Excerpt from Face-to-Face with Doug Schoon, Volume II
Available on Amazon and iTunes- July 2017

In this article, I’ll explain what a Russian Manicure is and why you never want one if your nail professional doesn’t have the correct training and appropriate license.

Since knowledge is power, I’ll also give you tips to help you become a better consumer when visiting a salon.

What Is It?

Some people around the globe are teaching a highly risky technique that goes by several different names including, the “Russian” or “Equipment” or “E-File” manicure. 

It doesn’t matter what it’s called, they are essentially the same.

The process is to use an electronic file with very fine bits to file off the living skin around the nail plate. They also file off the dead cuticle skin on the nail plate.

The skin that everyone incorrectly thinks is the cuticle is called the proximal fold of the eponychium.

The proximal fold, lateral side walls, and the hyponychium create the 4 required guardian seals to protect the nail bed and matrix from harmful germs and bacteria.

We never want to cut or sand down live skin!

I believe the Russian manicure techniques are a potential threat to the entire nail industry.

Here’s Why

These are procedures that can be “invasive” and they promote the intentional cutting and/or abrasion of the living skin surrounding the nail plate.

Those who teach these Russian manicure techniques don’t use the term “abrasion.” Instead, they use nicer marketing terms like “buffing” or “polishing.”  

Also, they claim to be removing pterygium, which would be incorrect. The pterygium is on the underside of the nail tip.

What these nail technicians are doing is removing the skin from the proximal nail fold and side walls.

To claim that the “nails look prettier” in my view is a poor reason to jeopardize a client’s health when safer ways to perform a manicure exist.

Cutting/abrading damages the skin and creates the very problem manicures are supposed to solve.

The result is more damaged skin that later must be cut or abraded away. It’s like a dog chasing its own tail!  

Many people report the skin around the nail plate grows back thicker after the Russian manicure, so the nail tech needs to continue the method regularly, just to keep up.  

The Crushing Danger

Nail salons are already under intense scrutiny and don’t need the media or salon-bashing activist groups using this as another reason to avoid salons.

This is a troubling concern.

Many people will be frightened by such techniques. This will make more people afraid of nail technicians and their services rather than enjoy the many positive benefits that salons offer.

Some nail techs justify their actions by claiming to use only sterile or disposable implements. They naively believe this prevents infections. Wrong!

Whenever the living skin is cut or abraded, the damaged area is more susceptible to infection for many hours or even days. The potential risk of infection will remain until the body heals.

One proponent of these methods argued to me, “I’ve never heard of that happening.”

Well, of course not!

Not many people would openly admit they cut a client’s skin and caused an infection.

Schools and teachers who promote these methods don’t check back with their students on a regular basis, so how could they know about when the methods they teach are being misused?

I’ve seen these types of nail tech inflicted infections occur many times.

Also, when this thin skin is damaged, it becomes more susceptible to irritation and may lead to permanent allergic reactions to nail coating products.

How?

Many people who use this nail preparation technique place nail coating products directly onto or up against the damaged skin. This also drastically increases the client’s risk for adverse skin reactions.

Some teachers say the bits are not abrasive and are smooth. Think about it. If they were not abrading the skin, then they would have no effect.

It is true that these bits may be less abrasive than the bits uses to file down acrylic nail enhancements.

But, any bit spinning at thousands of RPM and placed against the skin surface will abrade the skin.

This abrasion can reduce the skin’s effectiveness as a germ and bacteria barrier. It also makes it easier for infections and adverse skin reactions to occur.

Fools Rush in Where Angels Fear to Tread

Another person asked me, “if it’s such a risk, why are so many doing it?

Just because some people do this technique doesn’t mean it’s safe.

This method should NOT be taught to the masses via Internet videos or online classes. Yet this is what’s being done weekly.

Too many people are “jumping on the bandwagon” without considering the consequences to their clients or their business.  

Nor do I think so-called Russian manicure certification classes are the answer.

Many students of these courses often disregard important precautions and will return to the salon and do it “their way.” Then they will teach other nail technicians “their way” and those nail technicians will also do it “their way.”

Soon, the precautions will be forgotten and this could have unforeseen consequences that could harm clients and may be disastrous for the reputation of the nail industry.

Interestingly, many people who do these services claim they do it the safe way and others do not. Isn’t that the “pot calling the kettle black?”

Are You Licensed?

Even more importantly, using an e-file to smooth this skin is considered microdermabrasion. In many regions, microdermabrasion is restricted only to those with special licenses beyond nail technician licensing.

For instance, in the USA an esthetician license (or sometimes a cosmetology license) is required to perform microdermabrasion.

Ready To Fall?

I can walk on a rope that is one inch from the ground. I won’t get hurt if I fall.

But what if I try to walk on the same rope five feet above the ground? I could get seriously injured!  

An expert tightrope walker doesn’t worry about falling from five feet—they are experts.

The low rope allows a lot of room for error for non-experts, while the high rope allows “little room for error”.
When high-speed bits are used and manicures become motorized, this allows little room for error.

The skin around the nails is nothing like that on the palm of the hand or bottom of the foot. It is much thinner and easier to damage.

Besides, even calluses should not be filed smooth, since this also increases the risks of infections. A protective layer of callus should always be left behind.

Some e-file experts do understand how to prevent injuries. But this is not such an easy thing to teach to non-experts, especially after just a few hours of instruction (or even a few days), which is what most classes offer.

In Conclusion

NEVER intentionally cut or abrade the skin around the nail plate. That’s trouble waiting to happen!

Doug Schoon, Author of Nail Structure and Product Chemistry

NEVER place any nail coating product directly against the skin, especially damaged skin!

This is, even more, trouble waiting to happen. It increases the risks of skin irritation and permanent allergies to these products.

Better Solutions

Protect and pamper the skin around your client’s nails—don’t invade it.  

Teach them that their dry skin can be hydrated with a high-quality nail oil blend. It’s a simple and non-invasive solution.

Continue using the appropriate methods to properly remove the cuticle.

