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

Ridges in Nails—ASK ANA

ASK ANA

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

ANSWER

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

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

Both of these are terrible ideas!

I’ll explain why.

The Truth About Ridges in Nails

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Aging Process

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

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

Should You File Ridges in Nails?

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

Ms. Monroe’s Flawed Advice

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

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

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

The Solution

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

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

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

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

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

Hydration is Helpful!

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

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

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.

If you liked this article . . . please share!

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

Peeling Nails

Becky’s Pure Nail Oil™

Challenge Results

Becky’s Thoughts

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Becky’s Peeling Nails

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

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

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

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

Have a Question You’d Like Ana to Answer?

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

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

“My Nails Made It Through the Airport!”

Where do I start? …

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

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

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

No Expectations

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

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

My Results

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

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

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

Even the fine lines in my skin all but disappeared.

I was shocked.

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

But my results speak louder than words—without Photoshop.

A Good Problem

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

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

Never would have thought I’d have this problem!

Kid Friendly

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

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

The Competition

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

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

In Conclusion

In a nutshell, Pure Nail Oil™ has:

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

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

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

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

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

If you liked this article . . . please share!

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

Most of us have ridges, especially as we get older, and we want them gone.

In this article, you’ll learn:

• Why we shouldn’t fear our ridges
• How Oprah’s beauty director gives wrong advice
• The best solution for dealing with ridges

ASK ANA

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

ANSWER

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

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

Both of these are terrible ideas!

I’ll explain why.

The Truth About Ridges in Nails

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Aging Process

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

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

Should You File Ridges in Nails?

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

Ms. Monroe’s Flawed Advice

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

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

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

The Solution

Along with Doug Schoon, my recommendation is to use a high-quality ridge filling base coat to fill in the grooved areas and smooth out the surface of your nail before applying your color lacquer.

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

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

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

I hope that helps! ~Ana

The post RIDGES IN NAILS —To Buff or Not To Buff? 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.

Good cuticle health is tough to maintain when your skin gets dry.

Many of us can’t stand dry skin and start messing with it. Today’s article shows an example of what can happen when the nipping compulsion goes too far. 

It also shows the miracle that are bodies are. When given the time and a product that helps the body repair itself, miracles do happen.

Today’s article is a little different. Kimber was so generous to send me daily—and sometimes hourly—email updates of her 7 day challenge using Pure Nail Oil™. She has created an amazing record of her experience which I really want to share with you.

I’ve added many portions of our email correspondence with the photos. Feel free to skip through them if you just want to see her amazing photos. I’ve arranged them in the article in the following order.

1. The14 day difference of her right and left hand 
2. Kimber’s right hand daily with emails in between
3. Kimber’s left hand without text between

You can find Kimber’s complete review on her webpage Kimber’s Lacquer Korner

Kimber’s 7 Day Challenge

Kimber’s Results

“I would bet my entire year’s salary that everyone who tries Pure™ would not go back to anything else! It’s really *that* amazing!” ~Kimber

Before and After – Right Hand

Kimber’s before shot was photographed with special filters and angles to conceal damage.

Before and After – Left Hand

 The Progression

Days 1 – 7 – Right Hand

KIMBER 11:18 am: Here are the Day 1 photos! The improvement is amazing to me. It may not look like much to anyone else, but I can see a HUGE improvement! And my nails and cuticles feel amazing. I wish I had a naked photo of my right hand. The nails are so much whiter and brighter. This stuff is “Liquid Gold,” I tell you. I will never ever be without this.

It’s taken ALOT of oil so far. My skin and nails have been so dry for so long. I’m reapplying at about 90 minutes now, which is better than yesterday which around 45 minutes.

I don’t mean to photo spam you, but I had to share my progress so far. I’m just in awe of what Pure Nail Oil™ can do!!!

I cannot thank you enough for creating this and sharing it with all of us!!!! You are my savior!

I certainly will never forget you! Out of all the people that claim to have the answers to nail and cuticle problems, you’re the only one that is honest and true.

I’ve been pouring over your articles lately and it’s just amazing how much bad advice is out there and how even the blogging community is guilty of passing along the wrong information. And you’re just so sweet and approachable. I couldn’t resist sharing my progress ! I’m so glad I found you ( and your miracle oil!)!

P.S. My husband is so amazed with my results that he tried Pure™ last night and loved it too!

Day 1 — May 7th

KIMBER: 11:11 am  Hi Ana, I woke up this morning and thought aliens had secretly replaced my cuticles, but it’s really just the miracle that is Pure Nail Oil! I am so thrilled that I’m alternating between crying and jumping for joy. If my cuticles can’t convince people that this is a miracle in a bottle, then nothing can. AND it truly is a miracle.

