Acrylic & Gel Nail Polish Manicures Have Ruined My Nails

I’ve always had decent, naturally strong, rounded nails. They hit their peak when I was pregnant to be honest-oh how I miss my preggie nails..they were the strongest, longest nails I’ve ever had when I was up the duff (my hair was at its silkiest too).

I know many find they lose hair after babies but my mane is so BIG, I didn’t notice any hair loss and my nails stayed strong for at least a year post babies. I think the added vitamins in my diet must of helped, the folic acid I took throughout the pregnancy and the iron tablets I was prescribed.

The Babycenter state that,

‘During pregnancy, higher levels of estrogen prolong the growth phase, resulting in less shedding of hair and thicker tresses. Some women also notice that their hair becomes shinier during pregnancy or that it changes in texture (curly hair might become straighter, for example). Your postpartum locks probably won’t be as luxurious. After giving birth, the growth/rest cycle goes back to its previous pattern, so you may notice more hair falling out’.

Now, fast forward to life with a 7 and 4 year old and a mad moment in November before my birthday shindig where I opted for acrylics knowing full well they might well damage my decent nails.

My talons at that point were shorter than usual, and with close friends over for a mani pre-birthday sesh, I thought ‘what the heck’ and went for a full set. I felt it would be fun. And it was incredibly fun to rock long talons that night (although I did have to return to the salon and have them cut down so I could type the following Monday).

They also took some getting used to, too and felt weirdly heavy on my nails for a while although before long I acclimatised to the weight and loved how polished (literally) and ladylike having perfect nails made me feel. They empowered me somehow.

Until I opted to have them removed that is, and found brittle, fragile nails lying beneath. I know there are kinder alternatives on the market but even gel nails are ruining my nails, not allowing them to metaphorically breathe, and that’s part of the problem-the vicious circle of gel polish.

The weaker my nails become because of the products that I’m using, the more I rely on these very products to offer faux protection and strength.

So the gel I’m wearing on my wrecked nails is the final gel polish I’m putting on for a long time. Mine look so bad I’ve used a stock photo above. A #Nailgoals pic if you like.

I’m going cold turkey on my talons to let them recover, hopefully allowing them to become stronger than before.

Natural, as with everything in life, is best, huh!

That doesn’t mean I won’t ever have gel polish again just not for a long while nor as frequently. I won’t ever wear acrylics again though, that’s for sure.

Have you experienced weak nails from falsies and gel polish too? I’d love to read your thoughts.

 

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