by Doug Schoon

Peeling Nails

Trying to figure out why your nails are peeling, and how to stop it, can be very frustrating.

In this article, you will learn…

• How peeling off polish can damage the nail plate
• The proper way to remove nail enhancements
• Thirteen (13) solutions to help prevent peeling

This article about peeling nails is an excerpt from my 74th episode (available June 2017) of Face to Face with Doug Schoon video series.

ASK DOUG

My nails are very strong and healthy, and they can grow very long, but as soon as I use nail polish they become brittle and start peeling. They continue to do so until all “old nail” has grown out and the whole nail is replaced.

I have tried 5-free, 7-free and water based polish, and I have also tried different removers. But no matter what, my nails get ruined every time I use polish. Do you have any suggestions of what I should do? ~Eva

ANSWER

Eva, here are my top suggestions for addressing nail plate surface peeling.

Peeling Off Polish

Never peel nail polish from your nail plate. This will weaken the surface layers. 

These weakened surface layers will eventually peel away when they reach the free edge. It may be months later, so you might have forgotten what you did.  

For example; if you peel nail polish from your nails in May, expect the cell layers on the top-side of the free edge will peel in until September when those damaged nail cells finally grow off the free edge.

Doing this repeatedly can lead to a state of constant surface peeling.

Some nail coatings adhere to the nail plate better the longer you wear them. 

Ana’s photo to the right is a perfect example. She peeled her well bonded polish off while watching a movie.

It took 4 months for the damage to grow out.

Long wearing nail polish has greater adhesion, so these are more likely to harm the surface when forcibly peeled off. 

Proper Removal

Gently remove all nail coatings, without the use of any force, e.g. no peeling, scraping, biting, etc.

The is no such thing as gentle peeling or scraping, so don’t fool yourself into thinking you “lightly scrape” or “peel carefully”.

This is extremely important when removing soak-off gel polish.

It can take up to 30 minutes to completely dissolve the coating!

I have more electron microscope examples in my article about removing gel polish properly.

Water Damage

Keep your hands out of water.

Each time you saturate the nail plate, surface layers swell apart and separate. 

Repeated soaking and drying cycles can weaken the bond between the upper layer and lower layers.

Washing Hands 

Don’t wash your hands too often. Yes, you can wash your hands too much!

More than ten (10) times a day can be hard on nails and skin. Many wash their hands 20 times a day or more.

That’s just too much.

Soaps, cleansers and detergents can eventually strip away substances that help hold the surface cells to the underlying cells and this can lead to peeling.

The same can occur when nails are exposed to cleaning solvents.

Free Polish?

It doesn’t matter if the polish is 5-free or 99-free, that’s just “marketing” and doesn’t say how good or how safe a nail polish is.

Don’t think this is the problem or the solution to peeling nail plates.

Quality Counts

Buy high quality products.  Less expensive nail polish are less expensive for a reason. They often use inferior ingredients or are poorly formulated.

Nail Length 

Keep nails shorter.

The longer the nail plate, the more flexible the free edge, the more likely the polish will peel.  This is especially true for those with thin, flexible nail plates.

Wrap Edges 

Wrap the free edge by wrapping the base and topcoat around the free edge to the underside and give it some extra protection.

But, avoid skin contact as much as possible. Repeated contact to the tissue can cause skin irritation.

Gloves

Treat your nails like jewels. Don’t use them as tools.

Wear gloves when digging or working with your hands. This is especially important when working with cleaning supplies.

Sun Exposure

Protect nails from the sun. 

The nail plate has a high natural SPF, so the nail bed is protected from UV exposure, but that means the upper layers absorb the UV.

Long periods of excessive sunlight can weaken surface layers and cause them to come apart. 

Buffing Destroys

Don’t over file or buff the nail plate.

Too much filing or buffing thins the nail and it is much harder for polish to adhere to thin nails, than thicker nails.

Don’t try to fill away so-called “ridges”. The nail plate can’t grow ridges. The thinner, weaker part of the nail plate is the grooves.

Therefore, filing the plate smooth reduces and thins the entire nail plate to the match the thinness of the deepest groove.

That’s trouble waiting to happen—so don’t do it.

Use Nail Oil

Nail oils can help reduce surface brittleness and help toughen the bonds between the surface and lower layers of nail cells, but make sure to remove surface oils before apply any nail coating.

Nail oils also absorb into the plate to make it more resistant to excessive water absorption.

Polish Removers

Solvents can remove surface oils and may also leach out substances that help to cement nail cell layers together.

Occasional (once a week) use of solvent-containing polish removers won’t have much effect on normal nails.

But they may have a noticeable effect on plates that have weakened adhesion due to other factors described above.  

Allergies?

Peeling nail plates are never a sign of allergic reactions.

The nail plate is not living and does NOT have an immune system, so allergic reactions are not possible.  

Exceptions?

Doug Schoon, Author of Nail Structure and Product Chemistry

Eva, there are always weird things that happen that don’t fall within the norm, which means they don’t apply to most people.

It may be possible that your nail layers are barely held together and solvents (acetone) are disrupting the weak bonds that exist.

Make sure that you are following all my suggestions above and you will have beautiful, healthy nails that make you proud.

Learn More

For more nail care education, you can subscribe to my video series at www.FacetoFaceWithDougSchoon.com

To receive 25% off the subscription rate, enter “nailcarehq” in the discount code box at the bottom of the page.