These photos give you an idea of the state my cuticles are in all the time. Once I used cuticle remover, my cuticles disintegrated into what’s shown from yesterday. I don’t think they ever really got any better, it just looked like it on the surface. 🙁  Feel free to zoom in on those puppies.

Check out that pinky..ugh! The ring finger just kept getting worse, as did my index. The only nail that looks decent is the middle finger, and that’s because it was never bad.

My OCD leads to compulsive hand washing (I’m amazed that I have been able to wash mostly my palms, only including my fingers twice yesterday!) and serious nipping issues.

My hands are also slathered in CND Solar Oil™ and lotion here—ugh! It covers up some of the dryness but not all of it.

I know it’s hard to see the real level of damage in these since I’m good at camera angles that hide the problem as much as possible and lighting that doesn’t highlight those cuticles. I wish my battery hadn’t been dead yesterday, so I could give you before photos of my right hand without polish, but there was no way I could wait 2 hours for it to charge before using my Pure Nail Oil!!

ANA: 4:20 pm: Thank you so much for the compliment. You are a customer that makes the hard work a joy.

I want to ask you for a huge favor—will you postpone your big reveal for one more week? Here’s why.

I’ve helped another customer who had red, swollen skin behind the cuticle line. Yours is from clipping. Hers was from cuticle cramming. She pushed her eponychiums back so far that they folded under, causing immense irritation and redness…..and pain. I see the same in your fingers.

Please forgive me if I’m telling you information you already know. I’ve included a picture of my nails (right). See the nice tight band of skin? That’s the proximal nail fold of your eponychium.

The cuticle is actually a thin layer of skin that grows out under the eponychium and remains on the nail plate. You can see the cuticle really well in the picture below. This is what needs to be removed before a manicure, since polish doesn’t bond to skin well. ; ) Removing the cuticle requires gentle scraping, not clipping.

In one week, I’m hoping the proximal nail folds of your eponychiums grow back and create the nice seal that they are supposed to have to keep bacteria and infection out. If you wait until that point for your big reveal, it will be significantly more powerful.

KIMBER: 5:54 pm: I cannot thank you enough for your support and advice. Breaking the nipping habit is hard – I still have moments where I want to snip off a small bit, or attack a calloused spot, but I just run my fingers over my nails and cuticles and feel how much softer they are already and that helps to stop that urge. You have perfect cuticles, BTW. I’m working towards eventually having cuticles that are even half that nice!

8:44 pm: The strangest and coolest thing just happend too! I took a bath with my little one, and when I got out and dried my hands, a literal TON of dead skin just sloughed right off!! All that’s left of the giant sheets of dead skin where all that swelling is/was are a few little red spots. Same with the dead skin on the eponychium on my pinky and ring fingers. Crazy! I swear I see serious and dramatic improvement every few hours.

ANA: 9:11 pm “I meant to mention earlier, when you mentioned your OCD with washing….All the oils in Pure™ are anti-fungal and anti-bacterial. So applying a thin layer of Pure™ on your hands can replace some of your washings. It will also help kill the infections in some of your cuticle lines.”

KIMBER: 10:48 pm: Wow! I did not know that! I knew that Tea Tree Oil is a great natural anti-fungal, but was not aware that the other oils had anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties. Is there anything Pure™ can’t do?

That is great news for my OCD, which is a blessing and a curse right now. It’s definitely making sure I stick with the regimen and make sure to oil when I need it, but it’s also evil and wants to nip at every little imperfection. Thankfully that goes away once I realize how much progress I’ve made in less than 48 hours.

Day 2 — May 8th

KIMBER 2:34 pm: Okay, here’s day 2’s results. You can tell it’s definitely time for my cuticles to have some Pure™! I had actually just washed my hands twice in 30 minutes since I was at a client’s house and had to clean up dog poop and was slobbered on ALOT.

At first I was I though these didn’t show much, since you can see the red spot on my fingers from where those gigantice (like the size of the entire area between the eponychium and first knuckle) pieces of dead skin sloughed off yesterday, but since those are just the spots that were healing underneath and the dead skin is long gone, I guess that’s improvement as well! Especially since that skin had been there for weeks.

I can also see alot less curling on my left hand, and the ring and pinky on my right has greatly improved. Considering what I’m working with, the improvement is still epic. 🙂 I’m going about 2 hours and 15 minutes between applications now, which is much better than yesterday’s 90 minutes. I knew I would need more oil than most people so I’m not surprised. Very glad I’m going 7 days though!

