Review (5/5): No damage!
I’ve used these for 2 manicures now. I use plastic “press on” type nails that come without adhesive so I use Beauty Secrets Drip proof Clog proof vegan nail glue.
I apply the nail guards to clean nails before glueing on the plastic nails. They’re easy to apply and file off the extra from the free edge. This one comes with 3 sheets of nails so it’ll last for about 3-4 manicures. I do my nails about 1 time a week. There was no need for me to buff my nails before applying these which is why I wanted them for my manicures. Buffing removes a layer of your nail bed = damaging your nails = no bueno.
To take these off, I soak my fingers in melted coconut oil. I don’t use nail polish remover or acetone because I’m lazy af and I like to reuse the plastic nails so I don’t have to bother with shaping and painting them again.
Just a word of caution: don’t be too agressive when removing these or you’ll cause damage to your real nails. If you have a long free edge, especially don’t lift your press one/acrylics from the back and bend your nail horizontally across the nail bed. I did that and ended up getting rips in the sides of my nails.
Also, don’t try to just rip the nails off if they aren’t loosening on their own, you’ll end up ripping off a top layer of your nail bed, leaving white patches and weak nails. Put the nails back into your oil/acetone/whatever and try again in a few minutes. You do have to be patient but I will say it’s a lot faster than trying to soak off gel or acrylics without nail guards.
I will definelty purchase these again but next time I’ll be buying the “pro pack” which has 720 instead of 54. Love these products! They give me a great manicure at home and while they can seem expensive, it’s still cheaper (and less damaging!) than going to the salon every week.