If you liked this article . . . please share!

The post ASK DOUG: Peeling Nails – Is Polish Causing It? first appeared on Nail Care Headquarters.

The post ASK ANA – Nail Files With Polish? first appeared on Nail Care Headquarters.

Ridges in Nails—ASK ANA

ASK ANA

Hi Ana, I am starting to get deeper ridges on my nails and I don’t like the way it looks. Is it ok to buff them down so my nails are smooth? Some people say yes, some say don’t do it. I don’t know who to believe. ~Jessica

ANSWER

I’ve got ridges too and I don’t like them either.

And you know, it’s pretty tough to find the truth, especially when Oprah’s very own beauty director, Val Monroe, recommends incorrect advice. She endorses buffing your nails smooth or covering ridges with an opaque (solid) polish.” [source: Oprah.com]

Both of these are terrible ideas!

I’ll explain why.

The Truth About Ridges in Nails

I recently finished watching the 3D DVD “Inside Doug Schoon’s Brain.”  Mr. Schoon’s book, Nail Structure and Product Chemistry is my ‘Nail Bible’. I can not tell you how exciting it was to me to finally find out “WHY” we should NOT file down ridges! *geeky girl glee.*

In this DVD, Mr. Schoon explains what’s happening with ridges by using an electron microscope photo enlarged 150 times.

You know how I say almost everything we seem to know about nails is BACKWARDS? This is true for our belief about ridges too.

Ridges in nails are actually the healthy part of the nail. It’s the concave portions that are thinner because the nail matrix isn’t working properly and at full capacity.

It is actually the dips in the nails that are the weaker portions! The thicker portions (ridges) are really the healthier, stronger nail sections.

Take a look at the photo below. It is a cross-section of the nail plate enlarged 150 times. The wavy top is the visible top surface of your nail. The bottom is the part that sits on your nail bed. It is also the same part that becomes the underside of your nail tip as it grows past your fingertip.

The higher portion is what we consider a “ridge”. The “groove” in between each ridge is typically 5% to 7% thinner than the rest of the healthy nail.

Photo courtesy of Doug Schoon, ‘Inside Doug Schoon’s Brain’ DVD

See that big crack to the right of the yellow arrow? We’ll zoom in on that crack in the next photo.

Since the grooves are thinner, they have a higher tendency to crack, like the photo below. As this crack becomes worse, the layers will start to peel away, causing your nail plate to be even thinner. This can lead to those crazy splitting nails that are so hard to deal with.

Photo courtesy of Doug Schoon, ‘Inside Doug Schoon’s Brain’ DVD

The Aging Process

This explains why ridges seem to get more pronounced with age. As we age, our digestive system does not function at the level of a young person.

We don’t absorb as many of the required vitamins and minerals for nail production. Therefore, the ridges appear more pronounced, when it’s actually the thinner, grooved areas becoming more deeper and more pronounced.

Should You File Ridges in Nails?

You probably know the answer by now. If we file down the ridges to match the rest of the nail plate, we’re actually thinning our nail plate to match the thinnest, weakest portions of the nail!

Ms. Monroe’s Flawed Advice

Now I’ll get back to Ms. Monroe’s advice. Obviously buffing and sanding is a bad idea. But what about the opaque polish?

It’s my understanding and experience that nail polish seems to be formulated to create a thin, even coating over the entire nail. It is going to create a nice, thin layer over the ridges and the dips.

When I see older women with polish over their ridged nails, the polish seems to make the ridges more obvious. Opaque polish is not a great idea either.

The Solution

The moral of the story is… you really should just ROCK YOUR RIDGES!

Along with Doug Schoon, my recommendation is to use a high-quality ridge filling base coat like OPI Ridge Filler or Seche Base Ridge Filling Base Coat to fill in the grooved areas and smooth out the surface of your nail before applying your color lacquer.

Rather than creating one thin layer like polish, ridge filling base coats are full of micro-particle ingredients that settle into the concave portions of your nail.

Using a ridge filling base coat will solve three problems for you.

1. Reducing staining
2. Creating a surface that polish loves. (Base coats are formulated to bond to the natural nail plate. Polish is formulated to bond to base coat, not the nail.)
3. Smoothing the nail surface

Hydration is Helpful!

If you’re looking to improve the overall health and flexibility of your nails, consider taking our 30 Day Challenge! Make sure you pick up a Mega Hydration Kit, and get ready to get your GLOW ON!

The post RIDGES IN NAILS —To Buff or Not To Buff? first appeared on Nail Care Headquarters.

How to Stop Breaking Nails

I’m often asked,”How do you keep your nails so long?”

I have many strategies and techniques to strengthen my natural nails, which I will share in this article.

Let me start off by saying that my nails are incredibly thin. I was not blessed with thick nails.

Sadly, this is not something that can be changed since the thickness of your nail plate is determined by the size of your nail matrix.  The nail matrix is where new nail cells are created right behind the cuticle line.

Tortoise or Hare?

The most important thing I do is—Slow Down.

There is no part of our body that is used more frequently during our life than our hands. We do everything with our hands.

Most of us wouldn’t make it through the day if we couldn’t pry, pick, or scratch with our nails. They take a lot of abuse, especially if we use them as tools.

Nails will only tolerate a certain amount of bending before they tear or snap.

A woman with long, natural nails moves through life very consciously. She pays attention to where her hands are moving at all times. I know it might sound like a lot of work, but it really isn’t.

