Can false nails ever look nice?

[Anonymous]

I have never had acrylic nails or other kids of fake nails, but I was thinking a short, natural looking set would be nice to try. What are your thoughts? My nails are a wreck and always are. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

I've never seen acrylics that look natural. I think they're hideous.

[Anonymous]

I have very thin nails that could never grow very long and manicures never seemed to last. I have had acrylics for about 3 years and get compliments on them all the time. I get a rounded short shape and pick and very natural pink color. OPI cotton candy or OPI bubble bath.

[Anonymous]

They really are tacky and a last resort for someone who has nails that won't grow at all. You can spot them a mile away.

There are also issues with fungus and having your natural nail beds permantly distorted if you use them. Not to mention the chemicals and smell when having them done.

Can't go wrong with short, smooth and shiny. The nail style currently is very short.

[Anonymous]

My nails were always a wreck too. I finally started using vitamin E oil on my cuticles every night. It's the same oil that they brush your nails with when you're getting a manicure, but then you wash it off before putting on polish. Instead of washing it off, though, I let it soak in all night and my nails have been looking really strong and healthy. I still keep them relatively short, but at least now there is some nail there and they have stopped chipping and peeling. I think acrylic nails are pretty bad looking, personally. It is pretty easy to spot them. Although I think if you get them polished rather than doing the whole fake french manicure thing, they would look much better.

[Anonymous]

No. Never.

Always tacky. Recommend PPs approach with the Vitamin E and really short nails either buffed or polished in very light pink or clear.

[zumbamama]

I had them for a year in college. It ruined my nails and they were thin and damaged for 6 months. They only look good for a few days after their done, and then your nail bed grows out and looks bad. I'd probably try to nurse and pamper the hell out of them first. I know someone who took some kind of vitamin that strengthened her nails a lot, but I'm not sure what it was. Probably E.

[Anonymous]

Kept super-short and with a french manicure maybe. But they seem pretty out of fashion now (maybe always).

[Anonymous]

My cousin has silk wraps on her nails, but she keeps them very short ( just beyond the tip of her fingernail or at the tip). She has very long nailbeds, so the wraps look natural. The wraps are thin compared to acrylics, which makes a huge difference. Also, she keeps them a very neutral pink color. Overall, I would avoid acrylics but it's not my thing.

[zumbamama]

oh yes the silk wraps are better.

man I cannot spell tonight. I meant they're not their.

[Anonymous]

I had them for a few years in the 90s and they seemed to be much more popular then. I would never get them now because when I see them on other women I think they look tacky. Like many PPs said, the nail style now is natural and short, so just try to keep them well groomed with some clear polish and they'll look great. Another alternative is gel overlays that look much more natural then the acrylics, but are more expensive. I did that before a big trip last year and thought they looked good, but I didn't have time for the upkeep.

[Anonymous]

Use nailtiques! I swear putting a coat of that on every night has completely changed the way my nails look. However, if I stop using it they start peeling like crazy.

I am with the majority here- acrylics = ick.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Use nailtiques! I swear putting a coat of that on every night has completely changed the way my nails look. However, if I stop using it they start peeling like crazy.

I am with the majority here- acrylics = ick.

... start with the Nailtiques #2.

[Anonymous]

You should start with your diet--are you eating well? Brittle nails are a sign of poor diet. Also, when you wash dishes, do you use gloves? Are you regularly using harsh chemicals on your hands? If you wash your hands often, try to use lukewarm-cool water and a moisturizing soap or use hand sanitizer with moisturizer.

If you already have bad nails, putting something on top may further weaken them by introducing fungi and trapping moisture.

You might also want to discuss this with your internist since you may have a nail infection that can be cured medically.