Are Artificial Nails for You?

Some women have fake nails applied to kick their habit of nail biting; Artificial nails are an option if you have trouble growing out your nails.

Others simply want beautiful, low maintenance, sexy nails to survive their hectic lives and/or improve their looks.

If applied and removed correctly, artificial nails do little damage to your nails, but they won't improve your nails or make them healthier cautions Substance Nail Expert Deborah Lippmann. "Applying artificial nails is like coloring your hair," Lippmann says. "Once you start it's a lifetime commitment. When you stop, your nails will look the way they did before, just like your hair will go back to its normal color."

There is not one fake nail that is better than another. Talk to your manicurist to find out what he or she does best, or find someone who is an expert in applying the type of nail you want.

If you decide to get fake nails, remember, once they are applied, you have to go back. "It's not like a regular manicure that you get whenever you feel like it," says Lippmann. "You must go back to prevent nail lift-off." Artificial nails will begin to lift off as the nail glue weakens. If water gets trapped under the fake nail, your real nail can turn green, and a fungal infection can set in. You also need to go back to the manicurist to fill in the nail as it grows, and if you want them removed, the safest way is at the salon, where the manicurist will soak your nails and gently remove them.