I have found that being in a rush can be the most damaging times to my nails.

Credit: Beavotron.deviantart.com

If I’m in a hurry and I am rushing to get everybody into the car, throwing jackets and bags, and slamming doors, I’m not paying attention to what my hands are doing.

And that’s when accidents happen.

One misplaced finger on the car door handle will result in a broken nail. All because I wasn’t paying attention.

Another example; a busy, preoccupied woman will talk to a friend and blindly dig through her purse trying to find something. She’s not paying attention, and that’s how a nail tears or breaks.

When I’m looking for something in my purse,  I look inside, I carefully move things around until I find what I want.

Every move is conscious. Every move is deliberate.

Will the Guilty Task Please Stand Up?

If your nails are breaking a lot, try paying attention to how you use your hands all day long.

You might be surprised.

Are you actually using your nails to remove the frustrating, security plastic wrapping around the salad dressing bottle, or mascara tube?

Are you opening soda pop can lids with your nails?

Do you peel stubborn sales stickers off of packages?

If you do any of these things, it’s time to become friends with paring knives, scissors, handles of forks or spoons, and some brand of sticker adhesive dissolving product. (Goo Gone™, Goof Off™, Un-Do™, etc.)

And if you are in the DIY frame of mind using 2 ingredients from your kitchen, I found a great tutorial at DIYNatural.com

What You Can Do

1. Know Your Proper Nail Length

If you are a mother of small children, or have a job that requires a lot of tough use with your hands, make peace with a shorter length that looks nice.

Now that my children are older and I spend most of my working time on the computer, I can maintain a longer length.

5/2017 Update: Now I own horses. My nails are significantly shorter now since long nails and horses don’t mix.

Keep your nails the same length. Short nails can be beautiful when maintained and polished well.

2. Reduce Water Absorption

Water is the most dangerous chemical affecting your nails.

I’m not kidding.

On average, we have about 50 layers of keratin that makes up our nail plate.

Our nails also have the capacity to absorb three times their weight in water.

Where does that water go? In between every single layer and it pushes them apart.

Our nails do have the capacity to dry out, but it doesn’t take too many exposures to water for those layers to start peeling away from each other.

Polish is an integral part of blocking water absorption.

Now, for those of you who think water isn’t a chemical, you might be interested in my Chemicals – Are they Life or Death article.

3. Increase Nail Strength and Flexibility

Oil is the glue that holds our nail layers together. We wash our hands on average 20 times per day! This strips the oils from our nails and skin.

Regular use of a jojoba wax ester based nail oil will increase natural nail strength, while improving flexibility.

Strong nails bend when exposed to external forces.

If you use nail strengtheners or hardeners on already dry, brittle nails, your nails are going to be too hard and snap with any external pressure.

4. Keep Nails Polished

Polish is a resin that bonds to and protects your nails.

Even if you’re someone who doesn’t like to wear colored polish, it’s important to wear at least one layer of base coat to reduce water absorption.

Use my Fab Five Polish Wrap technique and never shower with naked nails.

For my Ultimate Nail Care Routine, click here.

5. Wear Gloves

Credit: LaylaGrace.com

“But I hate gloves! I won’t wear them.”

I hear this all the time. Especially right after I’m asked how to grow longer nails or get them to stop peeling.

I guarantee you, there isn’t one woman on the planet who loves to wear kitchen gloves, myself included.

Yep, they’re annoying.

You have to remember to put them on and you don’t get the same grip as with your fingers. You sweat in them causing them to be a pain to remove.

Gloves protect your skin and nails from the drying effects of water and soap. Gloves also help protect your nails from breaking.

I even use them when doing the laundry. I’ve broken too many nails transferring heavy, wet towels to the dryer.

Every decision we make has a natural consequence.

It simply won’t work to desire beautiful nails and refuse to wear gloves.

Slow and Steady Wins the Race

The few seconds you gain by rushing around only shortens your temper, increases your blood pressure, and leads to annoying chips and painful breaks.

Long, beautiful natural nails don’t just happen.

Gorgeous nails require time, care, maintenance, and just a few extra, deliberate seconds through the day.

I know you can do it! … now … go buy some gloves … slowly.

If you liked this article . . . please share!

The post How to Stop Breaking Nails first appeared on Nail Care Headquarters.

ASK ANA: Peeling Nails

UPDATE: Since writing this article, I have replaced the 3-Day Hydration Treatment with a faster Intensive Hydration Treatment that works in 2 to 12 hours.

“Hi Ana, every time I try to complete the 3-Day Hydration Treatment, I never get past the 1st day because my nails start to peel. I revert back to using my polish for protection. (I’ve noticed my nails do not split or peel when I have them polished). I just feel like I have not been able to get the full benefits of your oil because I am afraid of going naked. Because of this, I only have a picture of my nails polished.

Do you recommend I still do the 3-Day Treatment even if my nails continue to peel? I know you have recommended to just trim the peel portion off & not filing it down or buffing. That’s damaging.

Now, the main problem for me is after my shower. I try not to take long showers so my nails are not in water for too long. If I apply a thin layer of base coat & completely wrap my underside. Can the oil penetrate through the one layer?

