and does a fill on top of that, so natural nails aren't buffed over and over causing damage.

Builder gel is a miracle. I was a 30 year nail biter. I'd bite through gel polish, acrylics would lift and then I'd pick it all off my nails so I could bite them and leave them destroyed. Now I have the pretty grown-up nails I've always wanted but couldn't due to the nasty habit. It's $55 plus tip for me every 3 weeks but it's worth it.

[Anonymous]

What salons do PPs go to for builder gel manicures. Also what happens when you want to removed entirely? (if I followed PP, it doesn’t get fully removed each time you get a new manicures)

[Anonymous]

Dip lasts 3-4.