In answer to Rigby, I can only speak from my own experience, but I have encountered no problems whatsoever over the two decades during which I have had acrylic reinforcement. The nail tech will abrade the surface of the natural nail slightly in order to ensure an effective bond between the natural nail and the acrylic, so to that degree I suppose the natural nail is being "weakened" but the degree of "weakening" is infinitesimal. One thing I would stress is that you want a nail tech who will use only a nail file ... if she pulls out a powered Dremel type tool, run a mile.

C-flat, you have gel nails. Again, I can only speak from my own experience, but when I returned to Scotland from the States, I had to find a nail tech and the first one I found only did gel nails. I found that they did not have the same adhesion as the acrylics which I was used to in the States, and they tended to pull away. at the cuticle after a couple of weeks. That may well have been down to the lack of skill on the part of the nail tech, however, and if you are happy with the gels, then all is good.

I also seem to remember that she glued on a silk strip and painted over the strip with the gel prior to the UV curing. My present tech builds up the nail extension (if and when necessary), using the acrylic paste and nothing else. Although you would think that some sort of fabric or silk reinforcement would be necessary, such is not the case ... the hardened acrylic on its own is incredibly strong.