Explain to your clients and friends why they should avoid this Russian manicure technique as well.

We need you to help spread the word. Thank you! ~Doug Schoon

For more critically important advice about nail care, order Face-to-Face with Doug Schoon, Volume II, available on Amazon and iTunes- July 2017

The post The Russian Manicure – Is It Dangerous? first appeared on Nail Care Headquarters.

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

Often times people think that clear fingernails is a sign that something is wrong. While your fingernails are a reflection of your overall health, there are external factors that can make you have clear fingernails. By the end of this article, you will understand what things cause nails to turn clear and that it might not be an indication that something bad is happening.

ASK ANA

“Hey there! I was wondering if you could help me with one of my biggest nail problems… I’ve always had extremely transparent nails, we can actually see through them (but that’s only one part of the problem) and as you can guess they’re uncommonly weak, they tend to unwillingly easily bend and thus causing some kind of imitation of brittle nails. I’ve tried different treatments to strengthen them but nothing has ever truly worked. So my question is, would there be something to change in my diet, a keratin trouble of some kind? (since i also have very thin and weak hair) or simply does a magical product i don’t know of actually exists…? Thanks a lot in advance for your precious help! ~Calou

ANSWER

This is a topic that can be very convoluted, so I will do my best to keep it simple. There are many factors that can cause the free edge of your fingernails to be clear. But the most important thing to know is … that your nail plate is made of translucent keratin protein.

The Healthy Nail Plate

Yep, the healthy nail plate is supposed to be semi-transparent. The pink area you see on your nails is actually the life-nourishing, nail bed BELOW the nail plate. The nail bed provides a constant flow of moisture and oil through the nail plate. In fact, there are only two substances that can travel through the nail plate; water and oil. Water can travel THROUGH and AROUND the nail cells.  Certain oils with a small molecular structure can travel AROUND the nail cells. Your fingernail is produced in the matrix right behind your proximal fold, (cuticle line). The lunula (small moon) is the only visible part of your matrix. The reason the lunula is a different color is that those are the keratin nail cells that are plump and still alive. Most people can see the lunula on their thumbnails. As soon as those keratin cells pass the lunula area, they die. They dry out and lose their opacity—becoming translucent, and flatten becoming the 50ish layers of keratin cells that make up our “fingernails.” The color of the free edge that extends past your fingertips depends on how much of the inner cell material stays in the nail plate cells as they continue to grow forward on the nail plate. Usually, they are fairly clear just as they move past the fingertip, then turn white because they aren’t being ‘hydrated’ by a continuous upward flow of body oil and moisture from the nail bed.

Are White Tips Healthy?

So if your nail tips (free edge) is turning white, it’s because your nails are drying out and the whiter they are, the more dried out they are. Hypothetically speaking, this makes me wonder if we’ve got it all backward! Is the reason white tips are so highly coveted because our society has NEVER known how to properly rehydrate their nails?

Are You Average?

Genetics, your health, and natural nail thickness are important parts in determining what color your nail turns as it leaves the fingertip. The average number of keratin layers people have is about 50 layers in their fingernails (100 for toenails). A person with 30 layers may have tips that stay more transparent. A person with 60 layers is going to have more layers to keep hydrated, and if they don’t, the tips become whiter. Once you’ve properly rehydrated your nails with a jojoba wax ester based nail oil like Bliss Kiss™ Simply Pure™, your nails become the color they are supposed to be. Your nails could be completely translucent, be partially white with spots or bands of translucency, or fully white. All are normal.

Other Factors That Affect Color

Water

According to Dr. Bhupinder Kaur on the MedHelp website, continuous contact with water can make your nails transparent. Washing your hands not only dries out your skin, but it also strips oil from your nails. There are many microscopic channels that make it easy for the nail plate to absorb large quantities of water. A normal nail plate can hold almost 1/3 it’s own weight in water! Remember how I said earlier that water is able to pass BETWEEN the keratin cells but also THROUGH the flattened cells. Nails that have been soaking in water become overly soft, overly flexible and tear easily. Healthy nails have about 18% water. But too much moisture can weaken the nail plate by separating the keratin layers leading to serious peeling and splitting problems.

Solutions

Oil: Since we all need to wash our hands and bathe, to fight the water’s effect on your nails, rehydrate them with a high quality, jojoba based nail and cuticle oil like Simply Pure™. Gloves: Learn to love gloves. I know many of you hate them, but realize that for various reasons you have “decided” to hate them. If you want healthy, beautiful nails, then you need to decide to love gloves. Wear cotton gloves while doing dry housekeeping. Wear dish gloves for as much wet housekeeping as possible; dishes, laundry, heavy cleaning. Cut back on your contact with soaps and detergents. Polish: Nail polish is a strong protective barrier between your nail plate and water. Nail polish doesn’t eliminate water absorption but it slows it down significantly. Just make sure you are using my Fab 5 Technique and completely wrapping your base coat and top coat around your free edge.

Nail Polish Removers

I know I’m stating the obvious, but polish removers are very drying to your nails. If you love polish then you have to love removers. But most of you don’t. You fear acetone. Why? Because someone in the non-acetone industry had an excellent public relations department who brainwashed us into thinking that non-acetone is less drying. We bought into the lie. The truth is that acetone and non-acetone ingredients (ethyl acetate & methyl ethyl ketone) are solvents. They dissolve stuff that water can’t dissolve. Nail polish needs a solvent. According to scientific information, acetone is slightly safer than ethyl acetate & methyl ethyl ketone. And acetone dissolves things faster! You want the product that dissolves lacquer faster because it’s LESS drying.

Work With the Acetone

If acetone is going to dissolve nail polish, then it’s going to dissolve the oil in your nails. Acetone also evaporates extremely fast, taking your nail’s moisture with it. This seriously whitens nail tips and makes them very brittle.

1. BEFORE removing polish, cover the skin around your nails with an inexpensive oil from your kitchen. Let the acetone work on that oil instead of your skin’s oils. My new favorite method is to add Simply Soft™ acetone additive to my acetone which lets me skip the oil slathering process.

