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