ANA: 9:20 am: “I know…it’s crazy how awesome this oil is! I’ve even had a customer use it on her eczema. Cory and I are testing it with foot and toenail fungus as well. We wear slippers practically all year long in the Pacific Northwest.

I’m proud of you with having your husband holding your nippers hostage.

At some point you may need them back for only one thing…..the hard hangnails that show up in the middle of your sidewalls, if you get those. I find that those are really hard to keep soft, unless I’m oiling about 8 times a day. My usual is 2-4.

So I use little tiny baby clippers. They’re sharp and can get in to clip just that hard piece without grabbing a bunch of live skin with it. My personality is that I will pick at those until I bleed. So those baby clippers are a lifesaver for me.

KIMBER: 9:30 am: I love my square nail shape. The reason I have the stilettos on my right hand (which are fun, but not very versatile for nail art, which makes me sad since I used to do a ton of nail art but those have limited me) is due to the extreme curling that I have with my index and middle fingers on that hand.

When I had my horrible down to the quick break on my left hand, my nails were pretty long and I decided instead of cutting my right hand down, I would try a new shape. It’s alot of fun but I will probably end up going back to squares as soon as my left hand evens out. I love stamping too much to give up those gorgeous full nail images.

ANA: 9:40 am: The curling corners of your nails were because of dryness. My nails do the same thing. I was checking out your blog and the square shape (or squoval)  is really flattering to your hands.

The other thing that will really help stop the curling so much is to do a basecoat and topcoat wrap completely around to the underside of the nail.

The curling happens when your nails are dry on the underside. The polish on top is holding your nail in shape and preventing moisture and oil loss in your nail plate. This is good.

But if the underside is unpolished, then your oil and moisture evaporate and get washed away….and in your case, get washed away very quickly. So the free edge can only dry and curl up like an autumn leaf.

I went back to your blog and checked out your nails when they were square. Your nails are exactly like mine, except I think your nail bed is a little wider than mine. Our strong natural C curve can only get tighter the more it dries out.

A person with flatter nails wouldn’t notice it as much because when their flat nails dry, they start to get a nice C curve. Oye!

The Basecoat Topcoat Wrap has changed my life. It’s delightful to get out of the shower and my nails have the exact same curve as when I went in.

Can’t wait for your next update! 😀  ~Ana

KIMBER: 12:14 pm: Funny you mentioned the baby clipper! I used those when I first started polishing! I “graduated” to nippers because I thought they would be somehow better. Little did I know! Those things are pure evil. I told my husband he can just toss them out since I will NEVER be using them again. With this kind of progress now that I have Pure™, I am never going back.

I’m sure we all say that we’re your biggest fan, but I swear if I’m not number 1, I’m way up there! I can’t wait to show you today’s pics. The progress is just incredible. I’m still so amazed and just beyond thrilled. I look at my nails and cuticles now and feel hopeful instead of depressed. Anyway, I always have baby clippers around since Dex is still a little one (he’ll be 3 next Tuesday!).

I actually had a male friend of mine email me about Pure™ today! My husband wants to start the 3 day hydration treatment as well. But since I’m so in love with mine, I told him he has to get his own. 😉

And just hearing that my nails are like yours makes me grin! I do do have fairly wide nail beds, but if my nails could look half as gorgeous as yours? I’d be the happiest nail blogger on earth! The first time I saw your nails I called my hubby over to show him and told him that I want nails that that! He’s actually very interested in all things nail related (which is good for me since I spend so much time blogging about nail polish!), and he was in awe of how perfect your nails are.  I’ve honestly never seen such gorgeous natural nails before. That is my ultimate goal.

I am definitely going to start wrapping my base and top coat all the way under my nails. I read your article about that last night and thought…”well, that makes perfect sense!” Why aren’t we all doing that yet? Just like you said, I lose moisture very quickly (hopefully that will be decreased now!) and that curling starts quickly. It drives me buts, since I wait until my nails are completely dry to to polish, hoping that will reduce it a bit, but no go. I’m pretty excited to try your technique – I really think it will make a huge difference for me. Pure has already shown me that I can help the curling by using oil, now it’s time to protect those oils that I’m working so hard to replace!

ANA: 4:30 pm: You’re becoming such an amazing testimonial! I can’t thank you enough.

I’m not sure if you’re my #1 Fan….a few other girls might fight you on that one 😉  But you will certainly be my most transformational.

Don’t worry about the skin under your nails. It needs the oil too.