2. Use my Soak & Swipe method to remove polish in a few minutes. I’m not kidding. You can remove the polish on all 10 fingers in about 4 minutes.

The manicure clips trap in your body heat, which warms up the acetone, making it dissolve polish 50% faster.

3. AFTER removing polish, gently scrub your nails with a nail brush and warm, soapy water for one or two minutes. This will put water back into your nails.

4. Rehydrate your nails with a jojoba wax ester based nail oil. Keep reapplying oil when your nails feel dry for 2 to 8 hours.

5. When you’re ready to polish your nails again, follow the directions for my Fab 5 Polish Wrap.

When to Visit The Doctor

NOTE: I doubt there is any great medical significance here, but there are three minerals that should be checked to make sure you are not deficient in them.

• Zinc
• Calcium
• Magnesium

These are checked on blood tests but are not done routinely so you will need to ask your General Practitioner to check for them specifically.

Deficiencies in these can cause discolored, brittle or white spots on nails. Make sure you are eating a good diet rich in fresh fruit and vegetables.

In Conclusion

There are lots of reason for having clear fingernails. For most people, it has nothing to do with health issues. But, if you tried all of my solutions and are still having issues, it might be worth a trip to the doctor. Most likely they will set your mind at ease by telling you that there is nothing wrong.

The post Clear Fingernails & Health Issues first appeared on Nail Care Headquarters.

Do you know where the cuticle is? Are you supposed to push, clip or scrape?

The correct answer might surprise you. It’s “Scrape.”

This is probably one of the most important articles you will read about nail care.

In this article,  you’ll learn:

• What and where the cuticle is
• Some important nail anatomy names
• How to remove the cuticle properly

We’ve Been Duped

The entire planet has been taught the incorrect definition for the “cuticle”.

The tight band of skin at the base of your nail plate is NOT the cuticle.

That band of skin is called the “keratinized proximal nail fold ” or “nail fold”.

So where is that elusive cuticle if what we’ve been taught is incorrect?

The cuticle is a thin layer of dead tissue riding on the nail plate to form a seal between the nail plate and proximal nail fold to prevent pathogens from infecting the matrix area.

The cuticle should NOT be confused with the proximal nail fold. ~Doug Schoon, Nail Structure and Product Chemistry

The Proximal Nail Fold

Please, please, please…DO NOT CUT THIS SKIN!

The proximal nail fold (PNF) is a required guardian seal that prevents germs and bacteria from getting to the nail matrix, where new cells are created.

I always know when people are clipping and nipping. Their entire cuticle line is red and inflamed. Basically, their PNF is infected all the time.

If you go to a salon for a manicure, please do not ever let your nail technician cut this skin.

The best way to keep the PNF skin soft and tight to the nail plate is with a high quality, jojoba wax ester based penetrating nail and cuticle oil.

Where Does The Cuticle Come From?

How the cuticle is created is fascinating to me and sounds like it should be painful.

But it isn’t.

The Death Grip

The proximal nail fold is living skin that covers approximately 20% of the nail plate, right over the matrix.

The PNF is a very important guardian seal preventing germs and bacteria from getting into the matrix.

Not surprisingly, the tissue that sits upon the nail plate is very different from the proximal nail fold.

The underside of the proximal nail fold is a thin layer of specialized cells called the eponychium which has a strange, sticky texture. This is why it is so important to NOT dig a tool underneath the proximal nail fold, including electronic file bits.

As the nail cells are created and pushed forward, the nail plate literally rips the layer of eponychium cells with it.

It is these cells that are the cuticle.

Cuticle cells also tightly grip the proximal nail fold. This creates a nice, tight guardian seal that prevents bacteria and germs from damaging or destroying your nail matrix.

For some people, the proximal fold releases from the cuticle on its own.

For people like me, that death grip is too strong. My cuticle will pull the PNF and stretch it out very thin.

In the photo above, you can see both examples. One half of the proximal fold has released on its own and the other half is still being stretched.

Most people can’t see their cuticle since the skin is so thin, but this photo captured it perfectly.

Breaking the Cuticle’s Grasp – Push Back

Should you push back your proximal fold?

I do, but it’s completely up to you.

When you release the grip, your proximal fold is able to stay nice and tight. As long as you don’t push too hard with your fingernail or a tool, the healthy seal under the proximal nail fold stays intact, and your matrix stays healthy.

You don’t ever want to push so hard that your fingernail or tool goes under the proximal fold.

My Experiment

I did an experiment to figure all of this out. I stopped pushing back my nail folds for 3 weeks to see what would happen.

The proximal folds were stretched an additional 3 millimeters! I also started getting those painful, thin, shredded hangnails that tear, bleed, and get infected––just like the ones in the photo above.

When I released the PNF from the cuticle, the band of skin remained stretched out.

Within 24 hours that skin was drying out, getting hard, and I had a strong desire to clip it.

Ah-ha!

I had finally figured out why people clip their proximal folds!

Geeky…but that was an exciting discovery for me. Before my experiment, I’ve always pushed back my proximal folds, I’ve never had the desire to clip.

I started oiling and massaging that skin several times a day. Within a week my proximal folds were back to normal and looking beautifully healthy.

The Solution?

Simply use your fingernail to gently push back the proximal fold to break the death grip about every 4 to 7 days.

If your nails are really short, you can use an orangewood stick. Just be gentle.

If you keep your skin hydrated with a high quality, jojoba wax ester based penetrating nail and cuticle oil, then it will be easy to push back your nail folds.

This can also be done in the shower. Just make sure you are wearing one coat of base coat when showering.

Why? Many of my readers know that my #1 Rule is “Never Shower Naked”.

Do We Really Need to Remove the Cuticle?

It depends. Do you always have bare nails? Then the answer is no.

Do you wear polish, gel, acrylic or other nail enhancements? Then the answer is yes.

Since polish and nail enhancements don’t bond to the skin on the nail plate, the cuticle should be properly removed with gentle scraping.

