Unpopular take: I think the whole "natural nails only" trend is going too far.

I've been doing nails for about 14 years now, and I'm seeing more and more clients refuse any kind of enhancement like acrylic or gel. Last month a lady in Seattle told me she'd rather have her nails break off than let me use a monomer. I get the idea behind wanting natural nails, but I had a client 3 years ago who swore off enhancements and ended up with splitting nails that took 8 months to fix. The damage wasn't from products, it was from her biting and picking at them because they were so weak. I'm not saying everyone needs acrylics, but there's a middle ground. My own nails are naturally thin and peel, so I use a builder gel overlay and they've been strong for over 2 years. Has anyone else seen clients struggle with this "all natural or nothing" mindset in your chair?

2 comments

2 Comments

taylor92912d ago

oh man, I see this all the time and it drives me crazy. like last month I had a client come in with her nails chewed down to nothing, crying because she thought going cold turkey would fix her picking habit. I told her straight up it's like quitting coffee by drinking energy drinks instead, you're just swapping one problem for another. we put a thin layer of hard gel on just her index and thumb nails to give her something to fidget with that wasn't her cuticles. three weeks later she came back and said it was the first time in a year she hadn't drawn blood from picking. sometimes a little structure is just good sense, not a betrayal of some nail purity test.

alexlewis13d ago

I really feel for you on this. My sister went through something similar last year. She decided to go completely natural after having gels for about six years, and within three months her nails were peeling and breaking right at the quick. The dermatologist told her it wasn't the products causing the problem, it was the sudden change and her nails never had a chance to adjust. She ended up back with a light overlay just to keep them from splitting all the time. I think this all or nothing mindset is so dangerous for people who naturally have brittle nails like we do. There's nothing wrong with using a little extra support if your nails need it.