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.

How Do I Stop the Hard, Dry Skin On Hands Around My Nails?

ASK ANA

I have a question for you from a member of a polish discussion group I am in.

“I moisturize constantly, and the skin around the tops (as in closest to my knuckles) and sides show that, but no matter what I do, the skin directly to the sides at the TIPS of my fingers is rough. Usually looks fine unless it starts to peel, but it feels terrible when I touch it (doesn’t hurt, just feels wrong) and the OCD part of me wants to pick it away. I never noticed it before I started moisturizing. I assume it was unnoticeable because the entire area was dry. Does anyone else have rough skin around the tips of their nails despite moisturizing? Is there a solution? It’s a real bummer.”

What is the cause for this? This area will sometimes harden for me as well. With use of Simply Pure Nail Oil™ it is less often, but it does happen from time to time. ~Christian

ANSWER

Christian, thank you so much for asking this! Great question.

I actually had to sit and think about this one for a minute because no one has ever asked, and it’s not in Doug Schoon’s book, Nail Structure and Product Chemistry

I get this dry, hard skin on my hands as well. My guess is that anyone with nails longer than nubbins does too. There are two reasons.

It’s Friction Baby

1. They’re calluses.

Our skin has an amazing ability to protect itself in areas that experience a lot of friction, pressure or irritation.

EVERY time we put pressure on our fingertips, we press that skin into a mildly sharp edge of our fingernail.

Try it—put 2 fingers together and press. Watch what happens to your skin—it moves up and around the outside of the nail. This means that every time we touch something or pick something up, we are putting a “cutting” type of pressure on that skin.

Nanette Silverberg, MD, a dermatology professor at Columbia University, says, “Friction strips the skin’s moisture and enhances the dryness.” [source: WebMD.com]

The body’s response is to thicken the layers of skin in that vulnerable area. I noticed that the callusing is harder on my right hand fingers than my left. This makes total sense since I’m right handed.

So in a sense—these calluses are not wrong—they’re a very good thing. We just don’t like the way they feel.

It also explains why we don’t really feel pain when nipping that skin off. It’s just hardened layers of dead skin.

But what happens when you’ve nipped that skin away? It feels really tender until that skin thickens up again!

Hum, that makes me question….what are we doing to ourselves?

Will the Real Moisturizer Please Stand Up?

2. It’s darn hard to moisturize that area.

Our fingers have a lot of trouble really getting into those small areas around the nail to moisturize with lotion.

And in reality, lotion doesn’t “moisturize” anyway, no matter what they say on the bottle. It creates a barrier on your skin that is not absorbed.

In my 45 plus years, I’ve only found one thing to help that skin stay softer— Simply Pure™ hydrating oil and Simply Sealed™ Lotion Stick.

Just like our nails, there are two things that keep our skin soft and flexible or “moisturized”—water and sebum (body oil).

Now, sebum really isn’t an “oil”—it’s a wax ester. Jojoba is a wax ester also.

It actually can be absorbed by the skin and nails. Simply Pure™ contains the highest percentage of jojoba on the market today.

Since Simply Pure™ has an “oil” consistency, it can seep down under the nail edge and soften those calluses, especially if you consistently apply the oil “under” your nail tips.

If you liked this article . . . please share!

The post Ask Ana – How Do I Stop Hard, Dry Skin On Hands? first appeared on Nail Care Headquarters.

My Nail Strengthener —Simply Pure™ nail oil

When I created Simply Pure™ hydrating oil in 2012, I didn’t track my progress. That was a big oops.

I just didn’t know that something miraculous would happen.

Let’s Get Naked!

When I hosted my first “Let’s Get Naked” Challenge on Facebook in January, 2013, my fans encouraged me to “go naked” with them.

I had been using a soak off gel overlay for about 9 months and I was getting a little tired of the time it took to reapply—mostly because every time I removed my polish, it started to dissolve the gel.

But Your Nails Are Strong

Most people think I must have strong nails. This couldn’t be farther from the truth.

My nails are really thin! 

Most of my life starting in college, I’ve used a hard gel overlay to give my nails the added strength they required to grow long.

My Greatest Mistake

After the birth of my 4th child, I was too tired to keep up with the gel maintenance.

I cut my nails short, let the hard gel grow out (because it’s very difficult to dissolve it with acetone), and stopped painting my nails. This was the biggest mistake I made as a mother.

Caring for my nails was my sanctuary—it gave me quiet time and it helped me feel prettier. And I gave it all up.

