Nail help.

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Bomber
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Nail help.

Post by Bomber » Wed Jan 26, 2011 11:55 pm

I would love to have strong, healthy nails but they seem to be utterly beyond me. They are mostly peeling and weak, but also alternate between soft and brittle. I've been using a vitamin E enriched hand and nail cream which has helped soften my cuticles but has done nothing to help the nails themselves. The main thing I want to sort out is the peeling and I was wondering if the OPI Nail Envy is worth the price? I've tried Sally Hansen which did absolutely nothing for my nails.

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MrsEss
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Re: Nail help.

Post by MrsEss » Thu Jan 27, 2011 10:15 am

I have the same issue. Teamed with the fact I bite my nails. I must try & stop. I did find OPI nail envy in a small bottle for a little over £3 on eBay: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/OPI-Mini-Original ... 1995wt_905

Might be worth a try??
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faticeira
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Re: Nail help.

Post by faticeira » Thu Jan 27, 2011 1:20 pm

I tried them all, including OPI and I never found any nail product good for the nails. Infact, I stopped wearing nail polish and put coconut oil on them and wow, they grow and are much stronger than wearing nail polish which seemed to make them peel, split and break.

I now only wear nail polish occasionally.

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Re: Nail help.

Post by ..::AtomicLox::.. » Thu Jan 27, 2011 3:33 pm

My nails are the same, AND I bite, which makes it so much worse. Nothing has ever worked for me but taking prenatals. :P

I've heard people have had good luck with a product called ManiQ. It acts protectively like a gel nail (to let them grow) but degrades with time and is much more flexible and natural. Basically it just looks like you're wearing clear polish, or you can of course use it over colored polish.

I believe it does need to be set under a UV lamp though.
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Bomber
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Re: Nail help.

Post by Bomber » Thu Jan 27, 2011 5:12 pm

I very, very rarely wear nail polish as it is, and only ever for a two days at max because it just flakes off and looks gross after that.

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whorror
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Re: Nail help.

Post by whorror » Thu Jan 27, 2011 6:26 pm

I have terrible nails from working in a cafe for eight years washing up/cleaning etc and the only thing I found that works is Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream by Burt's Bees, it's really good and smells beaaut!
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Nanou2
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Re: Nail help.

Post by Nanou2 » Thu Jan 27, 2011 9:18 pm

I have been using nail envy for a few months now. My nails used to be so soft they could bend backwards :? I could never grow them long because they were always snapping and peeling. After a couple of weeks using nail envy I could notice a big difference. I would use 2coats every other day or 1coat everyday. They felt soft when the polish was on but when I took it off after a couple of weeks they felt much stronger.

I have read great reviews on biotin for getting strong nails (and hair) You can buy the pill form or I eat more food with biotin in.

Also I have read a lot of great reviews on garlic for strong nails. I read chopping the garlic up and putting it in a nail varnish and letting it sit for 10days then using that every other day makes them rock hard. I used a new bottle of nail envy maintenance (Big mistake). The garlic smelt like curry.. the smell fades after a good scrub but never goes. It is too strong and every time my nails were near my face I could smell it. It made me feel sick :( I love garlic but this was gross.

Waste of a good polish! :lol:

I use raw garlic on my nails once a week. After a shower/bath or soaking the nails rub raw garlic on them and let it dry then coat with strengthening polish.

Buffing the nails (With the polish bit not the rough bit) helps stimulate the blood in the nails and helps to keep them healthy and to grow. (So I read)

My nails are the longest I have ever had them. Takes a bit of patience but I don't think I could have done it if it wasn't for the the OPI Nail Envy kick start


Hope this helps.. I tend to go on a bit. :oops:

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Odonata
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Re: Nail help.

Post by Odonata » Fri Aug 26, 2011 4:23 pm

Bomber wrote:I would love to have strong, healthy nails but they seem to be utterly beyond me. They are mostly peeling and weak, but also alternate between soft and brittle. I've been using a vitamin E enriched hand and nail cream which has helped soften my cuticles but has done nothing to help the nails themselves. The main thing I want to sort out is the peeling and I was wondering if the OPI Nail Envy is worth the price? I've tried Sally Hansen which did absolutely nothing for my nails.
hey i have always hated my hand and my nails, mostly as my nails would never grow without splitting and i used to do fake nails but when i moved to the UK it became an expense i just couldn't afford any more

so over the last 3-4 months i have been taking particular care of them and they have not split in that time and i have now got long healthy and strong nails that are just getting stronger .

what i did?

