Just get the press-on nails by KISS. They come in shorter lengths and generally look pretty good.

Anonymous wrote:DD14 wants fake nails. All of her friends have them. Acrylic nails? I know nothing about them because my job requires me to wear nitrile gloves frequently and I cant keep long nails. When she asked for acrylics I said I’d consider it, but saw how they destroy your nail bed and ultimately told her no. Then a friend told me about gel nails and I (foolishly) told her that was a possibility, but then heard that they can cause allergic reactions and maybe now even cancer? So I told her no, just no, don’t ask again, that’ll be her choice when she’s 18. But now she won’t let me forget that, at one point, I told her she could, and that I’m ruining her life because she’s the only one without nice nails. Also, she has no interest in simply getting a manicure.

Help me shut this down, please. I’ve tried everything and she still argues.

So this girl doesn't have any hobbies that require manual dexterity or play sports or an instrument? That is sad. Sign her up for guitar lessons. That will force her to keep her nails short but give her something "cool" to do.

I was born in 86 and I got these occasionally (maybe once a year) as a teen. Under no circumstances would my mother have paid for them! I would tell her if she really wants them she can earn the money for them and this problem will solve itself.

My DD wasn’t allowed to get her ears pierced until she was 18. She survived.

That said, we did allow acrylic nails (tips? I don’t know) for special occasions like homecoming and prom. But as soon as they needed to be filled in, they had to come off.

Anonymous wrote:Tell her they look trashy and show her the memes that are making fun of them. That fad is on it's way out, thankfully.

As the parent of a teenage girl I see no evidence that this is a fad on its way out. Is it on its way out for Gen X and Millennials, maybe, but not for the current generation that is in their teens and early 20s.

Tell her they look trashy and show her the memes that are making fun of them. That fad is on it's way out, thankfully.

Most college girls are using the press on ones.

Gel nail polish can go on her normal nails. If she gets the polish professionally removed and her nails buffed, she’ll be fine. Gel polish just lasts longer.

You say you know nothing about nail polish but then think it’s all bad. Which is it? Just admit you have a bizarre bias like many on this board.

I know plenty of high-level corporate women who apply gel or dip powder to their nails because they don’t like chipped nails. (They most certainly aren’t getting those long claws.) They aren’t trashy women and I bet you’d jump at the chance to have any of them to mentor your daughter.

So I don’t get the opposition. Maybe keep an open mind and ask your daughter to make the case. Screaming “chemicals!!111!!” is an intellectually dishonest fallback unless you live a completely chemical and plastics-free life (which, spoiler alert, isn’t possible in our current environment).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Have her do her own nails with polish or with press on nails / nail glue. All of this is less expense and effort than having acrylic nails done. And all can be undone much easily.

Acrylic nails require lots of time and money to maintain. And if you don't continue to maintain, they look awful. This is not for a 14 year old.

It’s not about the expense. It’s about what it says about a person. Those kind of nails on a young teen screams trash, lax parenting, and possibly fast crowd. No thanks.

I actually disagree with this. They are so mainstream now I think the scream "I am a teenage girl and want to be like everyone else."

Most girls who want the fake nails are trying to be popular or impress boys.

Anonymous wrote:Why cant she just grow out her natural nails and apply polish from a bottle? I swear these nail salons have brainwashed young women into thinking that nails is rocket surgery.

I have pretty weak nails and it isn’t possible for me to grow them long without Acrylic or gel. I agree that a girl that age shouldnt be getting acrylic, but I disagree with the comments saying it’s trashy. A simple design at a reasonable length isn’t that big of a deal.

I don't see the issue. I rarely get fake nails, but when I do I love them. They make me happy just looking at them.

Have her spend her own money. Or give it as a birthday/Christmas gift. This is way too minor to be having arguments over. It's not a piercing or a tattoo.

And no, nail polish is not the same. Nail polish lasts me about 3 days. Fake nails last me about 2.5 weeks. My nails completely regrow in 3 months, so any nail bed damage is very temporary. You can tell them not to grind it down too much either.

They are so unhygienic! There's a reason why physicians and nurses keep their nails short and clean, even with all the hand-washing that happens in healthcare settings. The bacteria plus now the carcinogenic chemicals that are banned in the EU - but not, of course under RKF's watch because he likes his women looking trashy! - mean no fake nails.

Why cant she just grow out her natural nails and apply polish from a bottle? I swear these nail salons have brainwashed young women into thinking that nails is rocket surgery.

Acrylics don't permanently damage nails. They might become brittle and weak until a few weeks after they're off and then the nails go back to normal.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Have her do her own nails with polish or with press on nails / nail glue. All of this is less expense and effort than having acrylic nails done. And all can be undone much easily.

Acrylic nails require lots of time and money to maintain. And if you don't continue to maintain, they look awful. This is not for a 14 year old.

It’s not about the expense. It’s about what it says about a person. Those kind of nails on a young teen screams trash, lax parenting, and possibly fast crowd. No thanks.

I actually disagree with this. They are so mainstream now I think the scream "I am a teenage girl and want to be like everyone else."