The Challenge

Since I wasn’t ready to go back to hard gel, when my fans asked me to “go naked”, I felt like it would be a great opportunity to go back to using Simply Pure™ hydrating oil as my only nail strengthener and document the growth process.

It Takes Two to Tango

Simply Pure™ hydrating oil AND weekly manicures allow my super thin nails to grow without breaking.

I rehydrate with Simply Pure™ by doing an overnight hydration treatment, then remove dirt and surface oil with rubbing alcohol before applying a new manicure using the Fab 5 Method.

The Fab 5 Method

•  2 base coat wraps
•  2 color coats
•  1 top coat wrap

1.) Pure Nail Oil™ gives my nails flexibility to bend when I whack them against something hard. 

2.) The Fab 5 layers actually strengthen and protect my nails with 8 layers of polish—5 on top and 3 below. For more info about the polish wrapping, click here.

Ana’s 111 Day Challenge

Ana’s Results

The 4 Month Progression

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The post NAIL STRENGTHENER – Ana’s Simply Pure™ Nail Oil Challenge first appeared on Nail Care Headquarters.

White spots in nails—we all get them and many people wonder about the true source.

Today’s post is a combo article—a Pure Nail Oil™ Challenger’s results and an ASK ANA. A few months after Sue Metcalf of Lacquerland.blogspot.co.uk did her Pure™ Challenge, she asked me a what the white spots in her nails were from. Our resulting dialogue gave me the opportunity to work with Sue to find out why her cuticle lines were still so red and irritated.

The Truth – White Spots In Nails

According to Dr. Andrew Weil, M.D., “these white spots are simply a sign of some past injury to the nail matrix, where the nail cells are formed. Two myths are that white spots in nails are a sign of calcium deficiency, or a zinc deficiency. They aren’t true. Neither is the well known but bizarre notion that the spots are due to eating too much Hellmann’s mayonnaise (I’m not making this up).” ~Andrew Weil, M.D.

Ok, now that we’ve gotten covered the truth, let’s dive into Sue’s initial 3-Day results using Pure Nail Oil™.

Sue’s 3 Day Challenge

Sue’s Results

Before and After – Right Hand

Before and After – Left Hand

Sue’s Thoughts

January 18, 2013 Since I have been wearing polish every day, I have been fairly unconcerned about the state of my naked nails. They were hidden by some very pretty polish!  To be honest, I feel polish has protected them. I certainly don’t have the same issues with peeling nails and I think nail polish has acted as a barrier from water, knocks and scrapes. I have used oils, Vaseline and balms on my cuticles and they help a little. If I don’t, the skin dries and cracks within days and it feels sore and looks worse.

The hardest part of the challenge is going naked for three whole days. That is 72 hours! For the first 48 hours, for me, this meant three times an hour. My nails were drinking the stuff. After almost 48 hours to the dot, the rate of absorption began to slow and I had to apply oil less often.

Today, the 72 hours is over. My nails look better and feel fantastic, smooth, glossy and not oily in any way. The cracked nail on my little finger feels smoother. The white of my free edge seems whiter and the staining from months of nail polish is much improved. To conclude, Pure Nail Oil™ gets a MASSIVE seal of approval from me.

ASK ANA: White Spots In Nails

March 12

SUE: Ana, can you help? Why do I have these marks on my left hand nails?

ANSWER

ANA: It’s so fascinating to me how different your two hands are. The white spots in nails are called Leukonychia Spots. These white spots are generally caused by injuries to the matrix—behind your cuticle line—where your nail cells are formed. According to Doug Schoon, author of Nail Structure and Product Chemistry, True Leukonychia turns your nails completely white, like chalk.

The wide, straight line on your ring finger is a classic “nail bruise”. It happens when you bang the nail matrix area against something. It hurts like crazy when it happens, and you forget about it. But that bruise shows up in your nail about 1 month later when that spot finally grows past the eponychium. White areas are rich in nail cells that didn’t flatten as they normally do and turn transparent.

Overall, it’s nothing to worry about, especially if you’re moisturizing your nails with Pure Nail Oil.™ Is your left hand in more water or chemicals than your right hand? There’s something you’ve got to be doing differently with that hand. ~Ana

March 13

SUE: Thank you, Ana. It is baffling me. If anything my right hand is used more as it is my dominant hand. The only thing I thought is that I push the cuticles harder with my right hand. I have one of those double ended metal pushers. A blunt blade on one end for scraping and the other is a elongated spoon shape for pushing. I tend to use a wooden stick now – and you can see no white marks in the nail closest to the cuticle.

