# Dopers who get professional manicures **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 31, 2010, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-who-get-professional-manicures/548662 "2010-07-31T05:52:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![KittenKat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kittenkat/32/306_2.png) [@KittenKat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KittenKat)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2010, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-who-get-professional-manicures/548662/21 "2010-08-02T15:48:26Z")
> [@brujaja](#): > > p.s. Do they make **colored** acrylic nails that you don’t have to polish? I don’t know about acrylics, but there are colored gels. I have gel nails (a gel overlay over my natural nails, cured by light), and since I started having my nail tech use the colored gel, I never get chips in my manicure. ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2010, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-who-get-professional-manicures/548662/22 "2010-08-02T17:44:20Z")
> [@lindsaybluth](#): > > > [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](#): > > > > I am going to contradict **lindsaybluth** ’s advice one more time. Somebody told me years ago that tapping your nails on things–drumming them, essentially, just using the tips–makes the nails stronger as it stimulates blood flow. (Like pulling your hair is supposed to make it grow faster.) I don’t know about that, but it doesn’t seem to hurt, and I do it just as a fidgeting thing and it doesn’t seem to hurt. > > You’re right, I’ve actually heard both things, that any kind of hard surface + nail tips is bad, and also that it makes the nails stronger. Actually, there’s a solution for that. Increased blood flow to the nail beds really _does_ help your nails grow stronger and faster, but if you don’t want to rap your nails against something hard, you can just massage your fingers. Take 15 seconds to massage each finger (I switch hands each finger so the massaging hand doesn’t get tired) every day. I told **Diosa** about this tip and she loves it. ---
**Author:** ![lindsaybluth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90db22/32.png) [@lindsaybluth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lindsaybluth)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2010, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-who-get-professional-manicures/548662/23 "2010-08-02T18:49:29Z")
Woah, you gave **Diosa** - the goddess of all things makeup IMHO - a tip? :eek: All hail **zweisamkeit**! ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2010, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-who-get-professional-manicures/548662/24 "2010-08-02T19:02:49Z")
Humm - I was going to come in here and mention Revlon Colourstay nail polish 'cus it won’t come off even with polish remover (seriously - you’ll be scrubbing for an hour to get it off all nails) but apparently it’s been discontinued. Possibly because you have to scrub for an hour to get the stuff off. Shame, 'cus it really did stay put. ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2010, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-who-get-professional-manicures/548662/25 "2010-08-02T19:10:41Z")
Oh - I was also going to mention (sorry if someone else said this and I missed it) way back when in esthetician school buffing the nails was recommended as an excellent way to keep nail polish intact longer - I’ve certainly noticed it makes a difference when I do my nails at home. Also, regarding polish - OPI is fine but I really have never noticed a difference as far as staying power using it or using the el-cheapo drugstore brands - as long as you prep the nails well and use a very good base coat and top coat they all seem to last about the same. I’m speaking for doing my own nails or other peoples as well. OPI Nail Envy does make a pretty fantastic base coat. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dopers-who-get-professional-manicures/548662.md?page=1)