If you haven’t been doing both sides for the last 48 hours, then they are dryer than the top, so they will be thirsty. I always do both sides. It also keeps me from sticking my nails in my mouth, not that I have ever been a biter….but Crisp™ tastes horrible to me!

KIMBER: 4:43 pm: Hahaha! Smells amazing but the taste doesn’t match!

I’ve been doing both sides but I have a feeling that pesky skin under there was sucking up some oil. There’s a lot less under there now and this last round held on much longer under my tips. I think I may have been going too light under my tips as well. I’m so focused on the tops!

I had a feeling I was winning the “former worst cuticles” award! I knew that Pure™ would work, but I knew that if it could do for me what it has done for others, then it was honestly the miracle product that it appeared to be. And it is! Honestly this is the first product I’ve tried that die everything it claims, and more. I’m still wondering why the entire nail community isn’t using it. Although I’m working hard to convince them!

I think I’ve found my giveaway idea for my 2nd blogaversary too. I think I’ll buy a starter kit and use that as the prize!

ANA: 8:39 pm. “You are adorable! 😀  It’s pretty fun to find an amazing product! And I wouldn’t claim it if it wasn’t true. The entire nail community doesn’t use it because they’ve never heard of it. I’ve been wanting to approach many of the big bloggers to send them samples. I’ve just been really busy.

I need to create a badge for blogger’s pages stating that they exclusively use Pure.™ I seriously need to clone myself! 😀

May 9th, Day 3

KIMBER: I’m at 3 hours without having to oil now! And when I do oil, the oil is starting to spread over my fingers instead of just being sucked in by my cuticles and sidewalls! Woohoo!!!! I can only imagine what day 7 will look like, and a few months from now? I have a feeling nails, cuticles and hands will all be different!

1:30 am. I had another EPIC moment tonight. I caught a nail on my freezer door and was convinced it was broken. Normally a whack like that would break my free edge right off. I’ve had to file my nails down to nubbins at least 4 times in the past year due to hits like that. Not even a chip tonight!

I do have one more question though….forgive me for picking your brain so much but I really do value your advice. I have a bit of a fear of my cuticle remover at the moment. I don’t need it now obviously, but when the time comes, I don’t want to risk having the same issues I’ve had in the past. I was using Blue Cross Cuticle Remover since nothing else would get the cuticle off my nail plate (maybe because everything was so dry?), but its incredibly hard to wash off, and it is so powerful that it will eat away at any and all skin it touches (I routinely had flaky fingers for days after using it), and seems to damage the nail plate easily as well. Do you have any suggestions for a good cuticle remover that is gentle? I refuse to willingly undo any of my progress!

ANA: 9:35 am: “Yay for Pure™ and the freezer! That happens to me all the time too….it’s amazing to look down cringing in expectation and see it didn’t happen!

Cuticle Remover: I’ve used Blue Cross without the issues you have. It shouldn’t eat away at your eponychium. Flaky skin tells me that you may be having an allergic reaction to the potassium hydroxide, also known as caustic potash in Blue Cross.

I tend to keep reaching for my Sally Hansen Instant Cuticle Remover because I like the gel consistency over the wateriness of BC. But it’s main ingredient is potassium hydroxide.

A natural solution would be to very gently remove the cuticle after a shower. Add a little Pure™ to keep the skin soft and remove the cuticle with an orange wood stick or metal cuticle remover tool.

Day 5 — May 11th

KIMBER: Hi Ana! i know you’re probably busy as a bee over there today since it’s Friday Shipping day, but wanted to send you my Day 5 pics! I’m still seeing results! I do have some older, dead skin that still needs to come off, but with the condition that my cuticles were in before Pure™, that’s not surprising at all.

What is surprising is that there is so little of it! Even on my worst fingers, there is just a bit of it. I think they’re looking wonderful and by Monday afternoon which is day 7? I’m certain my nails and cuticles will look better than ever! I can’t believe how white my nails are now too! And, even the damaged areas on the nails seem to be fading out. I’m not having as much wear anymore, which means I can shape my nails less than every 5 days. So thrilled! I hope you see as much progress as I do!

Day 7 — May 13

KIMBER: It’s reveal day! I’m so excited. The changes are so wonderful – I cannot thank you enough for all of your help and encouragement! You are truly one of the sweetest women around and such a blessing to know.

I forgot to tell you that my stiletto nails on my right hand are gone – it wasn’t a break though! I had decided to take them down to squares so that they would be closer in length to my right hand and so I wouldn’t scratch my son (not to mention nail art!), and the same morning I made that decision, managed to whack that nail with a large knife while cutting watermelon. Pure™ does alot of things, but it can’t protect me from my own inability to cut a watermelon. 🙂

So far my post is HUGE! I’m uploading photos right now, and there are a lot of them! I have the reveal, plus days 1,2,3,5 and 7! I’ll also be updating at week 2, 3, and 4, and every couple weeks after until I hit 3 months. I have a feeling that at 3 months, my nails, cuticles, and hands will entirely transformed into something that I’ve always dreamed of.

