Day 14: Shellac vs. Acrylic Nails

Between You, Me and the Lamp Post

Day 14: Shellac vs. Acrylic Nails

Many years ago, I worked with a woman who had the most beautiful nails. The length, the shape, the polish, everything was just perfect.

“Thank you,” she said when I complimented her on her nails, “but I’m not sure it was a good idea. I only got them yesterday.” Seeing my puzzlement, she added, “They’re fake, my nails are not real. They’re acrylic nails.”

Acrylic nails?

She went on to explain that acrylic nails were artificial nails applied by a nail technician and didn’t come off no matter what. If the day came when she no longer wanted the nails, they had to be soaked off in acetone.

After years of trying to get beautiful nails, I did some research on acrylic nails, made an appointment with a nail technician and a week later I had beautiful nails too.

After a few days I was used to them and they didn’t bother me in the least. I typed with them, did all the house chores, even took part in a week-long national ten-pin bowling competition (where I took 2^nd place in the ladies doubles).

Everything went fine until the day it went horribly wrong. I opened a desk drawer, my finger slipped off the rim of the drawer and my nail split in two – from cuticle to tip.

I went to see my nail technician, she soaked the nail off and applied a new one. The accident was forgotten.

A few months later, I went bowling, threw my ball wrong and that same nail again split in two. This time, however, the nail split from side to side and the two edges embedded themselves in the nailbed. Oh the pain, I nearly hit the roof.

I made an emergency appointment with my nail technician and it was clear that she didn’t like what she saw. “There are two things you can do,” she said, “either go to the hospital and have the nail removed, or I can apply a layer of acrylic over the broken nail. It will take away the pain, but it will take months for the nail to grow out.” I opted for the latter.

For the next 18 months, I made monthly appointments with my nail technician and always had beautiful nails. Eventually, though, long nails were no longer fashionable, and I had the acrylic nails removed.

Fast forward some twenty years and during that time I always kept my nails short. That is to the day that I started working for a company where just about every woman had beautiful nails. Not long nails, their nails only peeked out about a millimeter off their fingertips, but they were just perfect.

Finding myself hiding my nails all the time I thought the time had come again to have artificial nails. I made an appointment and voila, within the hour I had beautiful nails.

Even though they were fairly short, I found them troublesome. Typing and working with them was no problem, but ten-pin bowling was another matter. I remembered the pain of the split nail all to well and it affected my bowling.

After some deliberation, I decided to have the acrylic nails removed. I was back to having unattractive nails but at least I could bowl carefree.

“Why don’t you try Shellac nails?” the nail technician asked me. “The color gets applied to your own nails and stays perfect for two weeks, three or even four if you wear gloves while doing dishes and other work.”

So I gave it a try and couldn't be happier or more satisfied.

If you’re not happy with your nails, I strongly recommend you give Shellac a go before you try anything else. I guarantee you won’t regret it.