My nails are natural because they grow super fast and are strong... I'm lucky, I admit. I even played baseball with these long things!
But if you go fake, don't go acrylic, please. Go gel. Either Light Concept brand (as they're called here) or another gel. The gel lets your nails 'breathe' through the gel more, and there's no stinky powder to worry about breathing in. Plus, you can get it to look very natural, or in a forever french look. And you can polish over it, take the polish off and ta daa! Perfect nails underneath.
We have no call for acrylics anymore, only gel or natural, where I work (salon).