ANA: Yes, it is very possible, and plausible, that you are doing some damage if you are pushing too hard with the double ended pusher. My guess would be that you were pushing down as well as back. Too much down-pressure near your cuticle line would be the same as hitting the matrix. The Lunula (moon), easily seen on your first two fingers of your right hand is actually the exposed portion of your matrix. Those nail cells are still alive and can be damaged by injury to that area.

The tool you are using is for removing the cuticle. But most people don’t really know what the cuticle is. The cuticle is a thin layer of skin on the nail plate, the correct removal method is to gently slide it across the surface of your nail. The cuticle stays attached to your nail as it grows past the eponychium (which is a thin band of skin that creates a seal against the nail so bacteria can’t get in). Most of the time, you can’t see the cuticle, you can only feel it with the tool. Proper cuticle removal only requires gentle scraping—NEVER nippers.

It is physically impossible to remove the cuticle with nippers. Nippers are used to incorrectly remove the proximal nail fold of the eponychium. This skin is a required guardian seal to prevent bacteria and germs from entering the matrix.

I’m so happy to see that the red irritation around your cuticle lines is looking much better when compared to your first photos, but I’m still seeing some tight swelling and a touch of redness. Have they been like that your entire life or is it something that has come on in the last few years? How often do you push back your cuticles (eponychium)? ~Ana

SUE: Thank you Ana, I push the cuticles back with my fingers ALL the time. I have the oil pen by my bed and I am oiling the skin (I have gel on so tend to put oil on the gap between the gel and skin). I watch TV in bed from 8pm most nights – I have spinal issues and need a break from my chair. During the day I oil at least every hour. So many people have said I need calcium and vitamin D supplements, or zinc, because I have a deficiency. If that was true I doubt my body would show it on just one hand? !!

The redness is much diminished. Thank you for noticing. Where do you see the tightness and swelling? Do you recommend more oil in those areas? I used to be a chronic skin biter, usually when I was stressed I’d notice myself doing it. I have pretty much kicked that since being unable to work but if I drive and am stuck in traffic, I have noticed my fingers move to my mouth, like a reflex. Being nail aware has almost cured me.

ANA: That’s what I thought. I must say, your oiling regimen is fabulous! My husband is a skin biter too…it’s a tough one. I’m more of a picker, so hard skin bugs me really fast. I have to have little infant clippers with me at all times.

There actually is no need to push your cuticle lines back more than once a week, right before a new manicure. (This is going to be another hard habit to break.) You actually want to see a nice band of skin called the Proximal Nail Fold of the eponychium. Can you see it in my photo (to the right)? It’s the lighter colored fold of skin touching my nail.

I don’t see these in your pictures so it would be easy to think you clip your cuticles. What you may be doing instead is actually pushing that Proximal Nail Fold too far and back under itself, which causes irritation and swelling. It’s very easy to over do it.

What I’d like you to do is to just oil and massage your skin when you feel like pushing it back. Then when you do push them back once a week, I would like you to only use a fingernail to push them back. Does that sound do-able? Oh, and since you live in England…for sure…you need to take Vitamin D …at least 5000 IU. Huggs! ~Ana

SUE: Yes, I see what you mean. I’ll see what I can do. I do use nippers if I get an edge or a ragged bit but I don’t cut them religiously like some people do. I can imagine it would be too sore and sting with polish remover. I have some Calcium/Vit D tablets we got for our son when he broke a bone. They are lower in dose than you suggest. ca 500mg/Vit D3 200iu March 14

ANA: Right! So you can see a tight seal between mine and the nail plate. Whereas there is a huge gap in your photos. When that seal is broken, bacteria and germs get in and cause swelling and infections, which can also affect new cell growth in the matrix.

My sense says that your Proximal Nail Fold needs to completely replace itself, which may take 2 to 6 weeks. The oils in Pure™ are anti-fungal and anti-bacterial, so using them religiously will help kill the germs while you are healing.

Anyone living above the 40 degree Latitude line needs to be taking at least 5000 IU of Vitamin-D. I live in about the same climate as you. We just don’t absorb enough sunlight throughout the year and our bodies can’t store Vitamin-D like some other vitamins. My doc started me on 10,000 for about 9 months before Vitamin-D actually started showing up in my blood tests. Take care sweetie! ~Ana

SUE: Thank you. I have started to rub the oils downwards towards the free edge rather than pushing up. The oil does seem to help minor cuts (I am prone to getting whitlows or cutting myself on thin air). I will send you a picture in a few weeks and then we can publish a case study! Thanks again for your encouragement and wise words.

