Thoughts On Nail Polish - Tumblr Posts
This. All of this. I have no issue with painting nails, as I feel like it can be a fun thing to add a little color to life, and unlike makeup or shaving, I feel like society doesn't tend to give a shit whether or not your nails have paint on them or not. But I DESPISE fake nails.
I was raised by a nurse and these are the reasons my mother gave as to why I was under no circumstances allowed to have fake nails while growing up:
- Acrylic nails must be applied to a rough surface which means they file down your actual nail, which makes them weaker
- the space between your acrylic nail and your real nail is a great spot for bacteria to hide and grow.
-acrylic (and gel) nails literally have to be soaked in acetone to be taken off
-you can't do anything with acrylic nails and they make writing, typing, and literally all activities of daily living more difficult
-cuticle trimming (often done before acrylic or gel nails are applied) is literally pushing back and trimming the very thing that prevents the skin surrounding your nails from infection. And just like removing body hair, removing your cuticle skin often causes it to grow back rougher.
Gel has become pretty popular in the last 10 years and in the interest of giving clear information, I feel like I should state that there are two different products "gel nails" may refer to. The first is artificial nails made out of gel that bond to your nails with UV light. Basically this goo is applied to your nail and then 'cured' under a UV light, so that is hardens into a tough shell attached to your nail. The second product is gel polish, which is regular nail polish with a gel component, that is still dried under a UV light and generally lasts longer than regular nail polish due to the gel curing under UV light.
-while gel nail polish isnt quite as bad as artificial nails, please keep in mind that UV light is used to seal this type of polish. I know some people like gel polish because it lasts longer than typical nail polish, so if you absolutely insist on using it, at least put sunscreen on your hands (or feet, if painting toenails) before putting them under the UV dryer. And consider taking breaks in between gel with no polish at all, as repeated use can lead to brittle, cracked nails.
-the major problem with gel nails and gel polish isn't actually the gel, it's the removal of it. People often pick at the gel and peel away layers of gel polish instead of having them taken off with acetone at a nail salon. Picking and peeling causes not only the gel but part of the protective outer layer of the nail to be peeled or pried up together due to the chemical bonds. Pure acetone breaks the bonds so that the gel can be removed with less damage to the nail. The bond between your nail and the gel only solidifies more with each day and the longer you wait to have gel nails removed, the harder it will be to get them off, so the whole longer lasting thing doesn't really pay off.
Moral of the story: stick to regular polish if you are going to paint your nails. And never feel obligated to paint them, cosmetic companies run by men don't need any more women's money.