I've always thought they damage the natural nail so I decided not to do them but everyone on here seems to say they don't if done properly. I took someone's acrylics off and her nails were paper thin and a real mess (that's when I decided it wasn't for me) but was it because they haven't been done right?
That is precisely when you should have done the opposite; the more conscientious techs there are out there, the better. And you, having seen first hand the damage that can be caused, may be better placed than most to help teach clients how to look after their nails properly.
It's true, it's generally either improper prep or removal that ruins the nails. Technicians using bad techniques (over-filing) during preparation or clients biting them off - or even some techs popping them off instead of removing properly
Another thing to note is that there is no one-size-fits-all product - the myth that there are systems which are better than others is usually perperuated by those who are only trained in said system. You get some people asking for 'gel nails' because 'acrylic ruins your nails', of course it doesn't. That's usually what they were told by their last tech who couldn't do 'acrylic' and is when we should be educating. These people (techs) appear not to realise that all nail enhancement products are just different derivatives of acrylic, it's just that some are pre-mixed (gel), whereas the others are not - liquid and powder.
