The gel will make the manicure last about 3 weeks, but after 2 times for me, I said no more.
My nails split something terrible, and I have good hard nails!

I switched to gel nails last fall and they are wonderful. Yes, they cost more but last longer. Love love love them.

I've been wearing gel nails for over 5 years. My natural nails are very thin. The coating of gel make them much more presentable. I get a french manicure instead of colored polish.
The length of time between refills varies according to how fast your nails grow. A refill is less than 1/2 the cost of a new set, I go every other week. I never get a whole new set, usually 1 or 2 nails - if they have been damaged (I have a habit of using my fingers as tools sometimes)

To answer your question, yes they will do the same thing to your natural nails as acrylics. So says my manicurist of 24 years. If you have decent natural nails you might want to try the new shellac system, it keeps the nails looking great for at least 2 weeks, I can go to 3 if I have to and if I have a french manicure on them. It costs a tad more than a regular manicure but not all that bad.

What ever you use if you use it long enough your own nails replace it when they file them.Your nails grown under the covering and soon it's your nails that is covered.I have been getting my nails done for over 30years years and It's money well spent and I love it.It's time to make 'you' happy.

I started mine with the shellac. No filing off of the first layer of nail to adhere the tip. No tip at all. I did it so my nails will be stronger to grow out for an occasion coming up in a couple more weeks. So far, I have had the shellac done twice in about 6 weeks. I am getting about 3+ weeks on it. They look like they were done yesterday. Still shiny. Work is very hard on my hands and all my nails broke way down. Now they look nice again. Just starting to show over the ends of my fingers. Shellac does NO damage to your nails. When the polish is soaked off, you can leave it off and have perfect natural nails. NO layers are missing. I love them. Now I haven't done any pottery since I have had them done and after my event I will go back to throwing and see how they do. The only downfall to shellac I was told was if your hands are in water a lot they might lift a bit. We will see. I know the wheel turning will file them down some like they did before. So we will see.

I had to go do some research on Shellac. It appears to be the same product I sold years ago called Lume. I even still have the UV light. But ... with Lume, you definitely had to raise the surface of the nail surface with a buffer before applying. Even with creating a rough enough surface for the product to bond, it still often lifted which is why I got out of the business. Too many complaints.

Jodi-

I have been wearing gels for about five years, before that I wore acrylics for probibly 15 years... my own nails are paper thin, and very soft..there is no other way I could have nice looking nails other wise. I also do the french most of the time... to me they just look cleaner, and last longer, as the outgrow is less obvious.
I have mine done every 3 weeks, the cost here is $32.00, but the price varies from area to area..
I enjoy them, it is my little luxury, I don"t smoke or drink, so I rationalize that is money I can spend on my nails. They make me feel more feminine, and just better about myself..
I work hard in my yard and garden, am on the keyboard at work, and they hold up very well.
I am sure they do damage to my nails, but again I could never have pretty nails otherwise. I keep them an appropriate length, so they are not offensive, as I have seen some ladies wear.