nails

[cocolaw]

do rings look better on fingers with fake nails or with very short natural nails? i cannot grow long real nails and am trying to decide if i want to get gel nails. i have short fingers, but i dont want the long nails to make the ring look small on my hand! What do you think? Ring ETA: within the next 12 days.

 

[Bia]

I''m not into fake nails. I think natural, clean, and manicured (w/ or without polish) nails are much more appealing. Buts that''s just me...

I know a lot of women who have their nails done every couple of weeks and they love them, so I guess it depends on what''s more you. If you don''t ever get fakies, then why start now?

 

[ams0124]

I think it depends on what you like...I personally like my fake nails. I don''t get them too long and always with a white tip.

Here''s what mine look like now...They''re a little long for me...I got them done 2 days ago and I plan on filing them down some. I also like them a little more square.

I have a fun "diamond" ring on today...it''s a 2ct. I can take a picture of my hand with that on if you want a better reference. The ring I''m wearing is .5tcw, each stone is .25. I wear a size 4 1/2 ring, so I think I have pretty small/short hands and fingers too.

Hope that helps

 

[Clairitek]

I bought myself a nice nail buffer with 3 different sides. One is the roughest and it smoothes out the ridges in your nails. The second is a big more fine than the first and makes the nails a little more smooth. The final one is really really smooth and it makes my nails shine better than any manicure or polish I''ve ever had! I personally love the look of natural nails so I would stick with what you have and just keep them nicely filed.

Here is the sort of buffer I am talking about:
Nail Buffer

 

[cocolaw]

thanks!! good ideas! I used to wear acrylics sometimes, but very short. I heard gels look more natural. I just want my hands to look pretty! i have really awful weak nails. They are almost too short to file

!!!!

 

[ams0124]

Date: 12/9/2008 1:19:36 PM
Author: cocolaw
thanks!! good ideas! I used to wear acrylics sometimes, but very short. I heard gels look more natural. I just want my hands to look pretty! i have really awful weak nails. They are almost too short to file

!!!!

I know what you mean about having awful nails...As long as I can remember I''ve always bit my nails. They just look horrible without acrylics. I always tell people I''d have man hands if it weren''t for acrylics. My nails are way too short to file, or paint...even clear polish...they just look gross

I''ve gotten gel nails once...I didn''t like them b/c they broke really easily with me. I''m really hard on my nails...I sit at a computer and type all day...acrylic is stronger in my opinion. I also couldn''t really tell a difference with which one looked more natural.

 

[bebe]

Date: 12/9/2008 12:57:28 PM
Author: Clairitek
I bought myself a nice nail buffer with 3 different sides. One is the roughest and it smoothes out the ridges in your nails. The second is a big more fine than the first and makes the nails a little more smooth. The final one is really really smooth and it makes my nails shine better than any manicure or polish I''ve ever had! I personally love the look of natural nails so I would stick with what you have and just keep them nicely filed.

Here is the sort of buffer I am talking about:
Nail Buffer

I love these things!
But don''t do what I did.
I was trying to keep my natural nails in tip top shape, anticipating getting my new ring.
My ring fingernail had a lot of ridges, so I buffed too much, too hard and literally
filed/buffed away the nail. Needless to say it broke off because it was so thin.
My nails are in awful shape, breaking all the time. I am taking Biotin supplements,
but not sure they are helping any.

Back to the buffer. It is a great tool. I plan on using it again once I get my nails back!

 

[kittybean]

I always had terrible nails, but I have found some pretty good products for making them stronger. They wouldn''t help you right away, but if you keep using them, your nails will be dramatically stronger. One of the products I like is Duri Rejuvacote. It''s a clear polish that you put on as a base coat and top coat, then you put a coat on every day, removing and starting over once a week. In a couple weeks, your nails are noticeably stronger--it''s pretty amazing. Cons are that it can take kind of a long time to dry, and if your nails are very thin or brittle, you can sometimes feel the hardeners seeping into your nails, which can be a little uncomfortable.

Otherwise, I think short nails with dark polish look lovely and chic for winter.

 

[tessari]

ams--I am a 4.5 with short fingers and small hands too! i am curious to see how the 2 ct looks on you...

 

[Bia]

Date: 12/9/2008 1:36:58 PM
Author: kittybean
I always had terrible nails, but I have found some pretty good products for making them stronger. They wouldn''t help you right away, but if you keep using them, your nails will be dramatically stronger. One of the products I like is Duri Rejuvacote. It''s a clear polish that you put on as a base coat and top coat, then you put a coat on every day, removing and starting over once a week. In a couple weeks, your nails are noticeably stronger--it''s pretty amazing. Cons are that it can take kind of a long time to dry, and if your nails are very thin or brittle, you can sometimes feel the hardeners seeping into your nails, which can be a little uncomfortable.

