I started wearing acrylic nails when I was 14 years old. I would use the money I earned from dog walking in my neighborhood every week to pay for acrylic fills and new sets whenever I needed or wanted them. When I finally got my first job, I would use almost half of my paycheck to get my nails done. Why? I was quite literally obsessed with them. Whether the shape was medium oval, short square or long coffin, I just wanted to have a cute nail look that made me happy. Well, the only problem with this was that I was absolutely ruining my nails and nailbeds.
I continued the path of constantly getting new sets and fills for over four years. I never gave my nails a break or let them breathe; it was just fill after fill and set after set. After graduating high school, I had bare nails for the first time in what felt like my entire life. My nails were brittle, thin and, most importantly, they hurt so badly. I had no idea how damaged my nails were because of my constant use of acrylics back to back. I also had no idea how to make them better. Finally, I decided to pick up my laptop and do some research.
It took me almost an entire year to grow my nails out to be the way that I wanted them to be. During that time, I didn’t wear acrylics, gel polish or even regular polish. I had a consistent routine of oiling my cuticles and doing at-home manicures to keep building up the strength my nails deserved to have. Over the course of that year, there were many nails that broke, chipped and just didn’t look cute; however, when they finally grew out, they were the strongest they had ever been. But … there was something missing. I just didn’t feel like myself without anything on my nails. I missed having cool designs, cute gems, and even the sound acrylics would make. That is when I discovered the wonder of press-on nails.
I’ve been wearing press-ons for over a year now. I’ve found that they are much healthier for my own nails, and it gives me the chance to relax and take a break when applying them. I get to take the time to pamper myself with a manicure and put on a fresh new set of nails. Plus, there are so many different kinds of press-ons you can buy. There are some from the drugstore and online, but some of my favorites are handmade, custom-fit nails from Etsy. They have a million designs, and with enough practice, they will last you for over a month. Plus, they’re even better for the environment because they’re reusable!
Overall, my nails went from horribly hurt and brittle to strong and better than ever with time and patience. Along the way, I discovered and fell in love with press-on nails because of their healthier benefits, as well as being inexpensive, and more easily accessible. Press-on nails might not be for everyone, but they definitely are for me, and they’ve helped me care for my nails in a way that I never really did before.