Acrylic Nails: Are They Worth It?

I ADORE nail varnish. For as long as I can remember I've been stealing my Mum's nail polish and definitely for the past few years I have ALWAYS worn nail varnish of some sort. My preferred brand is Barry M as their colours are always on trend and very inexpensive.
However for a recent wedding I made the decision to treat myself to a set of Acrylic nails. My friends all prefer Gel nails as apparently they're not as bad for your nails. However I figured that your nail being completely covered for 3 weeks plus was not going to be good for them regardless. So, swayed by the promise that they'd last longer than Gel I chose Acrylic.
I found the process not so much painful as aggravating, like the feeling your teeth get when nails are scratched down a blackboard. My nails were buffed to oblivion before the tip was applied, cut down then the acrylic solution was applied.

The manicurist even applied a real dried flower to two nails and I was delighted with the results. A the time of application, I was told the nails would last 3 and a half weeks, as a full set if I was lucky.

However 3 weeks came and went, as did 4 and 5 until my baby fingernail started lifting from the base. I got worried that it would rip off so i put a plaster around it to hold it in until it grew off itself. Well, that was my intention! I took the plaster off to show my friend one day and forgot to replace it. Several hours later I was in my college library and I swung my handbag over my shoulder and caught the nail and it 3/4 ripped off. I just saw blood and the fact that there was a huge rip out of the nail and freaked! I actually didn't look at it properly i just put it back best i could and walked home and replaced the plaster. The next day, though my friend told me the way I had left it meant it was very prone to infection with an open wound so I had to brave it as she cut away at the acrylic nail. Eeeeekk!!!!

Anyway, the exact same thing happened with the other baby nail and eventually the rest of the nails became slightly loose so I figured it was time to remove them. I searched the

net and found the best advice at http://www.ehow.com/how_2003351_remove-acrylic-nails.html. I completed the process to find my original nails, previously long an

d strong, in a state in which I have never found them before. (See before and after above!) :(

I have started using Sally Hansen Hard As Nails polish to help strengthen them and after a week and 2 applications I have noticed a slight difference. However I'm too scared to paint them incase it stains them in the exposed part of the nail bed. My nails look disgusting in the picture all yellowed, ew :(.

I gave myself a Mini Manicure now as my nails have thickened (more or less) using this product as a base .

I'm very happy with the results now and 3 weeks later they're almost back to normal :o)

Any similar experiences?

Thanks for reading :o)

Hannah xxxxx