Proper Cuticle Removal

Again, some people are able to scrape the cuticle off with their fingernail in the shower.

Others like to use a cuticle remover.

How Cuticle Removers Work

The best ingredient to dissolve human protein cells is “lye“. You’ll also find it labeled as potassium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide, or caustic potash.

Lye is largely used in the soap making process. All cuticle removers contain lye.

Personally, I love using a cuticle remover. Some people hate it.

Currently, I use our Bliss Kiss™ Simply Gone™ cuticle remover.

I’ve used Blue Cross™ and I hate it for 3 reasons. It’s too watery, it eats my live skin, and causes those tiny strips of shredded skin below the proximal fold. You can see some of those hangnails in the photo farther up in this article.

What I LOVE about our Simply Gone™, is that it is a thicker consistency like hair conditioner. It doesn’t run or drip so I can put it exactly where I want it.

Lye Dissolves All Skin

The cuticle is dead skin.

The proximal nail fold is live skin.

Cuticle removers have no preference.

The directions on all cuticle removers tell you to apply it to only the nail plate and do not let it touch your skin.

As many of you know, that is easier said than done.

I have much more control with a cream or gel type of remover. Watery removers wick all around on your live fingertip skin.

What’s In Your Toolbox?

Orangewood stick?

Plastic cuticle tool?

Or metal cuticle tool that follows the curve of your nail plate?

Doug Schoon prefers that people use the orangewood stick. I think it’s most likely because the metal tool is widely abused.

If you use too much downward pressure near the proximal nail fold, you can cause damage to the matrix. This damage is often seen as white spots in the nail plate. These are nail bruises.

Personally, I like the metal, spoon-shaped tool. It’s faster.

As a busy mom and businesswoman, I don’t often get the luxury to do my nail care the slow way. I also use the tool correctly, which I explain in more detail below.

For those of you with a flatter C-Curve or if you have fragile nails, you’ll love the plastic cuticle/PNF pusher on our Squeeze Pens.  (If you’re not sure if you have flatter C-Curves, take the Nail Type Quiz!)

Depending on your budget, try different tools to see what you prefer. You might just find that using your own fingernail works well too.

The Solution?

For two years I have been looking for a solution to the strong, dissolving power of cuticle removers without damaging my skin. And I finally found it.

Simply cover your skin with a layer of a liquid latex barrier, or watered down white glue (25%/75%) if you have a latex allergy.

Let it dry and then you are free to apply cuticle remover safely.

From Start to Finish

1. Apply your skin barrier and allow to dry.
2. Apply the remover following the manufacturers’s directions.
3. Using a cuticle removal tool–gently, gently, gently–scrape back and stop right at the proximal fold. Glide the tool against the surface of your nail plate. The remover solution will have dissolved the cuticle so downward pressure is unnecessary.
4. The cuticle will build up on the back of the remover. Wipe that onto a paper towel.
5. Turn the tool 90 degrees to your your nail plate, and slide the tool along your proximal fold to scoop away the remaining cuticle and remover.
6. Once you are finished, remove the barrier and rinse your hands with water.

In Conclusion

I hope you’ve found this article helpful.

Just remember, with all of your nail care and nail enhancement product use… if it hurts… stop.

The post The Cuticle – Should You Clip, Push, or Scrape? 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.

I have super thin nails that break easily. Starting when I was in college and a lifeguard/swim instructor at my local YMCA, I wore two thin coats of hard gel for 20 years.

I stopped for two years in 2008. I was too busy being a mother of four active and exhausting children.

As many of you know, this was a huge mistake. I gave up the last bit of “me time”.

In 2010 discovered the online world of nails and nail art. I took up my love of nail polish again.

My Research

I spent a lot of time learning about nail care. Doug Schoon’s book, Nail Structure and Product Chemistry became my nail bible. It was the only piece of truth I could get my hands on.

Most of the nail care advice thrown around the internet is false, misleading, and some is actually damaging.

Doug’s book taught me that oil is very important to keeping nails strong yet flexible.

Since I’m allergic to almond oil, which seems to be in just about every cuticle oil, I created my own and began oiling my nails several times a day. They soaked up the oil like a sponge. It took three days for them to stop.

After four months, my nails were longer than they had ever been in my life.

When my husband lost his job of 13 years, I thought that some other girls on the planet might be interested in this oil, so Simply Simply Pure™ hydrating oil was born. Cory and I clung together to build our company—Bliss Kiss™.

Hard Gel vs. Soak-Off-Gel

During my daily, all-consuming studies of nail care, I learned about the new revolutionary product called soak-off-gels (SOG).

This new technology was a gel that dissolved in acetone. Hard gels are highly resistant to acetone.

Hard gels must be filed down to 50% of their thickness for maintenance fills, or filed off completely for removal.

It’s very difficult to file off the hard gel without touching the nail plate. The removal process can significantly thin the natural nail.

The new soak-off-gels were significantly less acetone resistant so they had the gloss and toughness of hard gel with easier solvency in acetone for removal.

This new technology was so popular that it seemed like every polish company was jumping on the bandwagon and creating their own version.

Since my nails were really long from my regular use of Simply Pure™ hydrating oil, I wanted to keep them that way. I decided to check out these new gels.

My Technique

My 20 years of experience taught me that polish bonds really well to gel. I thought SOG would be a great option without a permanent commitment.

Rather than doing the normal application process; one coat of basecoat gel, two coats of color gel, and one coat of topcoat gel,  I chose to just apply just the base coat and topcoat as an overlay, and apply traditional polish over my gel.

Based on my experience with hard gel, and since I wasn’t changing a color, I decided to file the SOG to 50% thickness and then apply 2 new layers of clear gel.

This prevented me soaking in acetone every two weeks. I never completely removed the gel. I felt this was a perfect solution for me.

And it was . . . for about six months.

At the same time, I was photographing my nail art with a high-quality camera and I didn’t like seeing the gel growth line under my polish.

Also, since my gel was fairly thin, with each manicure change the gel would start to partially dissolve around my cuticle lines. I was reapplying the gel every week or two.