Image Source: Carmen

I just feel frustrated because I am not being able to benefit completely from your oil because of the peeling so I am afraid to go naked.  Do you have any recommendations or suggestions? Should I just do the oil treatment for 3 days and then polish? How long do you oil in between your manicures? I appreciate you taking the time out of your very busy schedule to answer my questions 🙂 PS: I am taking my nail vitamins & drinking water.” ~Carmen

ANSWER

Carmen, I totally understand your desire to go back to polish for protection. It is a very important temporary strengthening product and a big component to having healthy nails.

Based on your description, 2+2 is not equaling 4 for me. Peeling usually doesn’t happen with one exposure to water . . . it’s usually several, if not dozens of exposures. But of course, everyone is different.

Never Shower Naked

One of my rules is to never shower with naked nails. Like I’ve written in previous articles, water is extremely damaging to nails.

This is why I now recommend doing a 2 to 12 hour intensive hydration treatment.

Now I must confess—I like long hot showers—so I never shower without at least one coat of basecoat completely wrapped around my tips.

The combination of hot water, rubbing shampoo in your hair, and water absorption can pull a lot of oil out of our nails.

Polish Prevents Additional Peeling

Once you apply polish, the oil is trapped in your nails. Water absorption is decreased about 99%—this is a completely non-scientific guess based on my personal experience.

Your pink nail bed also continues to pump the perfect blend of 18% water and 5% body oil into your nail plate under the polish. This is why the nail plate over your nailbed is transparent.

So in a sense, yes, polish can reduce further peeling. It encapsulates the peeling layers so that water can’t force them to peel more.

The oil you apply after your nails are polished simply prevents premature cracking of the polish. It absorbs into the surface of the polish keeping it more flexible.

Polish Is Essential!

People love learning that polish is actually a great way to keep our nails healthier! Especially because everyone they know tells them the opposite.

After people have completed an Intensive Hydration Treatment then my Fab 5 Wrap technique takes over in importance.

It’s the combination of consistent oiling and wearing polish that helps reduce nail breakage and additional peeling.

Carmen, your skin looks beautiful! So maybe you’re getting all the benefit you need. If your nails bend instead of snapping when you bang them against something, then you’re fine.

Bliss Kiss™ Simply Pure™ hydrating nail oil helps people who have brittle nails because they are dried out. This causes them to break all the time.

As I mentioned before, our pink nail bed provides the perfect blend of 18% moisture and 5% oil. But once the nail plate has left the nail bed, our tips are no longer being hydrated. This is where Pure Nail Oil™ helps increase strength and flexibility.

The Magic is Between Manicures

I do a mini-hydration treatment for 2 to 6 hours between manicures . . . depending on time . . . and then apply at least one layer of basecoat wrapped around my tips to reduce water absorption during a shower and hand washing.

Daily Maintenance

Many people are afraid that using a high quality, jojoba wax ester based nail oil is going to leave them greasy or is too time consuming.

From start to finish, it takes me 30 to 60 seconds to rub about one drop of oil to my nails and skin. I do that about 4 times a day.

In Conclusion

I think when all is said and done, your nails and skin are beautiful. The polish is helping prevent premature breakage and the oil is keeping your skin hydrated. It looks like you’re doing everything right.

And if you’re happy with your nails . . . then you are certainly doing everything right. Keep it up!

If you liked this article . . . please share!

The post ASK ANA: Peeling Nails – Does Polish Prevent It? first appeared on Nail Care Headquarters.

With so much information on the internet, how do you know who is telling the truth? It’s especially frustrating when respected sources are wrong.

In this article, you’ll learn:

• The four lies that the Huffington Post failed to fact check
• The true effect of acetone and water to the nail plate
• How polish can help keep your nails healthier

Huffington Post Publishes Lies About Nails

Even though I previously wrote an article on this topic, it’s pretty shocking that a well-respected site like the Huffington Post allowed this article written by Senior Editor of Healthy Living, Laura Schocker to actually be published.

In the old days, journalists used to be required to double-check their facts and sources. But today, it appears anyone can write anything and get it published. Instead of the source doing their homework, you the consumer have to do the homework. This is totally backward to me.

Overall, most of the content in Ms. Schocker’s article, 15 Things You Never Knew About Your Nails, is correct, but the following section is riddled with lies.

Advice That Is FALSE!

You actually should let your nails “breathe” between manicures.

You might want to reschedule that weekly mani appointment — according to Krant, it’s best to reduce the amount of time your nails are polished to keep them at their healthiest. “Believe it or not, that hard thing on the tip of your finger is living tissue, and oxygen does penetrate through the nail plate to the nail bed,” she says. “When you smother the nail and the nail bed beneath it, the nail has a harder time fighting off infections like the wart virus or a nail fungus. Also, nail polish is quite drying to the nail, so keeping them polished all the time (and re-doing the manicure repeatedly, with the drying chemicals used to remove polish) can eventually dry them out and make them less flexible and strong.”
~Huffington Post

And apparently, the source for this quote is: Jessica Krant, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist, founder of Art of Dermatology and an assistant clinical professor of dermatology at SUNY Downstate Medical Center in New York City.

Lie #1

As a dermatologist and professor, she should know that the nail plate is about 50 layers of DEAD keratin, not live tissue. This is why we feel no pain when filing or cutting our nails.

Lie #2

Oxygen does NOT penetrate from the outside-in—through the nail plate (hard nail) to the nail bed (soft pink tissue under nail). Doug Schoon, author of Nail Structure and Product Chemistry, explains in more detail.

