I have acrylic and had to learn the hard way that they are not indestructible...but the gel nails I had gotten in the past shattered on me for some reason...I was never really happy with them though, hard to change the color, uv light is HOT...but yeah, if you are doing a lot with your hands, your nails won't last too long no matter which type you have. btw..I keep mine very short as well.