This was taking an additional hour out of my week above and beyond doing a normal manicure with nail art.

In January 2013, I decided to do my “Let’s Get Naked Challenge” with all of my customers.

This was my first time removing the gel following the manufacturer’s directions of using an orange wood stick to scrape the softened gel.

Most of the gel came off, but some of it didn’t. I continued to scrape at the hard bits, which created white spots in my nails. You can see this in the photo below.

Unknowingly, I had created the same damage that is happening in hundreds of thousands of salons around the world—all because nail professionals are “following the manufacturers instructions!”

No Scraping Allowed

Doug wrote an article—which I published here—showing his research about the damage that can occur when using any tool to “scrape” off the gel.

With Doug’s illuminating electron microscope pictures, the conclusion is simple—you should never use a tool to remove gel after it has softened with acetone.

I have read the instructions from many manufacturers—including CND Shellac, OPI Gel, Essie’s Gel, and Harmony’s Gelish.

All of them recommend scraping the gel off with an orange wood stick or a metal tool after it has softened.

I asked Doug about this discrepancy, since he always tells people to follow the manufacturers directions, but his research indicates that some of those recommendations are damaging. His response was that the manufacturers need to read his research. I totally agree.

Under The Microscope

Doug has taken electron microscopes showing the damage that even a simple orange wood stick can do.

When small white spots appear on the nail plate after removal of the UV nail color coatings (another name for gel), a likely reason is improper removal.  Fortunately, the vast majority of this type of nail damage is completely avoidable.

How does the nail damage occur?  Soaking the natural nail for even a few minutes in acetone or water will temporarily soften the surface making it temporarily more susceptible to damage from any implements that pry, push or force the remaining residual UV coating (gel) from the nail plate. Instead, a good rule to follow is, “use the utmost care for 60 minutes after immersing natural nails in any liquid for more than 60 seconds.” ~Doug Schoon

Aging Gel Is Not a Good Thing

The longer you wear a soak off gel, the harder the product becomes.

This means that gel that you have been wearing for two weeks is easier to remove than gel that you have been wearing for three or four weeks.

Just How Long Does It Take?

Doug Schoon teaches that the manufacturers recommended acetone soaking time is the minimum—not the maximum.

So if they suggest 10 minutes, and then instruct you to wipe off the gel with firm finger pressure only.

If the gel isn’t completely dissolved then you should rewrap your nail and let it soak longer. This means that it can actually take 20, 30, or even 40 minutes to dissolve the gel properly! The gel must completely wipe off with firm finger pressure.

The Education Gap

We have a big problem being created in the professional salon industry.

The Bad News? About 80% of nail professionals are not learning proper application and removal techniques.

The Good News? 20% are fully educated and doing it right!

Here’s the big problem . . .

Nail professionals who are untrained with the gel technology are mixing and matching UV curing lamps with different brands of gels. According to Doug this is a huge mistake.

If you’re using a CND Shellac gel then you should be using the lamp created by CND.

If you’re using Gelish by Hand and Nail Harmony, then you should be using the Gelish curing lamp.

The products and curing lamps are formulated to work together—there is no such thing as a universal curing lamp.

Why I Don’t Wear Gel Nail Polish Anymore

Continuing on from that mini lesson . . . I then cut my nails short, and started applying oil for three days following my own instructions for the 3 Day Hydration Technique. After that, I continued with normal polish manicures.

At the same time, I also deduced that water absorption from the underside of the nail plate will soak through and break a polish or gel bond. (I’m sure Doug could have told me that in 2010….but he’s a busy guy.)

I started wrapping base coat and top coat to the underside of my tips. I always use two coats of ridge filling base coat, two coats of color, and one layer of top coat.

As my nails were growing out, I realized that I was essentially creating 8 coats of polish wrapped around my tips.

For me, the nail polish was giving me the same amount of temporary strength as the gel. And Pure Nail Oil™ was keeping my nails strong and flexible so they didn’t snap when I banged them into something.

I also discovered that since I was completely sealing off my nails from water absorption, my manicures lasted 7 to 10 days before they even started chipping. This was the exact same effect I was getting previously with a gel overlay. The Fab 5 Polish Wrap Technique had been created.

In Conclusion

Like Doug, I think soak-off-gels are an amazing product that can revolutionize the salon industry, but only if they’re removed properly.

They’re a great solution for so many busy people who just want a beautiful, chip free manicure for two weeks.

Soak-Off-Gels are not a good solution for people who like to change their manicures every few days.

If I were going to a salon to get a gel manicure, I would go in two hours before my appointment so there was plenty of time to completely dissolve the gel. You want it slide off with firm finger pressure (no tools!) against the cotton.

I’d then go to the closest coffee shop, grab something warm and delicious, read a magazine, and wait for an hour before the new gel is applied.

A conscientious nail professional will work with your wishes. And if she doesn’t, send her to this article.

I love that I can change my manicures without the added time commitment of gel. That’s my choice.

Hopefully I’ve given you enough information so you can make the best choice for you.

If you liked this article . . . please share!

The post Why I Don’t Wear Gel Nail Polish Anymore first appeared on Nail Care Headquarters.

 Callus Treatment

Callus or Callous—no matter how you spell it, calluses can be a nuisance.

But in this article, I’ll explain why they are a necessary nuisance and how to care for calluses.

ASK ANA

“Ana, I don’t know if you have addressed this issue before so here goes: I use your nail and cuticle oil everyday, all of my nails look great except one, my middle finger on my right hand. I think it is because I use my stylus when typing on my iPad™. I hate the crusty look and feel of this finger. I have used clippers to the point of making it bleed. What should I do?” ~Ruth Ann 

ANSWER

I actually learned something while researching this article—the importance of triangular writing utensils.

Huh? Read on… it will make sense in a minute.

All through my high school and college years, I had this thick skin on the side of my right middle finger as well and never really understood why.

Since I haven’t written a term paper in over 20 years, I haven’t had the problem. I spend more hours typing and only write on the occasional post-it note.