1- invest in a very good clear polish. something with a strengthener in in REVITANAIL are a great brand - and if you like you can invest in the whole system to make your nails grow. i use a pink(natural) nail strengthener of theirs. also anything like a teflon top coat polish .

a good hand moisturiser. i use REVITANAIL here as well.
and a nail oil. i use sally hansen nail nutrition daily growth treatment
however i alternate between that and a blend of almond and olive.

2 - give yourself a weekly manicure. it doesn't have to take long, or you can spoil youself wither way it goes a long way to healthier stronger nails:
you will need :
nail polish remover (acetone free, moisturising remover for week nails is best)
nail scissors
emery board
4 sided nail buffer
your nail oil, or almond and olive oil
nail strengthening base coat
fashion polish (optional)
protective top coat
orange stick and cotton balls
a lime, rolled oats, fine sea salt, honey, bicarb soda, and a bowel


this is what i do :

1, wash your hands and pat dry
2, go over your nails with a nail polish remover soaked cotton ball , to remove any existing polish or oils on the nail .
3, soak your fingers for around 5 min in a mix of : juice of 1 lime (lemon also can be used but can be harder on the nail) teaspoon of honey and some warm water .
lime is very good for your nails , depositing minerals essential to nail health and this soak will help them strengthen and whiten over time . the honey is moisturising to your cuticles and nails. the warmth encourages circulation .
4, use the orange stick to gently push back cuticles and

5, rince and pat dry you hands . if this is the first manicure you are doing , i suggest you CUT your nails . if they are splitting and peeling the best thing to do is find your least healthy nail or shortest nail and cut all your nails to match this one, or just a bit longer . (unless of cause one has ripped too low - in which case i would be careful with this nail in general) if you are encouraging health and growth , to start with stick to square nails. they offer more support on the sides from splitting.

it can feel counter productive but it is a very good feeling like losing split ends. you do not need to cut your nails ever manicure, only when they are too long or if you split one and want to even up the lengths

6, file your nails keeping for now a square cut shape, file straight across the nail to shape first with the roughest side of the emery board then the finer . always file in long strokes in ONE direction, helps also to remember for next time what direction that is to reduce stress on the nail and more risk of splitting. i suggest wither always towards the thumb or away
eg. i file my thumb nails inward (away from my other fingers) and my fingers towards my thumbs, that is left hand filed left to right and right hand right to left.)
if you have sharp corners gently files these in the same single direction to be more rounded
as your nails grow, in future weeks work towards maintaining fingertip , or just above , length nails until they are stronger then you can allow them to grow.

7, give your hands a scrub , mix 1/2 cup oats 2 table spoons of fine salt and one teaspoon of bicarb soda in a bowel add a little water to make a paste and scrub your hands and nails for several min, a good foot scrub also for an especially nice foot scrub you can add a little peppermint oil. rinse with warm water and pat hands dry

8, buff your nails. following the steps on the buffer remove any ridges and splitting nails and continue to buff smooth . if your nails are VERY brittle and thin start from the second step and avoid the roughest file. you can also smooth out the shaping of your nails now too if there are rough edges still

9, apply nail oil of choice to nail and cuticle area and give it a good massage in . the buffing and massage is great to increase circulation to nail bed to promote healthy growth and you can massage a small amount of oil or hand cream into your nails daily , between manicures.

10, gently remove any excess oil from the nail only with a clean cotton bud and apply your strengthening polish. as a base coat. allow each coat to dry fully between coats for best results

11, you can paint your nails or add nail art of choice here or simply apply a protective top coat. the polish helps add strength to thin and week nails and protect from the elements .when you gain stronger nails in less need of protection you can finish at buffing and massaging .
once all polish is completely dry rub in your hand cream and enjoy your very spoilt feeling hands.

TIP: always wear gloves when washing up or if you hand wash garments. avoid harsh chemicals and excessive water. always pat hands dry and moisturise after washing and try to use a moisturising or natural hand soap like goats milk soap.

i have been doing this for a good 3 months now and have had break free long healthy nails for at least 2 months straight up intil now , all my life i have had reasonable week nails prone to splitting so i really think the added care goes a long way .
diet can play a big part also, and if you like legumes go for it as they have all the necessaries vitamins for healthy nails hair and skin . Garlic is great for you in many ways and hair and nail health is one. if like me tho you dont like garlic look at getting garlic tablets, and take it as a suppliant. if you do like garlic i can say hoummos , full of chickpeas and garlic is great as a daily snack (as dip with carrot) my husband pretty much eats it daily as a spread on salad sandwich or with carrot and celery. his nails (always good) are becoming very strong and they grow are an alarming rate since he started eating so much hoummos......

also just a note the above hand scrub can be great for a body scrub also if you use raw sugar instead of salt and add some honey .

good luck and i hope your nails love lime soak as much as mine did

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Odonata
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Re: Nail help.