ANA: Yay!!!! Oooo, and it helps paper cuts heal faster too. That sounds perfect to talk to your doc. The easiest way to tell if you have enough D is to have a quick blood test done. I’m looking forward to seeing your pics in a few weeks! Huggs ~Ana

March 19

SUE: I think that skin fold thing is starting to reappear. Hopefully I hadn’t cut it off (didn’t think I had as I don’t, only very dry bits) so it was probably pushed to far back by far.

ANA: It is!!!! Yay! Just keep oiling that skin. I would also recommend getting some Chapstick or other product with beeswax in it. Use that after you oil to seal it in. This will help prevent the oil from being rinsed away as often. You’re doing great! ~Ana

March 23

SUE: Here are my nails now. You are responsible for the improvement! Xx (photo to right)

ANA: Oh, My Gosh!!!!!! This makes me want to cry! I’m so happy! Your eponychium is gorgeous! (Ok, that just sounds weird…but you know what I mean!) ~Ana

5 Month Update!

May 30, 2013

I have been using Pure Nail Oil™ for some time now and I am impressed with how my cuticles and nails have improved!

I became a hand model for my daughter to pass her exam in acrylic nail enhancement. I have subsequently had infills so I cannot show the effect on the actual nail plate.

I believe the effect of Pure Nail Oil™ on my skin speaks for itself. The photo below is amazing!

Like you read above, Ana gave me lots of advice regarding cuticle care. I had been guilty of constantly pushing back my cuticles. This had given them a bunched up appearance and some redness of the eponychium (cuticle line). I have also been a hangnail biter in the past. Decades of abuse is probably impossible to repair completely but rigorous application and massage of Pure™ has improved the condition beyond doubt.

I have use one 15ml bottle completely and am part way through my second bottle now. I’d say the bottle lasted 3 months. The only improvement I could suggest is to change the label to be grease proof! Over time it has become blotched with oil. 😛

Ana’s Thoughts

What amazes me most is the dramatic difference in Sue’s skin. Her proximal folds of the eponychium have re-appeared beautifully. The red inflammation is gone. And most importantly, Sue has learned how to take care of her nails and skin so much better. She can be proud to show off her hands, and I’m very proud of Sue’s willingness to take advice and implement it.

The post WHITE SPOTS IN NAILS – Sue’s Pure Nail Oil™ Challenge first appeared on Nail Care Headquarters.

But what is the best treatment of dry skin?

A lot of people think that there is a magical cream or formula which will moisturize dry skin and hands.

In Part 2 of Kira’s Pure Nail Oil™ Challenge article, you’ll discover how the whole beauty industry has sold us on their creams, lotions, and salves.

What’s interesting is that all we really needed to do was look at the human body for the solutions.

Kira’s photos show the stunning power Pure Cuticle and Nail Oil™ has in the treatment of dry skin. You can find Part 1 of this article here.

You can find her complete blog review is available at PrettyKittyNails.blogspot.co.uk

Kira’s Before & After

In 3 Days

Notice the wrinkles behind Kira’s cuticle line are significantly lighter!

Before & After

Notice the wrinkles behind Kira’s cuticle line are significantly lighter!
The skin on the right side is far more moisturized.

Ana’s Thoughts

Kira’s case study is so interesting. You can find Part 1 and Kira’s Thoughts here.

Can Pure™ really make a difference—as a treatment for dry skin and nails—for someone who fastidiously cares for her hands and nails to start with?

I absolutely love how transparent and thorough Kira’s review is by showing those awesome macro shots of her nails.

It’s so crystal clear how much her skin has healed and how healthy her nails are after only 3 days.

Our Body Has the Solution

Ok, I’m going to get all science speak and geeky here, so bear with me. I will make sense of this for you.

Your body’s natural oil is sebum. Image #1 shows the molecular structure of sebum.

Photo courtesy of the Jojoba Co.

Sebum contains a variety of different lipids, including cholesterol, glycerides, fatty acids, squalene, and wax and cholesterol esters, but the exact composition of sebum varies with a person’s age. [source: New Zealand Dermatological Society]

 

What Nature Provides

There are two amazing oils that are almost identical in chemical structure to sebum.

One is legal—Jojoba—and one is not—Sperm Whale Oil.

Illegal

Sperm whale oil is composed mostly of wax esters and a smaller proportion of triglycerides. You can see the molecular structure of this oil in image #2 below.

Photo courtesy of the Jojoba Co.