“Whoever wrote this doesn’t understand the natural nail or nail polish and is only parroting very old myths that have no basis in facts. In other words, this is nonsense! The nail bed is living tissue and it gets 100% of its oxygen from the blood. None comes through the nail plate to the bed.”

Myth 1: Nails Need to Breath.
• No, they don’t! There is no reason to believe that nails need to “breathe”. Nails aren’t alive and don’t have lungs nor do they have any ability to absorb air into the nail plate. This myth makes no sense on many levels! In short, nails do NOT require an external air supply and do not breathe or exhale. 100% of the oxygen needed by the nail matrix to create a new nail plate comes from the blood stream and 0% comes from the outside world.
• Everything the nail plate needs to properly grow and function is delivered and/or removed by the blood flow to the matrix area and nail bed. The matrix is where the nail plate is created from nutrients which can ONLY be delivered by the blood stream. Neither “air” nor “nutrients” can be absorbed or “fed” to the nail plate from any external source.
• Moisture and natural nail oils leave the nail bed and pass through the nail plate at slower than normal rates, but they aren’t “trapped”. The nail plate’s moisture content is increased by 10-15%, and the oil content increases only slightly; both serves to increase the flexibility of the natural nail plate.
• Waste products are removed from the matrix area and surrounding tissues by the blood as well, and are not released into the nail plate. Normal, healthy nail plates would continue to grow and thrive in a completely air-free environment, as long as a healthy flow of blood to the nail is maintained, so clearly… nails don’t need to breathe! ~Doug Schoon. http://schoonscientific.com/…/Myths-from-FB_2013-03-14.pdf

Lie #3

Dr. Krant should also know that nail polish isn’t smothering the nail from oxygen so nail fungus can flourish. Nail fungus flourishes in a nice, dark, moist environment. 

This is why nail fungus tends to take hold during the winter months while we keep our feet in shoes or fuzzy slippers all day long. The only way polish would contribute would be the use of dark pigmented polishes during the summer. It keeps that environment dark, and can be worsened if we visit the pool or the beach frequently.

Lie #4

Dr. Krant should also know that lacquer is not drying to the nail plate. I think there is a misunderstanding when using the words “dry” vs “harden”. When you understand that polish actually hardens through evaporation of the solvents, it’s easy to understand that your polish is simply the pigments and resins left behind. No part of the natural nail is getting dried out.

Acetone

Acetone IS the drying culprit, and Dr. Krant did get this one correct. But her advice to stay away from it is completely misguided. There are many things we enjoy in life that come with negative consequences. Dr. Krant’s advice is like telling us to not live (or visit) the desert because we might die of thirst. … bring water!

Since acetone is the best solvent to dissolve polish, it will dissolve your body oil too. The great news is that we now know that acetone’s drying forces can be reversed with several applications of a high quality, jojoba based nail and cuticle oil.

Water

What Ms. Krant doesn’t appear to know is that water and soap is more damaging to the nail plate than polish. As I explain in a previous article, the nail plate has the capability to absorb one third it’s weight in water. Our nails are a little bit like sponges. The water goes in, and then must evaporate out. It can take over 60 minutes for the water to evaporate. During this time, they are very fragile and tear easily.

Think of paper. When it’s full of water, the fibers pull apart with very little force. When the water has evaporated, the paper is able to withstand more forces without tearing. Our nails work in a similar way.

Polish is Our Friend

Nail polish actually protects the nail plate from drying out. Using a complete polish wrap under the tips, helps block excessive water absorption.

The nail bed is constantly pumping a perfect blend of 5% sebum (body oil) and 18% water up into the nail plate. If we rarely washed our hands, our nails would stay flexible and healthy.

But we do wash our hands—on average 20 times per day. Polish can actually protect our nail plate by helping to block water absorption and temporarily trapping our sebum in the nail plate. My favorite technique is the Fab 5 Polish Wrap. Click here for instructions.

In Conclusion

Besides helping us feel prettier, polish is actually helping to keep our nails healthier. Polish adds temporary strength and blocks excessive water absorption. In my world…polish is a very good thing!

The post Huffington Post Publishes Lies About Nails first appeared on Nail Care Headquarters.

Are you constantly afraid of removing polish only to discover your nails are now a permanent unnatural color?

In this article, you’ll learn:

• How to reduce the potential of color staining
• How soaking, rather than scrubbing, is a better way to remove polish
• How manicure clips can help the process even more

China Glaze Blue Bells Ring

Polish Stain Removal Tips

You’ve just removed a gorgeous, dark blue and look down in horror—your nails are now a lovely shade of blue!

This recently happened to me with China Glaze Blue Bells Ring #1119.

Of course instead of panicking, I get all geeky! “Oooo, this will make a great article!”

Since I’ve read just about every nail blog post about polish stain removal, I thought I would share my insights gained by de-bluing my nails.

I’m also including the stain removing methods I don’t recommend and why they’re a bad idea.

My Steps For Preventing Polish Stains

1. In spite of using two coats of basecoat to protect my nails, expensive polishes can stain too.

2. It’s extremely critical to use my Soak and Swipe™ method of polish removal, using pure acetone, with plenty of soaking time—especially if you’re dissolving 5 to 10 layers.

3. Remove polish in ONE firm, clean stroke.

4. Remove any remaining polish with a CLEAN piece of cotton and A LOT more acetone.

5. If the nail plate looks stained a lighter shade of the color, use a clean cotton piece saturated with A LOT of acetone and keep wiping/scrubbing. Focus on wiping nail tip to proximal fold (“cuticle” line), since nail cells grow layered like house roof shingles, you want to go against the grain.