Pressure of writing implement on the middle finger causes a callus

Now, with the last two years of nail structure education under my belt, the answer is ridiculously obvious to me.

Don’t Rub Me Wrong

This thick skin is the first major callus that all of us develop when we start to use a pencil. In high school and college, we can spend hours writing.

The body’s protective response to any motion that is rubbing our skin is to create a callus.

Also, pencils and a lot of ball point pens are a hexagon shape which creates a sharp, angled pressure point against the skin.

Spur Me On

You may have also noticed that you have a bump on your bone near this callused skin, that is not on your other hand.

Years of writing irritation caused your body to lay down extra bone to protect your finger in this area as well. This is a bone spur. You can see this really clearly in my photo to the right.

According to WebMD, a bone spur (osteophyte) is a bony growth formed on normal bone. Most people think of something sharp when they think of a “spur,” but a bone spur is just extra bone. It’s usually smooth, but it can cause wear and tear or pain if it presses or rubs on other bones or soft tissues such as ligaments, tendons, or nerves in the body. Common places for bone spurs include the spine, shoulders, hands, hips, knees, and feet.

A bone spur forms as the body tries to repair itself by building extra bone. It typically forms in response to pressure, rubbing, or stress that continues over a long period of time. [Source: WebMD.com]

Since this bone spur doesn’t create a lot of pain, it’s not a medical issue, but I’ve noticed that it can be very tender. Especially when I’m at a 2-day conference taking notes without a life-saving callus! It hurts to write.

Matrix Damage

Depending on where you hold your pencil, it may sit on your matrix (right behind the cuticle line).

If you notice that the side of that fingernail is weaker, or has a tendency to peel, it’s because the continuous pencil pressure has damaged the growing nail cells.

Cut And Regret

Since calluses are a protective, thickened build up of skin cells, they get hard and dry out.

It’s tempting to want to cut or file that skin down. Don’t do it.

The body’s response is to protect the skin from damage. Cutting the callus will simply trigger the body to build the callus thicker. It becomes a vicious cycle and often times a painful one.

Instead, keep the callused skin moisturized with regular application of a high quality, jojoba based nail and cuticle oil.

Solutions

• Try to write with triangular pens or pencils if writing for a long period of time. You can also invest in triangularly shaped pencil grips for current pens and pencils.
• Add a triangular grip to your iPad stylus or try different stylus holding positions, like in the photos to the right.
• Keep callused skin softer with consistent application of a high quality, jojoba based nail and cuticle oil.

If you liked this article . . . please share!

The post ASK ANA: Callus or Callous Treatment? first appeared on Nail Care Headquarters.

Do you hate polish chipping within a few days of polishing your nails? Who doesn’t?

In this article, you’ll learn:

• How I discovered why my polish was chipping after showering
• Why five layers of polish can be your best friend
• The fastest way to remove polish with a minimal acetone drying effect

How to Prevent Polish Chipping

We are all looking for ways to have our polish last longer and for a polish that doesn’t chip.

For me, it started with a Google search in 2010, “How Do I Keep My Polish from Chipping in the Shower?”

The solution came several months later after I had done over 200 hours of exhaustive research. I didn’t find the answer, but I did find the pieces of information necessary to create the answer.

The quick answer is that nails absorb 1/3rd their weight in water. When water is absorbed through the underside of your nail, it breaks the polish-to-nail bond. The long answer is here:  “How Do I Keep My Polish from Chipping in the Shower?”

I created the Fab 5 Polish Wrap to help prevent my nails from absorbing water.

Does it stop my nails from absorbing water if I’m doing dishes without gloves for 30 minutes? NO!

But it does stop my nails from absorbing water in a 15 minute luxurious shower! And as a Mom to 4 active children and an entrepreneur, that’s all I need!

The result, is that I can easily wear my nail polish for 7 to 10 days without any chipping! And nail polish that doesn’t chip is especially appealing when I’ve spent a few hours creating gorgeous nail art—I want it to stick around!

The Fab 5 Wrap Overview

1. 1. Two Base Coat Wraps: Apply 2 coats of ridge filling base coat, wrapping completely to the underside of exposed nail tip. Any polish that gets on your skin will wash or peel off. (OPI ridge filler is a good base coat.)
   2. Two Color Coat: Keep an orange wood stick available to wipe polish off of skin before it dries.
   3. One Top Coat Wrap: Apply 1 coat of your favorite quick dry top coat, wrapping completely to the underside of exposed nail tip. (I normally use Seche Vite top coat.)
   4. Clean Smudges: Dip a small makeup brush or art brush in acetone to clean up polish on skin and create a clean line near your eponychium (“cuticle” line).
   5. Oil: Apply your favorite nail oil to skin and nail polish.

The Fab 5 Wrap Details

1. 1. Clean Nails: Wipe your nails with rubbing alcohol and a lint free pad as your first step. If your nails are long enough, use a Q-Tip brand cotton swab with rubbing alcohol to clean the underside of the nail. This removes the surface oils and dirt from your nails.
   2. Basecoat Wrap: Use a good base coat, wrapping it around to the underside of your nail (not just capping your tips).
      * Base coat is formulated to bond to the NAIL surface.
      * Color nail polish is formulated to bond with base coat—not nails.
   3. Color Coats: Apply 2 coats of colored nail polish.
   4. Topcoat Wrap: Completely wrap your nails with topcoat all the way to the underside.
      * A good topcoat is also formulated to bond ONLY to nail lacquer (polish and base coat) and add a high gloss shine.
   5. Clean up your polish along the eponychium (“cuticle” line) using acetone and a makeup or artist brush.

1. 1. Rehydrate your cuticle lines and surrounding skin with a high quality, jojoba wax ester based, penetrating nail and cuticle oil like Bliss Kiss™ Simply Pure™ hydrating oil.
   2.  Apply a new layer of topcoat daily or every-other day, wrapping it around your tips. Apply nail oil two times per day or more.
      * TIP: The ingredients that make a good topcoat bond to nail polish and have an incredible shine make it a horrible base coat! Steer away from any product labeled as basecoat AND topcoat. It will do neither one well. ~Ana

Polish Removal

After 7 days, remove your polish with acetone. Acetone is actually less drying to your nails than non-acetone because it dissolves the polish quicker.