Post by Odonata » Fri Aug 26, 2011 4:26 pm

faticeira wrote:I tried them all, including OPI and I never found any nail product good for the nails. Infact, I stopped wearing nail polish and put coconut oil on them and wow, they grow and are much stronger than wearing nail polish which seemed to make them peel, split and break.

I now only wear nail polish occasionally.
interesting i didnt know this , i use coconut oil for hair mask and make-up remover and a general all body moisturiser so this could play its part in my recently good nails also .

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Miss Liberty
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Re: Nail help.

Post by Miss Liberty » Fri Aug 26, 2011 7:53 pm

I have the same trouble as well, and had given up hope of ever having nice nails. I too bought a small bottle of OPI and found it terrible. Most displeased. Polish lasted half as long as my Sally Hansen.

I will try the garlic and/or coconut oil. Can you find coconut oil in the grocery store? I have never looked for it before.

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Odonata
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Re: Nail help.

Post by Odonata » Sat Aug 27, 2011 2:58 pm

Miss Liberty wrote:I have the same trouble as well, and had given up hope of ever having nice nails. I too bought a small bottle of OPI and found it terrible. Most displeased. Polish lasted half as long as my Sally Hansen.

I will try the garlic and/or coconut oil. Can you find coconut oil in the grocery store? I have never looked for it before.
it'll be with cooking oils or possible with hair things . (coconut oil) with henna dyes and such

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helloimkitty
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Re: Nail help.

Post by helloimkitty » Fri Sep 02, 2011 3:29 am

UGH! mine peel soooooo bad! it drives me crazy because i love to wear nail polish but when i do i tend to change it a lot. i guess my nails just take a beating from it. im intrigued by the coconut oil "treatment" however, im going to have to try it out.
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Odonata
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Re: Nail help.

Post by Odonata » Mon Mar 26, 2012 11:04 am

helloimkitty wrote:UGH! mine peel soooooo bad! it drives me crazy because i love to wear nail polish but when i do i tend to change it a lot. i guess my nails just take a beating from it. im intrigued by the coconut oil "treatment" however, im going to have to try it out.
always give your nails a break , buy a moisturising acetone free nail varnish remover and get hold of a good quality strengthening base coat (i like reviatanail) you can find ones specifically for peeling and brittle nails .
this will help damage control- keep manicures down to one a week and invest in a high quality top coat to help your polish last the week through - if your polish chips, don't peel it , remove it- if its a single nail you can re paint it , if it is several i suggest removing all polish and moisturising your nails , leave them a few days or until your usual manicure day to re polish.

when you paint your nails always a 1-2mm perimeter around the nail , don't polish to the cuticles, this allows breathing space for the nail and you can continue to benefit from daily cuticle oil and hand cream - or simply coconut oil. also the polish will be less prone to peeling from the base -

you can still change up your nail art often but remember to give your nails a healthy breather also . every several weeks i go a week without any polish and a thoroughly moisturise nails daily. occasionaly i also have sections of time where i keep my nails shorter (just 1mm above finger tip) this occasional chop helps me keep their shape and lengths even and each time i find my nails are harder when they grow back out

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Nanou2
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Re: Nail help.

Post by Nanou2 » Tue Mar 27, 2012 2:00 pm

I used to love nail envy but now I have a new love. It's super cheap compared to OPI and it works better and faster.

It's called Witchcraft nail hardener. I got it from Wallmart for about $8. Not sure if they sell it in the UK.

http://www.makeupalley.com/product/show ... Treatments

It does contain formaldehyde but that's what makes it work so good.

I bought it after removing my false nails. My nails were like paper, they could bend backwards! After 1 week of using this they were nearly normal. After a few weeks they were the strongest I have ever seen them and not able to bend at all.

I would apply it every other day and take it off before each application. I would also rub my cuticles with olive oil or vitamin E oil before applying.

I know this post is old but I had to share! :)

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Re: Nail help.

Post by Kajablomst. » Wed Apr 25, 2012 1:49 pm

http://www.nailtek.co.uk/

These are awesome for all kinds of nail problems :)

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