6. Use Q-tips saturated in acetone to get staining at the proximal fold curve.

7. Wash hands with warm water and soap.

8. Scrub nails top and bottom with a nail brush. Rinse. Dry.

9. Apply your favorite penetrating nail oil generously and rub it in. (Blue stains are all gone. 🙂 )

Soak & Swipe™ Polish Removal

Acetone saturation is very important key to remove polish quickly—and it’s extremely COLD! It feels like you’re soaking in ice because acetone evaporates so quickly.

This is why I recommend adding a moisturizing additive acetone or to coat your skin with a cheap kitchen oil before removing your manicure.

It blocks some of that numbing cold and prevents acetone from dissolving your precious body oil and drying out your skin.

I also love using manicure clips to hold the cotton on the nail plate. The clips trap in your body heat to warm the acetone which makes it dissolve lacquer faster.

I unroll a cotton ball and cut it into small pieces. Saturate the cotton with acetone, apply to the nail and soak for one to three minutes.

Then saturate a second piece of cotton with acetone to wipe off the first piece of cotton. This is an important step as well you help you get a firm grip to remove the polish in one, clean swipe.

Don’t use your soaking cotton to remove any remaining polish. You’ll start scrubbing. Just get a new piece of cotton.

In Desperation – Removing Immediate Stains

If your nails are still tinted after trying all of my tips, you may need to bring out the big guns….. or big goop.

Anutka at Wacky Laki has put together a great tutorial using whitening toothpaste for immediate polish stain removal.

Fortunately, I haven’t had to use this technique, but it’s nice to know it’s an option as a last resort.

No Buffing Please!

It’s surprising to me how many established nail bloggers recommend buffing the stain out—even though this is a horrible idea!

It’s quite understandable why they recommend it though.

Immediate polish stains usually are because polish pigment has settled into the top few layers of nail keratin.

This happens really easily with the traditional polish removal method—saturate a cotton ball and scrub the heck out of it until the polish is dissolved.

Nail Keratin Cells Under Electron Microscope

Even though our nails appear smooth, under an electron microscope, it’s possible to see that our nails are made up of hundreds of thousands flattened keratin cells.

As in the photo to the right, you can see the microscopic gaps between the cells.

Polish pigments are small enough to settle into those gaps with enough force.

The acetone is dissolving the colored lacquer, but your scrubbing action is driving the dissolved pigments into the top layers of keratin.

The traditional thinking is, “I’ll just buff the stain out, since it’s only in the top few layers.”

But like I addressed in my previous article about why buffing out ridges is actually making our nails weaker, the same holds true when buffing out stains.

You only have about 50 layers of keratin in your nails.

It’s a misconception that buffing a few layers won’t hurt. In truth, it only makes your nails thinner, weaker, and more prone to breaking.

Who’s Guilty?

The photo to the right by GirlyThingsBye demonstrates perfectly how scrubbing can even cause the pigment to be pushed into the top layers of our skin too!

This photo was taken after several rounds with acetone and she says it took several days for her skin to return to normal flesh color.

This is leads me to think . . . who’s the real guilty party with most polish staining?

You know that saying… “When you’re pointing at someone else, you have four fingers pointing back at you.”

Should polish brands be condemned for causing staining? Hummmmm.

Be Careful with the DIY Whitening Soaks

There a couple of other methods recommended by bloggers which I don’t recommend.

They are soaking your nails in hydrogen peroxide, lemon juice or denture remover tabs.

These techniques may work, but at what cost to the health of your nails?

One of the very worst things you can do to your nails is to soak them for 5-15 minutes in a water-based solution with some additives.

Even though our nails can soak up three times their weight in water, it’s very damaging to the keratin layers.

Where does that water go?

In between every single nail layer, slowly pushing the layers apart.

Our nails are resilient, but not for long. I explain this process in more detail here: https://www.nailcareheadquarters.com/How Water Damages Nails

In Conclusion

Hopefully, this clears up some confusion about polish stain removal.

The best method is prevention.

It starts with using two coats of a high-quality base coat and to completely dissolve the polish before using only one stroke to remove it.

The post Polish Stain Removal Tips – How to Remove Immediate Polish Stains first appeared on Nail Care Headquarters.

Marie Claire’s Pure Nail Oil™ Challenge Results

Marie Claire’s story is a fun one. She was one of the fortunate people to win a Bliss Kiss™ Simply Pure™ hydrating oil pen during one of the random contests we host on our Facebook Page.

In January and July, I used to host a huge 3-Day Get Naked Challenge with prizes and offer a big sale to help everyone get involved. Marie Claire decided to jump in and take the Challenge.

Side Note: The 3-Day has now evolved into a “30-Day Challenge” every January and June, where we teach you skills and techniques to help you learn to acheive longer, stronger nails. This also includes an Intensive Hydration Treatment using hydrating oil, balm lotion and nitrile or latex gloves for 2 to 12 hours.

The results of Marie Claire’s peeling nails after 14 days look too good to be true. But as they say—a picture is worth a thousand words.

Marie Claire’s Thoughts

“One day, I decided to remove my manicure and I observed that my pointed finger was a tad bit bent, discolored and chipped.

