Hi guys! I’ve been waiting to write this post for, well, a year! Last January I decided to see if I could go a year without getting any manicures. Spoiler alert, I did it! Without further ado, I’m sharing why I gave up gel manicures for a year and here’s what happened!

[all photo credit belongs to Mindy Briar • photos taken at Dream Salon & Spa]

To rewind a little, in college and right after college when I worked in NYC, I would get a gel manicure every 3-4 weeks. As much as I LOVED the ways my nails looked all perfect, I didn’t love the cost to my wallet and my nails’ health. So that’s what inspired me to challenge myself and take a year off from gel manicures!

For those who aren’t familiar with gel manicures, the gel polish is much thicker than regular polish and the manicure is set using a UV light. If you want to learn more, check out this article here. I’m not sure what chemicals are in the gel polishes, but I have to imagine they’re pretty strong to be able to avoid chipping for 2-3 weeks.

And then of course you have the UV light… some people wear fingerless gloves to mitigate the exposure, others apply sunscreen to their hands, and then some people don’t do anything (I was one of those people). In fact, the UV light emitted from those tiny machines that set your new gel manicure is much stronger than regular sun exposure.

Keep scrolling to see how much money I saved in 2019 by giving up gel manicures for a year!

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The cost of a gel manicure varies depending on where you are in the country, for me the average cost of a gel manicure is around $50 after tip. So let’s do some math…

$50 x (52 weeks/3.5) = $743

*the 3.5 is the average duration between manicures

Guys, that’s over $700 I saved in 2019 from giving up my gel manicures, how awesome is that?!

Not only did I save a ton of money this past year by giving up my gel manicures, but I also completely changed my nail health and you can too!!

Obviously I’m not a doctor, nor an expert here by any means, but I’m more than happy to share my personal experience, which was pretty darn spectacular. This past year, I only took vitamins intermittently and didn’t change up my diet at all, so I’m certain that the improvement in my nails’ health was thanks to taking a year-long break from manicures!

Now I really wish I had taken photos to document this all along the way, but you’ll just have to take my word for it! At the beginning of 2019 my nails were constantly breaking and the surface of my nails was so rigid. Fast forward a couple of months, I can’t remember the last time I broke a nail. I wasn’t shocked to see my nails becoming stronger, but I have to say, I was a bit surprised with how smooth my nails became.

If you asked me a year ago if I’d be comfortable walking around with bare nails, the answer would have been heck no! I know, I know, that sounds so silly right? Who cares if your nails are painted or not? For some reason I always felt more confident with a new gel manicure. It just made me feel so put together. Is that silly?

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My Gel Manicure Plans for 2020

I haven’t sworn off manicures for the rest of forever, but I think I’m going to try to hold out on gel manis for now. I have decided to do some research into nail polish brands that are less harmful and good for your nails. I’ve always loved giving myself a manicure, it’s so therapeutic and relaxing. Anyone else agree? That’s why I want to go back to doing so this year! Plus, I mean as good as my nails look, sometimes I wish they were pink or light blue!

Before you go, check out these other posts!

• Summer Sushi Party Featuring a Floral Sushi Tower!
• Our Mirbeau Inn & Spa Rhinebeck, NY Spa-cation Recap
• Our 24 Hour Itinerary In Mystic, CT!
• 5 Tips To Score Designer Furniture on Facebook Marketplace
• The BEST Face Sunscreens for Summer 2023

Would you consider going a year without getting a gel manicure? Tell me in the comments!

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I Gave Up Gel Manicures For A Year And Here’s What Happened