Gel Manicure - how long does it last for you?

[mrsstats79]

How long does your gel manicure last? Mine seems to chip after a week. I have tried different salons and get the same results. It's not like I work in construction or anything. Would you go back and complain to the salon after just a week?

 

[1420Elexismc]

Mine usually last a couple of weeks at least. I noticed that if I use a lot of certain products, it comes off sooner(things like sunscreen-for example) I rarely have any chips, I get them done sooner only because the new growth is really obvious, and I don't like how they look. But-I think I have only had a bad experience once-where the polish started lifting. Ironically-on a Disney vacation where I was using a ton of sunscreen and had them use a different brand of polish than I usually go for.

 

[robinb]

Mine starts to chip after about a week and full-on peels after two. I have really terrible nails from biting them for years and getting dip manicures that take a real toll on your nail bed. I started going to a salon that does not use a dremel tool for removal and my nails are getting healthier. I now go every 12 days for a new manicure.

My toe nails ... just regular polish that lasts for weeks and weeks *sigh*.

 

[wvjules]

Mine starts to chip after about a week and full-on peels after two. I have really terrible nails from biting them for years and getting dip manicures that take a real toll on your nail bed. I started going to a salon that does not use a dremel tool for removal and my nails are getting healthier. I now go every 12 days for a new manicure.

My toe nails ... just regular polish that lasts for weeks and weeks *sigh*.

OMG Same! My toe nail polish keeps going and going and going and going....

My gel nails usually chip after about a week and a half, so then I usually end up peeling them off which really damages my nails. Last time I got a regular manicure and chipped within days. I'm going back to gel for my next manicure.

 

[SueInBoston]

Gel lasts me 2-3 weeks, but I'm good about wearing gloves for dishes or chores. My problem is that once the edge starts to lift, I pick at it, I get satisfaction from peeling off a complete nail (weird, I know...lol) which is bad for my nail bed. So now I'm back doing regular mani every 2 weeks, I will only do gel if I'm going away on vacation for more than 2 weeks or for special occasions.

 

[LoveDaisy]

mine last 3 -4 weeks. I usually go every 3 weeks but depending on my schedule have gone 4 weeks. I do not wear gloves when I clean, wash dishes, or garden.

 

[morgan98]

Gel manicures generally last 2.5 - 3weeks, but by then my nails have started to grow out so it doesn't look great. I used to get gel manicures regularly, but over time they really did weaken my natural nails (which are really pretty strong on their own). At the beginning of COVID, I grew them out and since then have only gotten a gel manicure twice.

I agree that regular polish on my toes can last weeks and still look good. I will go for a pedicure, but I have gotten decent at painting my own finger nails at home when the need arises. It may not last as long, but overall has been much better on my nails.

 

[kyton]

If it’s directly on my natural nail, only lasts a week or so. If I have an acrylic layer over my nails then the gel cover it lasts weeks. This is because your natural nail moves - bends, twists etc which means the structure of the gel is broken. This then leads to weak points. Toe nails tend to last longer as (a) they aren’t grown to long lengths like finger nails (b) they are somewhat protected by shoes. This means the gel structure is not compromised as much.

 

[carlyannek]

I have to jump in here as a warning to all fellow gel manicure wearers... I, like many others, started doing my own during the pandemic and I just never ended going back to the salon since I was getting so good at doing my own. I normally would keep my shellac mani's short, but a few months ago I started using a builder gel and went for the medium almond look. Fast forward a few weeks, I learned about a fun thing called Onycholysis. It turns out that builder gels are notorious for not curing properly and it was a fun little discovery for me when I removed my polish to find both thumb nails had detached almost entirely from the nail bed. Apparent it's been a viral thing on tiktok with people having the same experiences. Anywho, just wanted to share my words of not-so-wisdom from the thumbless wonder over here lol

 

[rs1228]

These were 8 weeks into the covid shutdown. They didn’t chip, peel, or lift. I had to trim 2 times because I couldn’t handle how long they were getting.

 

[Boopuff]

I usually only get gel nails done for a vacation. I've found that the gel lasts for at least a week. I have them removed right away when I get home. My toes, dang if that regular old polish doesn't last forever! Once in awhile I'll look down and think "dang! how long have my toenails been pink?" Time to change!

 

[CynBeth]

How long does your gel manicure last? Mine seems to chip after a week. I have tried different salons and get the same results. It's not like I work in construction or anything. Would you go back and complain to the salon after just a week?

You sound like me. I got a gel manicure in 2019 before a big trip and it maybe lasted a week and it is supposed to be a month or so or something like that.
I just went on another big trip and tried the powder this time and the same thing happened. One fell off the very next day and most within the week.

 

[mrsstats79]

Thanks for the responses. Glad to see it is not just me. I would love to polish my own but when I do it looks like a 2 year old did them. Will live with the 1 chip for another week and then I think I will have them just do a regular manicure until I so away mid august.

 

[Once.Upon.A.Time]

It’s not just you. If I do regular gel, I’m luckily if it last a week or two. Now I do Russian gel manicures, and they last at least three weeks.

 

[Deb]

Usually gel last a couple of weeks for me, but I had a run of like 4 gel manicures in a row that were peeling within days

 

[brockash]

How long does your gel manicure last? Mine seems to chip after a week. I have tried different salons and get the same results. It's not like I work in construction or anything. Would you go back and complain to the salon after just a week?

If I get anything but french; they generally only look nice for 2 weeks. - With french I can get 3.

 

[easyas123]

I do gel manicures about half the year - usually mid-fall thru mid-spring.
I go every two weeks, and I keep them on the shorter side.
I work in construction, and farm so there are times when I'm hard on my hands. I only do it half the year because I like to give my nails a break. I've only had a chip a time or two in the past several years.
I also get a pedicure every 2 weeks in the spring/summer time. I'm either in work boots or flip flops and have had extremely good luck with the regular polish staying put!

 

[dazedx3]

I must be the exception, I go 4 weeks in between. My nails do not grow very fast so I only have a small area of growth. They do not peel or chip, and I never wear gloves. I hand wash dishes 2x a day. I don’t know if this is true but I was just talking to my manicurist yesterday, and she was saying not to ever have any mechanical tools used on your nails. According to her your nails just get too thin from the grinding. I don’t have a lot of experience, since I only started getting my nails done 8 months ago and I am 64 years old.

 

[mousefan73]

Stupid question..are gel manincures just a special nail polish but not fake nails? My DD gave me some manicure and used nail polish that goes under the UV light.. believe its gel. I am new to this and learned that it's impossible to get the color off!!! if this is what you guys have how the heck do you change nail polish colors?? I even bought old school acetone didnt work

 

[robinb]

I must be the exception, I go 4 weeks in between. My nails do not grow very fast so I only have a small area of growth. They do not peel or chip, and I never wear gloves. I hand wash dishes 2x a day. I don’t know if this is true but I was just talking to my manicurist yesterday, and she was saying not to ever have any mechanical tools used on your nails. According to her your nails just get too thin from the grinding. I don’t have a lot of experience, since I only started getting my nails done 8 months ago and I am 64 years old.

Yes, that’s the dremel tool I was talking about earlier. It’s a little drill to help take off the polish. It’s required for dip manicures but some nail techs use it for gel too to get the polish off faster. I changed salons a few months ago to one that doesn’t use dremels on gel nails. They use nail files to rough up the gel and then soak cotton balls in polish remover and wrap them up with aluminum foil strips. It takes longer but it’s better for your nails. I’m also paying about $10 more for my manicure but it’s worth it to me.