Otherwise, I think short nails with dark polish look lovely and chic for winter.

Ditto. Dark polish can make short nails look very pretty. Especially this time of year.

 

[gwendolyn]

I like the look of some people''s fake nails, but can''t STAND them on me. They drive me crazy. I scratch my eyes out when putting in/taking out my contact lenses, and then there''s that maddening clicking sound they make when typing or playing the piano and the fact that I feel like I''m always about to accidentally scratch myself with them.

Of course, these can all be problems if my own nails get too long, so I tend to have nails on the shorted side anyway. I think my rings are happy with how they look either way, though.

 

[cocolaw]

yeah i like dark polish on short nails too!
my fingers tend to swell and when they swell they look like little sausages. the nails really help with that..i will probably do nothing for now because the upkeep is difficult.

 

[ams0124]

Date: 12/9/2008 1:38:16 PM
Author: tessari
ams--I am a 4.5 with short fingers and small hands too! i am curious to see how the 2 ct looks on you...

Here ya go!!

It''s not that great of a pic...I took it with my cell...but you get the idea
I can try to take a better one if you want

 

[Bia]

ams, you have lovely hands!!! Even without your nails, they wouldn''t look like "man hands!"

 

[MissDimity]

I use to love my fake nails. However I recently went to a nail salon and had them taken off my nails to discover I had picked up a nail infection from one of the salons I had been to.

I went to the doctor and this is not uncommon. Also the thing about nail infections is that they are very contagious and very hard to get rid of.

Now in order to get back to having my beautiful natural nails I need to take 4 tablets a day for the next 6 months. NOT FUN!
As well these tablets carry inherent risks- impairing liver function, and also making my skin more likely to be burnt by the sun ( not fun also, as it''s summer over here).

Most nail salons don''t wash their equipment between customers and customers with nail infections are more likely to use fake nails to cover it up. You risk not only catching a nail infection, but other blood born bacteria (i.e.HEPATITIS ) , as if they accidently cut you they DON''T always disinfect their equipment appropriately

I am never going to a nail salon again.

My advice: either did it yourself at home with a fake nail kit or use a buffer brush, clear polish on your natural nails.

 

[vita*dolce]

having longer nails makes your fingers appear longer (read: slimmer) and that can affect how your rings look on you. i''m pretty obsessive about keeping my nails polished, so when my day comes, i''ll be ready!!

 

[ams0124]

Date: 12/9/2008 2:06:54 PM
Author: Bia
ams, you have lovely hands!!! Even without your nails, they wouldn''t look like ''man hands!''

Thank you Bia!

I''m sure you''re right about the "man hands"....It''s just that my real nails are soooo short, and I have bad hang nails, and I know that they don''t look "lady like". I just can''t stop biting them. I''ve tried everything!!! The only thing that works for me are acrylics...My fingers never go near my mouth when I have them on...
If anyone has any helpful tips on how to stop biting nails I could sure use the advice

I sure don''t want what happend to MissDimity to happen to me

...Thats really scary MissD!! Thanks for the warning!

 

[sammyj]

Date: 12/9/2008 2:49:31 PM
Author: ams0124


If anyone has any helpful tips on how to stop biting nails I could sure use the advice

I used to bite my nails as a kid...I''d even go hide in my bedroom to bite my nails and my mom would find me and freak! I don''t know how I stopped though...I just did. I never bite my nails anymore unless I''ve chipped or broken a nail or something...then I find it somewhat relaxing. Have you tried all of those gross tasting polishes? Or the elastic on your wrist??

My ring finger is a size 4 and I have long fingers and long nail beds. I prefer wearing darker colours and I''m honestly so jealous of everyone that has SHORT nail beds because dark polish looks way better on them!!!! cocolaw...looking forward to your ring pics in t-minus 12 days!!!

 

[Bia]

Date: 12/9/2008 3:15:10 PM
Author: sammyj

Date: 12/9/2008 2:49:31 PM
Author: ams0124




If anyone has any helpful tips on how to stop biting nails I could sure use the advice

I used to bite my nails as a kid...I'd even go hide in my bedroom to bite my nails and my mom would find me and freak! I don't know how I stopped though...I just did. I never bite my nails anymore unless I've chipped or broken a nail or something...then I find it somewhat relaxing. Have you tried all of those gross tasting polishes? Or the elastic on your wrist??

My ring finger is a size 4 and I have long fingers and long nail beds. I prefer wearing darker colours and I'm honestly so jealous of everyone that has SHORT nail beds because dark polish looks way better on them!!!! cocolaw...looking forward to your ring pics in t-minus 12 days!!!