Sperm Whale oil was used extensively in the beauty industry until the US banned importing sperm whale oil in the early 1970’s. The beauty industry was forced to find a replacement and they found it in jojoba. When comparing image #2 to #3, you can see why.

Legal

Jojoba is chemically classified as a wax ester, and this structure sets jojoba apart from vegetable oils. Jojoba is a straight, unsaturated ester chain of fatty alcohols and fatty acids. This structure can be seen in image #3.

Photo courtesy of the Jojoba Co.

The esters which make up jojoba are very similar to the esters that make up about a third of human sebum, which is the natural oil that your skin produces. [source: http://www.jojobanaturals.com/chemistry.php]

 

Plant Oils

Palm, coconut, olive, sesame, etc, are a completely different chemical family. These oils are classified as fats (triglycerides). 

Plant oils and solid fats are triglycerides with a glycerine backbone from which different fatty acids branch out—like a tree as in image #4.

Photo courtesy of the Jojoba Co.

Triglycerides look and behave very differently than your natural skin oils. You can easily see this in photo #4 above. The olive oil (like most plant oils) has three branches that kind of make it a “bigger” molecule.*

This basic distinction explains why jojoba is so readily absorbed into skin and hair, and why the quality of moisturization is so superior to its competitors.

Jojoba penetrates into skin rapidly without leaving any oily sensation within only a few seconds. This is very different from the branched fatty acids of other vegetable oils that just sit on your skin. It is so immediate in this rapid penetration that one may think it evaporated, but it really did enter the skin/nails—the true benefit comes from what enters your skin and nails. Jojoba replaces the sebum that we keep washing away from our skin and hair. [source: jojobassaf.com/jojoba_oil.php]

So my question to you…

When comparing the photos above, which ingredients do you think are going to absorb easier into the microscopic tunnels between your nail’s keratin cells?

Treatment of Dry Skin

Our skin and nails become dry because we are constantly washing the oils away.

The human body isn’t supposed to be scrubbed with beautifully fragranced body washes every day.

Human hands aren’t supposed to be washed, on average 20 times a day, with antibacterial soaps.

The human body is supposed to be slightly oily.

The sebum traps the moisture that comes up through the skin and nails. But we keep washing the sebum away!

Our body is designed to “moisturize” itself – from the inside out. The sebum layer’s function is to be the barrier to the evaporation of moisture from within.

Vanity Over Function

Throughout recent centuries, our desire to have the privileges of the wealthy class has led to our misguided belief that we should bathe daily.

Brilliant marketing campaigns by soap companies have perpetuated this belief of being squeaky clean. Now we have a new problem—dry skin.

A new market is opened up to solve our new problem. Lotions, creams, balms and salves were created—all promising to “moisturize.” The first ingredient is usually water and they contain humectants to draw the water out of the air, making you “feel” moisturized. I just feel slippery and slimy with most of them.

We can’t moisturize our bodies with water. If we could, then our dry skin would be solved with a bath or shower. You and I both know that our skin usually feels drier after bathing.

Don’t get me wrong … I still have some favorite lotions. I just know they aren’t moisturizing since they sit on the top of my skin. It just feels less dry and itchy.

When we put on lotions, we’re simply masking the problem. Then we wash them off the next day—causing the whole cycle to start over!

The New Treatment of Dry Skin

Doesn’t it seem to make sense to you that if our sebum traps the moisture produced inside our skin to keep it soft and flexible, that we would want to replace sebum with a similar “wax ester” rather than a plant oil that just sits on top of our skin?

Nail oils with a high percentage of jojoba are actually the best for treatment of dry skin around our nails. The jojoba also increases nail flexibility and strength.

Pure Nail Oil™ is the only nail oil on the market with an extremely high percentage of jojoba. There is a synergistic relationship between the oils and jojoba in Pure™ making it more effective than anything you have experienced before.

What I love about Pure™ is that you get immediate results, and those results get progressively better with continued use.

Other cuticle oil companies say you shouldn’t expect to see any results for one and a half weeks!

Why should you wait so long?

Customer after customer is showing dramatic changes in their nails and dry skin in only 3 days when using Pure™. This will happen for you too.

The Simple Solution

The solution is quite simple? Put the oil back in your nails.

If you liked this article . . . please share!

*Disclaimer: The actual science of the relationship of water, oil and keratin is way too complicated to explain with 100% accuracy in a simple fashion. Science is complex. My descriptions are meant to create a picture that is easy to understand for those who could never make sense of  Chemistry and Physics in high school or university.

The post TREATMENT OF DRY SKIN – Ana Explains Kira’s Results first appeared on Nail Care Headquarters.