by Amber Hilton

Created on: February 06, 2008

Many women consider carefully manicured fingernails to be an important part of their physical appearance. For many women, maintaining a relatively short, well-performed French manicure is all part of portraying a certain image of a well-groomed professional. For other women, longer and more colorful false fingernails can be seen as a means of self-expression. And no matter what length or color they choose, false fingernails help many women to feel sexier and more desirable.

However, the price of sexiness, as usual, comes at a cost. How steep this cost is depends upon whether we are talking about do-it-yourself kits that can be purchased at your local drug store starting at just a few dollars or a professional manicure that can cost anywhere from twenty dollars to over one-hundred, depending on your location and the skills and reputation of the nail artist.

When it comes to the do-it-yourself kits, it has been my experience that false fingernails are rarely worth the money. If you've ever had a professional set done, you know that a lot more goes into the final look than just some plastic and glue. Nail technicians have access to better equipment and products and are well trained at their craft. They take the time to prepare your own nails before attaching the fake set and are experts at finding the right size and length for every customer. If you've ever tried to apply false nails at home, you know that fitting the nails to your own unique nail bed and achieving uniform length is very difficult. Not only that, but the extremely tacky glue can cause a big mess.

Finally, I have never had a do-it-yourself set last longer than a week, while I have had professional sets last a month or longer. The process may be more expensive, but for many it is well worth the cost.

With all that said, false fingernails are not for everyone. Women with small children or who work with their hands all day may find that false fingernails get in their way and are more irritating than their worth. They also might find them harder to maintain. Continuously wearing false nails cannot only get quite costly, but could cause a great deal of damage to your own fingernails as well. When getting your nails done professionally, there is also always the rare possibility of contracting a harmful fungus from improperly cared-for tools or unsanitary conditions. Make sure that you research the reputation of any nail salon or technician before you book an appointment to help avoid this dangerous scenario.

Finally, very short nails are really trendy right now, which is great for any woman who finds false fingernails too expensive or impractical. Short nails require little maintenance and are much more wallet-friendly. So, as with most beauty practices, whether or not false fingernails are worth the money really depends upon the individual, their lifestyle and their expendable income.

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