And here I was jealous of those ladies with long nail beds because their fingers look so dainty and pretty...

We're crazy, that's all there is to it!!!

 

[Rhea]

I don''t like the look of fake nails. I prefer nicely done, short, natural nails.

 

[tessari]

thanks ams!!

 

[Tuckins1]

I think the well kept, real nails look best. I just don''t care for the look of fake nails.

 

[sammyj]

Date: 12/9/2008 3:46:31 PM
Author: Bia

Date: 12/9/2008 3:15:10 PM
Author: sammyj

Date: 12/9/2008 2:49:31 PM
Author: ams0124





If anyone has any helpful tips on how to stop biting nails I could sure use the advice

I used to bite my nails as a kid...I''d even go hide in my bedroom to bite my nails and my mom would find me and freak! I don''t know how I stopped though...I just did. I never bite my nails anymore unless I''ve chipped or broken a nail or something...then I find it somewhat relaxing. Have you tried all of those gross tasting polishes? Or the elastic on your wrist??

My ring finger is a size 4 and I have long fingers and long nail beds. I prefer wearing darker colours and I''m honestly so jealous of everyone that has SHORT nail beds because dark polish looks way better on them!!!! cocolaw...looking forward to your ring pics in t-minus 12 days!!!

And here I was jealous of those ladies with long nail beds because their fingers look so dainty and pretty...

We''re crazy, that''s all there is to it!!!

hahaha..I know! The grass is always greener, right? It''s just like how I always wanted curly/wavy hair instead of my stick straight hair.

back to the nails, I prefer the natural look too...which I guess why I''ve never tried fakies.

 

[CheshireSmile]

I prefer natural nails as well. I have long nail beds so my nails always seem a bit longer than they actually are, and I keep them fairly short. I have been trying to take extra good care of my nails so they''ll be in top shape when I do finally get that ring (which is at least a few months off, but still)

 

[Clairitek]

I did get acrylics once and I was horrified when they took them off. Maybe the nail salon I went to did it incorrectly but they basically took my nails down to a fraction of the thickness they were before when they used the dremel to remove the glue. It took a couple of months before all of the really thin, gross stuff grew out. In those two months my nails were really weak and bent backwards all the time.

For the nail biters out there- I used to be a chronic nail biter too. Two things helped me stop...
1) My denstist warning me that I was destroying my teeth by biting my nails.
2) Getting a pretty ring as a Christmas gift one year and having my ex say "You better stop biting your nails so your ring looks its best!" Now that I have my e-ring I am much more aware of the state of my nails.

I still bite them once in a while. Its normally when my nails have gotten too long and they start to bother me. At this point if I don''t have a clipper or file near me I just end up nipping them in the corner and ripping them off and then filing later.

 

[cocolaw]

I bought some nail tek! I have been applying it since tuesday night. They look really feminine. I also filed my nails --they are very short but nicely shaped. i like this as much as i ever liked acrylics! yay

 

[Bia]

Yay! Good for you...

Now, lets see them with that ring

 

[onvacation]

Date: 12/10/2008 12:57:01 PM
Author: Clairitek
I did get acrylics once and I was horrified when they took them off. Maybe the nail salon I went to did it incorrectly but they basically took my nails down to a fraction of the thickness they were before when they used the dremel to remove the glue. It took a couple of months before all of the really thin, gross stuff grew out. In those two months my nails were really weak and bent backwards all the time.

For the nail biters out there- I used to be a chronic nail biter too. Two things helped me stop...
1) My denstist warning me that I was destroying my teeth by biting my nails.
2) Getting a pretty ring as a Christmas gift one year and having my ex say ''You better stop biting your nails so your ring looks its best!'' Now that I have my e-ring I am much more aware of the state of my nails.

I still bite them once in a while. Its normally when my nails have gotten too long and they start to bother me. At this point if I don''t have a clipper or file near me I just end up nipping them in the corner and ripping them off and then filing later.

Yeah, that''s what acrylics will do to your natural nails... just completely mangle them. Glad to hear it''s all grown out! Do all beauty procedures have to be that way? I mean, shaving makes your hair grow back thicker, and high lights dry out your hair.... The only somewhat okay treatment that I can think of is henna, but even that won''t really make your hair better, it''ll just keep it from getting damaged.

I bit my nails like no other when I was younger. What worked for me was biting on my knuckles instead. It would either be satisfying enough for the mouth, or hurt enough to put my hand back down. Eh, gross, I know, but now I have nice nails!

Does anyone remember reading the Berenstain Bears book in which Sister Bear tries to stop biting her nails? She gets coins to keep in her pocket for each unbitten nail so they''ll jingle to remind her not to bite. I tried that method countless times after reading that book, but it didn''t work for me at all.