I find that my Soak & Swipe Manicure Clips do a better job than the traditional foil wraps.

Nail Oil Mini-Hydration Cycle

1. Apply a high quality, penetrating nail oil to your nails about once an hour for the next 4 to 8 hours. 
2. Or, do an intensive mini-hydration treatment with latex gloves. I have the instructions in my hydration treatment article.

Start over with a fresh Fab 5 Polish Wrap Manicure and enjoy!

The post PREVENT POLISH CHIPPING – Fab Five Polish Wrap 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.

The Nail Salon Manicure – Is It Hurting You?

ASK ANA

“Ana, I have a question that has been plaguing me for a while now.  I have had several salon manicures from several different salons.  They all have the same techniques when doing manicures.  I have noticed that they go against just about every rule I have learned (mostly from you).

They used the roughest grit files, they file the sides of the nail, they file in both directions, they don’t cap the nails or paint the underside of the nail.  It feels like I am worse off getting a salon manicure.  I always notice my nails are in worse shape than when I went in.  It goes without saying I don’t get them very often, especially not now that I know just how wrong their techniques seem to be!

So the question I have is why do they do them so wrong and what is the RIGHT way to do them at home?

Thank you so much and I am absolutely loving my Bliss Kiss™ Simply Pure™ hydrating nail oil!  My nails are stronger and seem thicker than ever before!  Oh, and it is only been 13 days since I have started using it!!!  My nail polish has lasted longer than ever using your wrapping technique!!  Thank you so much!” ~ Danielle

ANSWER

Danielle, thank you for this really important question. This is completely why I do what I do.

There was very little proper information when I was researching everything several years ago and I found it extremely frustrating.

The short answer is that there are very few regulations in the nail schools.

So a lot of places just teach the way they have through the decades and teach what’s necessary to pass the state board tests.

Doug Schoon’s book, Nail Structure and Product Chemistry, is not a required textbook. (I hope it will be someday).

When I asked Doug why, here is his email response.

“Ana, my book is not required in the nail school curriculum. In fact, few schools even know about my book- which I fault Milady-Cengage for entirely… and I’ve complained to them about this for years. They have done a very poor job promoting my book to anyone, let alone schools.

There is no standardized teaching, even in the US, let alone the world. The Milady Nail Standard comes the closest to achieving this and is a pretty good book. Since I am a contributor, I make sure that the key information is correct in the Standard, but it is an instruction guide.

It doesn’t focus on troubleshooting and problem solving. For a deeper understanding, nail professionals will have to read my book.” ~Doug Schoon

Shouldn’t They Know Where the Cuticle Is?

From what I’ve learned from Doug is that very few schools actually teach the Nail Structure portion of his book.

Most licensed nail techs still don’t know that the casual name “cuticle” is in fact the proximal fold of the eponychium. The cuticle is really a thin layer of skin on the nail plate.

It’s my opinion that when someone graduates from nail school, they are a Nail Technician.

When they search out more thorough education and truly understand all of the content in Doug’s book and his DVD Inside Doug Schoon’s Brain, then—and only then—can they be a “Nail Professional.” 

Many graduates and licensed techs don’t know that the acrylic enhancement technology has advanced by leaps and bounds over the last 10+ years.

For example, the ingredients NO LONGER need a “roughed up surface” to create proper adhesion—but nail techs are still sanding down 1/2 the nail plate.

MMA

Acrylic nail enhancements are created with a perfect blend of monomer liquid and polymer powder.

Although banned by the FDA several decades ago, methyl methacrylate  monomer (MMA) is showing up again in nail salons in the United States.

Why?

Price—MMA is available for about $15-$20 per gallon compared with about $200 for the legal monomer.

MMA is completely safe when used in medical and dental products. It has even been safely implanted in the body as bone repair cement.

MMA monomer is fine for making bulletproof windows and shatterproof eyeglasses, but not artificial nails. There are 4 main reasons that MMA monomer makes a poor ingredient for artificial nail products:

• MMA nail products don’t adhere well to the nail plate (hence the shredding of the nail plate by over filing.)
• MMA makes extremely hard nail enhancements—if it breaks, it’s taking your nail plate with it.
• MMA is extremely difficult to remove—it won’t dissolve in acetone.
• The FDA and most state boards of cosmetology say not to use it due to the massive allergic skin reactions that consumers reported in the 1970’s. [source: Nail Structure and Product Chemistry]

Health Risks

Podiatrist Dr. Robert Spalding, author of “Death by Pedicure,” states that “at this time, an estimated one million unsuspecting clients walk out of their chosen salon with infections—bacterial, viral and fungal.”

And no matter which salon you go to, there is always a risk of infection. He claims that in his research “75 percent of salons in the United States are not following their own state protocols for disinfections,” which includes not mixing their disinfectant solutions properly on a daily basis, not soaking their instruments appropriately, and using counterfeit products to reduce costs (for example Windex substituted for Barbicide), says the doctor.

And the problem is that there is no way to really “verify an instrument has been properly soaked and sterilized,” without watching the process. [source: TotalBeauty.com]

Speed vs. Quality

Nail Tech

For most Nail Technicians, time is money. The faster they can get you out, the more clients they can service each day. They will use lower grit files (damaging), and file faster.

Nail Professional

A Nail Professional will block the proper amount of time she needs in her calendar to create the manicure you desire while having a pleasant conversation with you. She’s interested in you as a person and your life.

She’ll teach you that the cuticle is actually the eponychium. She’ll teach you that massaging nail oil into your manicure can improve the life of your manicure and keep your skin soft.

Most likely she knows your birthday and may even send a card. The relationship she creates with you is most important to her as well as giving you her best work.

She’ll be hard to get an appointment with because her loyal customers don’t leave. … and …

She won’t come cheap.