Ugh, I couldn’t stand the sight of the thing! It was irritating my eyes and my heart was weak 🙁

But thank God, that Simply Pure™ hydrating oil pen arrived quickly and worked instantly.

I was AMAZED and SHOCKED to see how quickly the oil got absorbed into the nail plate and the Crisp™ scent was just heavenly. I couldn’t stop sniffing it . . . I even had the urge to lick my nails. (My Puppy was definitely enjoying it though.)

The Get Naked Challenge had a time span of just three days, and by the end of the last day, my nails looks so awesome! I’m not even kidding.

I love this Simply Pure™ oil pen! It’s amazing!!

I love Ana and I love her product!” ~Marie Claire

You can read all of Marie Clair’s Simply Pure™ nail oil Challenge results on her website: PolishedIAm.blogspot.com

Oil is the glue that holds
nail keratin layers together. ~Ana

Ana’s Thoughts

I get warm fuzzies all over when I read testimonials like Marie Claire’s! 😀

Notice Marie Claire’s massive, frayed peeling, especially on her index finger. Within 3 days it was completely gone and within 14 days, you would never know she had an issue with peeling!

Simply Pure™ has essentially helped glue those layers back together to be smooth.

I wanted to get a little more insight into Marie Claire’s experience, so I asked her a few questions by email.

“I’m really happy I won this nail oil pen from you, because little did I know it would come in soooo handy!  This thing is a life saver, I’m not even kidding.  I was sooo happy to see the results!!

OMG, I wanted to cry when I saw how ugly my nails got, it was frustrating and ugly.  After I removed my mani, my index finger went so bad and it was a bit soft. Ick.

I couldn’t stand it, so I pulled out the pen and I couldn’t stop applying the oil and I couldn’t stop observing how it worked. I have to admit, I learned a lesson.  And I’m spreading the word.”

Tell me a little more of your story. Do you do a lot of swatching? What made you interested in the oil?

“Without the Simply Pure™ oil, I still have no idea where my nails would be.  Ahaha.

I actually started getting involved in doing nail care stuff a while a back. I am newbie to blogging. I don’t do a lot of swatches, but what I do mainly is just paint my nails for fun and showcase them on my personal Facebook page.

Unfortunately, however I had to stop for a while, because of the results of terrible dry nails.

But since your nail oil rejuvenated my nails, I’m back in the ball game! I stumbled across your Facebook page, and I was more intrigued in the nail art you shared up until one day I decided to enter in your giveaway, and then I won the pen!

At first, I had no idea what it was for, until I got it and started to review other people’s post about it.  I really didn’t know that it would come in handy until THAT DAY arrived! I took off my manicure and saw how beat up my nails were.”

What was your experience while you were doing the 3-Day? Surprised, shocked, happy?

“When I ordered and first started the “3-Day Let’s Get Naked Challenge,” I had already researched some Simply Pure™ hydrating oil before and after articles, so I was really intrigued when I first applied the oil. I kept looking at it, to see how it was progressing.

I had to do chores around the house, but left it for later because I didn’t want to get my nails wet!  LOL (and I don’t like wearing gloves when doing the dishes)

All in all, it was an awesome experience and challenge to try.  I made sure I read the instructions on the pamphlet, ensuring every time I oil, to rub above the cuticle to increase blood flow. I still rub behind my “cuticle” line (eponychium) even if it’s not oiled or anything. I think it has become a habit.

It was really fun doing the “Let’s Get Naked Challenge”, because I wanted to get rid of my ugly nails.  I just couldn’t stand it.”

The Cause of Peeling Nails

Peeling nails are usually caused by too much exposure to water and acetone. The nail has the ability to absorb 3 times their weight in water.

Those water molecules are pushing apart the nails’ keratin layers. The nail is quite resilient and has the ability to rebound. The water evaporates over about 60 minutes.

Photo courtesy of the Jojoba Co.

Photo courtesy of the Jojoba Co.

A lot of water, strong soaps, and acetone strip our nails of the natural body oil that is delivered from the pink nail bed. Our body just can’t keep up.

Jojoba wax ester (photo #3) has an almost identical molecular structure to human body oil (sebum – photo #1).

Pure Nail Oil™ contains the highest percentage of Jojoba of any nail or cuticle oil on the market. It has a synergistic relationship with the other ingredients.

Pure Nail Oil™ has the unique ability to absorb into the nail plate and help bring it back to the required perfect blend of 18% water and 5% oil.

Polish Is Your Friend

The best thing to do after an Intensive Hydration Treatment is to get those pretty nails protected with polish. Polish also helps seal the keratin layers of your peeling nails and protect them.

I have step by step directions for my Ulitimate Nail Care Routine here. Polish on the top and bottom of the nail tips will restrict the nails from absorbing water.

It will also trap the moisture and body oil (sebum) that is constantly being pumped up through the nail plate by the nourishing pink nail bed.

These TWO actions— Intensive Hydration Treatments and polish manicures—keep your nails stronger and more flexible to deal with life’s boo-boos.

Acetone Is a Necessary Foe

We need acetone. It’s a necessary solvent.

Did you know that acetone is actually LESS drying than  “non-acetone” removers?

Rather than fighting the drying effect, you can use an acetone additive or apply a cheap kitchen oil to your skin before removing polish.

After removing your manicure, do another an Intensive Hydration Treatment for 2 to 12 hours. This reverses the surface drying effect of acetone. ~Ana

If you liked this article . . . please share!