KIMBER: It still boggles my mind that I’m still seeing improvement. I can’t wait until I hit that 120 day mark. I’m certain that I will not recognize my own nails and cuticles at that point. Funny you mention using it on paper cuts – the other day (actually you can see it in my day 7 photos I think) I was changing a razor blade and they have those trimmer blades at the top. I forgot about those and managed to give myself a papercut-like slice on my ring finger. I started using a bit of Pure™ on it and the darn thing hasn’t bothered me at all! It’s almost entirely healed in the shallower areas at the ends. The center of the cut was deeper, but still looks great.

I have a feeling that Pure™ will reduce any scarring as well! I love that the oils have anti-bacterial properties. It really has accelerated my healing in a big way, and I’m no longer washing my hands 40-50 times daily with anti-bacterial soap. I love that Pure™ has led me to learning about nail and skin care!

Day 10 — May 16

KIMBER: 2:06 pm. My results just keep getting better. I’m starting to see itty bitty eponychium on those poor fingers that were nipped into oblivion. My middle finger on my left hand is always last, and I started seeing a very tiny bit this morning. And those heavily callused spots along my sidewalls are still improving—they may just go away!! NOTHING has ever touched those at all. Even if my cuticles managed to look semi-okay, those always stayed exactly the same. Just another reason Pure™ is soooo much better than anything else out there.

I’m glad that my fanatical love for Pure™ is a good thing! I’m always more inspired to buy something if I see people that have tired it raving about it. Although in all honesty, I never had the sense that you were hiding anything from us or that you were stretching the truth. I mean, I saw your results and that was a big catalyst in ordering. Yours and Erica’s. I looked at your pics and decided that I want hands, cuticles, and nails like that!

ANA: 5:32 pm: My plan has always been to be as honest as possible….and think. So many of us have forgotten how to think. We’re so easily swayed by advertising, myself included.

KIMBER: Ana, you do a great job at making people think. It’s all too easy to just let the big marketing companies do all of that for us. I’m certainly guilty of it. For years I was convinced that I needed strengtheners to keep my nails healthy. Since finding you and Pure.™

I’ve become much more aware of only of what my skin and nails need, but ingredients in most everything that I use. Right down to my shampoo and conditioner. I’ve started researching more and more, and not only am I more knowledgable, but I’m saving a ton of money since I’m realizing exactly how much I’m paying for some nice words on a package and chemicals that really do nothing! It helps that I love science and am always fascinated with how things work and why they work.

Day 14 — May 21

KIMBER: You can see all the improvements though, as well as the damage on the ring and pinky fingers on my right hand from all that nipping and scraping. The pinky is still being a pest, but my doc said he was surprised that I managed to retain the nail given what I had managed to do to it, so it’s actually a huge improvement.

These pics were taken right after removing my big ole nail art manicure so sorry about the acrylic paint under my nails that would not come off! I’m incredibly happy with all my improvement – I would never have shown anyone my skin and nails after removing polish before! NO WAY! 🙂

The latest cool thing is that all those pronounced, hard callused areas? They’re coming of…and I mean they lift up, almost like a hangnail, and I have to snip them off with the baby clippers.  Those spots were horrible! Hard as a rock, scaly and icky. I hate having to snip them at all, but if I don’t, they hang there until I do. Kinda gross, but healing isn’t always pretty, right? Once they’re gone, they don’t seem to come back, which I’m a-ok with!

Days 1 -7 Left Hand

Ana’s Thoughts

I don’t think I could say anything that Kimber hasn’t covered with her incredible enthusiasm about Pure Nail Oil™. She’s such a joy to chat with and she definitely has a way with words. My favorite part though, is the Cons portion of her Pros and Cons List.

Cons:
-Does not come in “Vat” size, since Ana makes small batches to keep the oil fresh.
-Does not protect against knife wounds.
-Will not do my laundry or vacuum, no matter how nicely I ask.
-Works so well that my husband wants to steal it.
-Apparently tasted very lovely— according to the cat—who likes to try to lick my nails now.

The Simple Solution

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

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*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 all who never took or understood Chemistry and Physics in high school or university.

The post CUTICLE HEALTH – Pure Nail Oil™ Challenger Kimber’s Results first appeared on Nail Care Headquarters.