New Knowledge – Experimenting On Myself

Like many of my fans and customers, I’m a Daughter, Mom, Wife, Sister, and Friend with a passion for pretty nails and the plethora of glorious, sparkly, rainbow of lacquers available to us today.

But I also have an insatiable appetite to know, “Why?”

Fab 5 Nail Wrap

No one knows about the Fab 5 Nail Wrap because I created it. I wanted my polish to stop chipping in the shower. When I learned that nails can absorb 1/3rd their weight in water—combined with my experience of my sharp C-curve practically disappearing when my nails are soaked—I started thinking about the lacquer to nail bond.

I realized that no matter what I did to the top of my nails, the bottom of my nails were going to absorb water. This would always destroy the lacquer to nail bond.

The solution—paint the bottom too.

Inventing a Nail Oil

Bliss Kiss™ Simply Pure™ hydrating oil was created because I am allergic to almonds yet all cuticle oils have almond oil. My research taught me the importance of cuticle oil for keeping skin soft and that it could help brittle nails.

I studied ingredient lists of every cuticle oil on the market as well as home-grown recipes on the internet. I paid attention to the ingredients chosen repeatedly.

I also noticed how many cuticle oils contained ingredients I couldn’t pronounce, so I decided they weren’t necessary.

Little did I know—when I went to my kitchen to whip up my first batch of oil—that I was going to be creating a “nail oil” rather than a cuticle oil. I had some essential oils around my house and figured vanilla, lemon and pomegranate sounded good—so I added a few drops of them to my oil concoction.

Inventing the 3-Day Hydration Treatment

I applied the oil to my skin and nails. In 5 minutes it was gone. I reapplied. Periodically, I’d rub my nails checking if they still had a slippery feel.

When it was gone, I reapplied. By day 3 I noticed that my nails were staying oilier longer.

Unknowingly, I had created the 3-Day Hydration Treatment that would change the lives of women around the world.

The Right Way to Create a Nail Salon Manicure at Home

Nail Preparation

I will be creating a series of videos to demonstrate my steps to caring for my nails.

My hopes are that people will learn from what I publish and say, “That makes sense.” Forget the marketing and advertising—does it make sense?

But for those of you who just can’t wait for the videos….

1. File Nails before Removing Polish ~ The color will help you see your final shape better. 20 strokes with a 180 or 240 grit file will remove one week of growth.
2. Protect Skin  ~ Apply any inexpensive kitchen oil to your skin completely around your nails. (You’re protecting your skin from the drying effects of acetone.)
3. Remove Polish  ~ Use my Soak and Swipe™ technique in the video above. (Saturate that cotton! Let it dissolve the polish for 60-90 seconds if you’re wearing 5 to 10 layers of polish.When you see the color seeping into the cotton, use another piece of saturated cotton to remove the piece on your nail with one clean swipe. If there is still polish on the nail, use a new, clean, saturated piece of cotton. Yep, I go through A LOT of acetone.)
4. Wash Nails with Warm Water, Soap and Nail Brush.
5. Mini-Hydration Cycle with Nail Oil  ~ For 4-24 hours with 4 to 8 hours being the norm. (This reverses the drying effect of acetone to your nails.)
6. Remove the Cuticle  ~ Using a cuticle remover (or after a bath or shower), gently slide a cuticle removing tool across the surface of your nail plate. Polish doesn’t stick to skin.
7. Rinse Nails ~ with Warm Water, Soap, and Nail Brush. (Your nails will be filled with water and very soft if you wash too long.)
8. Apply Nail Oil ~ Continue applying your favorite jojoba wax ester based nail oil periodically until your nails have returned to their normal shape. (1 to 2 hours.)
9. Prep Nails for Manicure ~ Wipe dirt and surface oil off nails with rubbing alcohol and a lint-free wipe. Use alcohol saturated Q-tip swab to clean the underside of the nail plate.

What? No Buffing?

You’ll notice that filing down ridges IS NOT part of my nail prep regimen.

This is because ridges are the healthy portion of the nail. The valleys are the weak portion. Buffing down ridges is a HUGE NO-NO!!! I explain why in much more detail in this article.

The Fab 5 Wrap

I created the Fab 5 Wrap to help prevent my nails from absorbing water. Does it stop my nails from absorbing water if I’m doing dishes without gloves for 30 minutes?

NO!!!

But it does stop my nails from absorbing water in a 15 minute luxurious shower! And as a Mom to 4 active children and an entrepreneur, I need a little indulgence!

1. Two Base Coat Wraps: Apply 2 coats of ridge filling base coat, wrapping completely to the underside of exposed nail tip. Any polish that gets on your skin will wash or peel off.
2. Two Color Coat: Keep an orange wood stick available to wipe polish off of skin before it dries. Do not wrap the color because it’s difficult to remove.
3. One Top Coat Wrap: Apply 1 coat of your favorite quick dry top coat, wrapping completely to the underside of exposed nail tip.
4. Clean Smudges: Dip a small makeup brush or art brush in acetone to clean up polish on skin and create a clean line near your eponychium (“cuticle” line).
5. Rinse and Oil: Rinse acetone off—Apply nail oil to skin.

The Perfect Marriage

The Mini-Hydration cycle between manicures with the Fab 5 Wrap technique is a marriage made in heaven.

(Ok, well maybe not that extreme—but pretty darn close to me!)

Nail oil absorbs into your nails brilliantly but soap and water wash it away. The Fab 5 Wrap traps the oil into your nails.

Your nail bed continues to nourish your nail plate with m

oisture and sebum (body oil). Polish traps all of that wonderfulness in your nails keeping them strong yet flexible.

But then the polish must be removed and we start over. Acetone—dissolves polish and takes precious oils with it. The mini-hydration treatment—reverses the damage.

It’s simple. It takes extra time—but it works—and it’s worth it. To have healthy nails in the 20th Century, you really can’t have one without the other.

Hydrate—Protect—Dissolve—Repeat.

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The post The Nail Salon Manicure – Is It Hurting You? first appeared on Nail Care Headquarters.