The post PEELING NAILS – Marie Claire’s Pure Nail Oil™ Results first appeared on Nail Care Headquarters.

Peeling Nails

Becky’s Pure Nail Oil™

Challenge Results

Becky’s Thoughts

Sebum (body oil) is usually the glue that holds together the 50 layers of keratin that make up your nail plate.

We wash that oil away every day. The average person washes their hands 15 to 20 times per day.

Md-Health.com recommends several strategies to restore peeling nails. Many of them are incorrect.

WRONG: When your nails become very weak it’s important to give them a rest.

There is absolutely no reason to give your nails a rest. I wrote an entire article on the subject. In fact it’s more damaging to give them a rest because they’ll be exposed to more damaging water.

WRONG: Hold off on using nail polish, getting manicures or having acrylic nails applied until your nails have had a chance to grow stronger.

Nail polish actually protects your nails from water. It provides temporary strength as well so your nails can grow longer. Getting acrylic enhancements doesn’t solve the peeling. It just covers it up very well.

WRONG: Applying a nail strengthener and moisturizers to the nail area regularly can make this process go more quickly.

Nail strengthening and moisturizing polishes simply do what any other polish will do—provide temporary strength. They aren’t going to make anything go more quickly since your nails grow at a constant rate whether you use strengthening polishes or not.

RIGHT: Just make sure you read the ingredients on any nail strengtheners you use as some have been linked to higher incidents of breast cancer.

Some ingredients have been linked to breast cancer but since your nail plate can’t absorb any of the ingredients, it’s really a non-issue.

RIGHT & WRONG: You can also massage your nails with vitamin E, jojoba oil or alpha-proxy acids to help restore them.

The jojoba is the best idea since it is molecularly almost identical to sebum. But the vitamin E molecule is too large to enter the nail plate without the help of jojoba. Alpha-proxy acids have branched molecules making it difficult to enter the nail plate.

Becky’s Peeling Nails

I’ve included some close up shots of one of Becky’s nails so you can see clearly how well Pure™ works on the the nail plate.

In the Before photo, you can see extensive peeling on her tips. Her proximal fold of the eponychium (cuticle line) is actually a little hard and dry.

Although the Day 21 photo is a little fuzzy, since I zoomed in so much, you can see that the peeled layers on her tip are still present. But they don’t look like they’re going to catch on anything and peel more. This is because Pure™ has gotten under those lifting areas and glued them back down.

Her proximal fold of her eponychium actually looks softer and moisturized. The hard skin along the sidewalls is considerably decreased as well. As Becky said, “This is the wonder of Pure™”

Have a Question You’d Like Ana to Answer?

If Ana features your question in an “Ask Ana” article, you’ll get an email from us within a week asking you for your shipping address. Woohoo! This is our way of thanking you for asking a great question and helping deliver more value to our NailCareHQ readers, Blissettes and the Bliss Kiss™ community. Info@MyBlissKiss.com

The post PEELING NAILS – Becky’s Pure Nail Oil™ Results first appeared on Nail Care Headquarters.

“My Nails Made It Through the Airport!”

Where do I start? …

I’ve never been very interested in fingernails. I like keeping my toenails painted, but never my fingernails.

I used to keep my nails pretty short because they were so brittle and broke easily, and I thought my fingernails looked funny with polish.

To be completely honest, I’d never heard of cuticle oil before Ana told me about it.

No Expectations

I don’t know that I really had any expectations when I first tried Pure Nail Oil™.

I do know that I did not expect to be completely blown away! I had no clue a nail oil could completely change my nails!

My Results

When I first applied the oil, I could feel a difference immediately! Who doesn’t like a little instant gratification?

Within a week my nails began to bend–NOT break–and my hangnails healed.

I was able to perform Herculean feats like button up my pants, bring in groceries and pack a suitcase and make it through the airport without breaking a single nail!

Even the fine lines in my skin all but disappeared.

I was shocked.

I know, it sounds like the hyped up promises on a makeup commercial made by hungry, 20-year-old airbrushed and photoshopped models who are feeling guilty for eating that last piece of celery.

But my results speak louder than words—without Photoshop.

A Good Problem

But don’t let that fool you. This oil isn’t perfect–there IS a problem with Pure™.

With consistent use, your nails are going to get too long!!! I’ve actually had to trim my nails because the got too long to type or text comfortably—they were delightfully obnoxious.

Never would have thought I’d have this problem!

Kid Friendly

My boys (5 and 7) ask me to oil their nails whenever I whip out my Pure™ oil pen.

They love the smell and will sniff their fingers with appreciative “Ahhhhh’s” when they exhale. (It’s a good thing this oil doesn’t have a bunch of icky chemicals I can’t pronounce!)

The Competition

When I ran out of my first order, I tried a couple of other cuticle oils with similar ingredients. They were okay, and my results were “meh.”

When I switched back to Pure, the contrast in the feel in my nails hooked me for life.

In Conclusion

In a nutshell, Pure Nail Oil™ has:

• Increased my nails’ flexibility
• Eliminated nail peeling
• Healed my ugly, owwie hangnails
• Made my hands look younger (this still blows me away)

I don’t know what magic goes into Pure™, but bottom line: THIS STUFF WORKS!!! Try it.

Pure™ is worth every penny and then some! 🙂  ~Kirsten

The post My Nails Made It Through the Airport – Kirsten’s Pure Nail Oil™ Challenge first appeared on Nail Care Headquarters.