Does Acrylic or Gel Ruin Your Nails?

If I want to have acrylic or shellac nails on long term, what would you suggest? Should I take breaks in between? I don't want to take breaks, as I have a job where customers look at my nails regularly, so I need them to be perfect as much as possible.
I tried wearing shellac for 6 weeks (had them redone every 2 weeks) but due to the filing to put the shellac on, and then for removal, my nails became extremely weak. Even with the shellac on the tips ripped off when I was opening packaging. Any advice to prevent that?

wanna talk overly aggressive removal? One time i was filing down my gel nails and not paying attention and i filed directly through the gel nail AND through my natural nail. I have a bad habit of picking at things so when i saw this i didn't even think about the consequences, i just picked at the "crack" in my natural nail and tore it right now to the tissue. It took 6 months to grow back. I'm now back to wearing gel nails again and i am SIGNIFICANTLY more careful with my filing. It was 100% my fault and had nothing to do with the gel. just a random story and a warning to anyone who does their own gel or acrylic nails!

Pleeeeasse do a video on French wraps and/or fiberglass nails!!

I didn’t know Michael Bolton had a masters in chemistry.

I once had a nail technician remove my tips with another fake tip.. It hurt so bad.. I never went back

What about the damage that's done when you have to use a drill/file to roughen up the nail bed before applying the product?

Doug uses a lot of, "should, could, may" in his explanation. Not very definitive from someone with an Masters of Science Degree in Chemistry.

I’ve had that done!!! Oh my gosh it HURTS!

Opps I bit my acrylics off and now my natural nails is scraped and bumpy why is my natural nail so flat?

Thanks for that. My question is about preparing the nail for acrylic or gel. It has been my experience that the nail salons file off more than is needed to prepare the natural nail and this has left my nails much thinner than before the acrylic. I have even tried lightly buffing my own nail prior to going to the salon and they still insist on grabbing that coarse grit drill bit and going to town on my natural nail. Is there any way for me to just buy the professional Gels, dipping powders, and everything else I would need so I can just start doing my own nails at home?

1:31 THAT’S A LOT A DAMAGE

Before I became a cosmetologist and could do my own nails safely, I used to go to one of the Asian salons. My removal experience there was the last time I ever set foot in ANY of those type of places. The "tech" used an arbor band and drilled, rather aggressively, through the acrylic AND MY NATURAL NAIL to the point of bleeding. Wanna know what she then did with my bleeding finger? Dipped right into a bowl of acetone. This acetone was not fresh and I doubt she changed it even after I left. She didn't even offer me a band aid or tissue.  Now that I am licensed, when I soak nails off, I saturate a cotton ball in acetone and place one on each individual fingernail then wrap each finger and cotton ball  tightly in foil.  I hand the client a magazine, which she can maneuver through fairly easily since each finger is free to move and I can do other services, either her services or a quick haircut or two on other clients while she relaxes and the acetone works it's magic.

Unfortunately Acetone reaches throughout your body within seconds of touching your skin. Think about what levels are absorbed after soaking your fingers in it for 20-30 minutes.

I am never getting my nails done in a salon other than Suzie's!

Omg thank you for getting to the point. I hate how so many youtubers make an hour long video of them doing dumb shit and 2 mins to explain the actual thing the video was about

How does soaking your fingers in acetone for over 20mins not be harmful to your cuticles?

I covered my face in horror at the idea of prying acrylic off. shudder

What about people who are allergic to acrylic?? What can we do to our nails that will be the alternative to gel or acrylic manicure? In durability and no chipping!?

So… I got a question, is it ok for me to speak up and say, no don't pry my enhancement off, or if I ask for "gel" nails, and mean actual gel, not acrylic with gel top coat, is it ok to stop them and say no that's not gel, that's acrylic with gel top coat? Like, am I allowed to argue that? (Not cause a scene, but a professional, that's not what I'm asking for, I want complete gel nails.)