Angela Scanlon, the Irish TV and radio presenter, spent years at the nail salon every fortnight, having shellac or builder gel layered on without fail. Eventually she realised it had become just another chore, and simply stopped. Her posts about quitting struck a nerve, and this week the BBC explored why. You can also hear her talk about it in her own video.
The BBC story has a detail I love. A London salon owner describes a stream of clients who now come in for the full works (filing, soaking, cuticle care, hydration) and then leave with no polish at all. The goal is to look as if they'd never been to a salon.
That tells you exactly what people are really after. It isn't just "no polish". It's nails that look genuinely healthy on their own. And as a doctor, I hear the other half of this story almost every day: people take the gel off, look down at their hands, and don't like what they see.
So this isn't another post about why the trend exists (Eve Simmance covered that in Healthy Is the New Polished). It's about the bit nobody puts on Instagram: getting from post-gel nails to bare nails you're genuinely happy to show.
Why so many people are going bare
The reasons people give are refreshingly practical. Regular salon sets are expensive, and with the cost of living biting, plenty of people are deciding it's money they'd rather keep. They take time, too; one young woman told the BBC she simply didn't have an hour to spare, and didn't want to snap a nail lifting weights at the gym. Others just love the minimalist look, or like the idea of self-care they can do at home.
Concerns about gel ingredients have grown as well, with the UK tightening its rules on some gel chemicals this year. And after years of chrome and nail art, the fashion pendulum has swung towards clean, healthy-looking nails, right up to the New York runways.
Is it really about class?
The BBC piece also airs a real criticism. Nail art has deep roots in Black, Latino and Asian communities, and some beauty writers worry that calling bare nails "tasteful" or "elegant" quietly looks down on bold manicures.
It's a fair point, and I think the best answer came from Angela Scanlon herself: stop judging ourselves and each other. Wear colour, wear gel, go bare, whatever makes you happy. Her own test was simple: is it doing anything for you? The one thing that's true whatever you choose is that the nail underneath is the one you live with, and it's worth looking after.
The catch: bare nails show everything
As one nail historian pointed out to the BBC, "natural" nails aren't really natural. They take care. And gel is brilliant at hiding things. Take it away and you often find nails that are thin and bendy, peeling in layers at the tips, patchy white, or marked with ridges. That can be a shock, and people often assume their nails are "ruined". They almost never are.
Here's what usually happened. The nail plate is made of tightly stacked layers of keratin, a bit like the pages of a book. Over repeated gel cycles, a few things wear those layers down:
- Prep filing. Roughening the surface so gel sticks removes a little nail each time.
- Removal. Long acetone soaks dry the nail out, and scraping or filing off stubborn product takes more layers with it.
- Picking and peeling. Lifting gel off at home is the big one. It pulls the top layers of your own nail away with it.
The result is a nail that's been thinned from the top. White patches and a chalky surface are usually dehydrated or roughened top layers, not permanent damage. If you want to decode specific marks, my guide to ridges, peeling and white spots goes through them one by one.
A realistic plan for healthy bare nails
The honest truth is that damaged nail doesn't repair itself; it grows out. Fingernails grow roughly 3mm a month, so a full new nail takes around four to six months. The good news is you can make the nail you're growing much stronger, and make the current one look far better in the meantime. And none of it needs a salon.
Weeks 0–2: stop the damage. Have gel soaked off properly rather than picking it, or let it grow out and trim it back. Keep nails short, with a soft rounded shape that's less likely to snag. File gently in one direction; a glass file is much kinder to thin nails than a coarse emery board.
Weeks 2–6: rebuild flexibility. Thin nails break because they've become dry and brittle. Moisturise nails and cuticles daily, wear gloves for washing up and cleaning, and go easy on the buffer. Buffing is a big part of the bare-nail look, but every pass adds shine by thinning the nail a little more. This is also when a strengthening treatment earns its keep.
Weeks 6 onwards: grow it out. You'll see a line of healthier nail advancing from the base. Keep trimming the old, damaged tip back as the new nail comes through. With the Australian and New Zealand summer on its way, starting now means your nails will be in far better shape by the time you're at the beach.
If your nails are badly damaged after gel, my full gel-damage recovery guide goes into more detail.
Where Dr Tom fits in
I developed my treatments after my own weak nails stopped me playing classical guitar. They use keratin from New Zealand sheep's wool, which absorbs into the nail rather than sitting on top as a coating, supporting strength and flexibility from within. There's nothing to soak off, which suits a bare-nail look perfectly.
We test them properly. On lab-grown nails made from wool keratin, the cream made nails 30% stronger in 10 days, and the cream-plus-liquid combination made them 78% stronger in two weeks. You can read about how we test and what real users reported. And every order is covered by our performance promise: if you use it consistently and see no benefit, you get your money back.
Classical guitarist Lora Kurusa depends on her natural nails for her playing, and they're a great example of healthy bare nails: modest in length, strong and glossy without a scrap of gel.
For most people coming off gel, I'd suggest the Nail Strength Combo, used daily while the new nail grows through. Australian orders ship from Sydney.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take nails to recover after gel?
You'll usually notice nails feeling less bendy and peeling less within a few weeks of stopping gel and looking after them. A full new nail takes around four to six months to grow through.
Should I buff my nails to make bare nails shiny?
Go very gently, and not often. Buffing adds shine by removing the surface, which thins nails that are already thin. Hydration gives a healthier sheen without the cost.
Is BIAB a good middle ground?
Builder gel can protect a weak nail while it's on, but it still involves prep filing and removal, and those are where most damage happens. If you use it, have it removed properly and never peel it.
Can I still wear polish sometimes?
Of course. Regular polish, taken off with a gentle remover, is far easier on nails than gel. Bare nails are a choice, not a rule.
The takeaway
Going bare is a lovely idea, but it's only as good as the nails underneath. Stop the damage, rebuild flexibility, and give the new nail time to grow. In a few months, your bare nails can be ones you're proud to show off.
This article is general information only and isn't a substitute for individual medical advice.