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

In this article, you’ll learn:

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

China Glaze Blue Bells Ring

Polish Stain Removal Tips

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

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

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

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

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

My Steps For Preventing Polish Stains

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

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

3. Remove polish in ONE firm, clean stroke.

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

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

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

7. Wash hands with warm water and soap.

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

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

Soak & Swipe™ Polish Removal

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In Desperation – Removing Immediate Stains

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

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

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

No Buffing Please!

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

It’s quite understandable why they recommend it though.

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

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

Nail Keratin Cells Under Electron Microscope

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Who’s Guilty?

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

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

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

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

Should polish brands be condemned for causing staining? Hummmmm.

Be Careful with the DIY Whitening Soaks

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

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

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

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

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

Where does that water go?

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

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

In Conclusion

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

The best method is prevention.

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

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

Yellow Stained Nails 

ASK ANA

“I have a question …How do I get the whites of my nails super white? They get yellow so fast and I need an easy, “cheap” way to get them white again.I use base coat, but I work a multitude of construction jobs- from construction to welding. My nails always look yellow ( and I smoke too). I tried denture tabs, bleach… nothing works. I am at the point of sheer embarrassment that I may just cut them all off- but I like my long nails with clear coat.” ~Monica

ANSWER

Monica, I’m happy you’re using basecoat.

The major downfall for your nails is the smoking. I’m betting your smoking hand is worse than the other?

As you know, the tar residue is sticky, so it sticks to everything. This is why your nails stain so fast.

Here’s an article I wrote about yellow stains. It might help: https://www.nailcareheadquarters.com/yellow-nails-how-to-prevent-staining/

The best option, besides quitting (which I’m sure you’ve heard a 100+ times) is to conceal it with a manicure.

Several of my smoking customers have said that using Pure Nail Oil™ has decreased the staining. My sense is that the oil fills the top layers of keratin, making it difficult for the nicotine to penetrate the top layers of your nail plates.

I find that my a high quality ridge filling basecoat covers my polish stains quite nicely. Yours is probably more intense though.

Ophilie from Tartofraises has a natural manicure technique to make natural nails look nicer….it’s basically a soft french manicure. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voWMHfMDP2A

The other option would be to find a soft pinky-beige polish that you wear all the time and is so soft that others don’t notice small chips or edge wear. Your biggest challenge will be that the nicotine will stain the polish as well. Hope that helps! ~Ana

The post ASK ANA: Yellow Stained Nails – How Can I Get My Nails Whiter? 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.

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 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.

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.

— Can oil help treatment of dry skin?
— Why is nail oil important for your skin too?
— Does it really work?

Many people think that there is some magical cream or formula that is going to moisturize dry skin. You’ll learn how the entire beauty industry has sold us on their lotions, creams and salves.

When all we really need to do is look at the human body for the answer.

Kira’s results demonstrate the amazing power Pure Cuticle and Nail Oil™ has at treating dry skin. You can find her complete blog review is available at PrettyKittyNails.blogspot.co.uk

Kira’s 3 Day Challenge

Kira’s Results

Before – Right Hand

Day 3 – Right Hand

Before – Left Hand

Day 3 – Left Hand

Before

After 3 Days

Kira did use a little bit of nail glue to glue the tear back together.
Notice the improved quality of her fingertip skin and the fuzzy keratin cells on her nail plate are gone.

Before & After

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.

Kira’s Thoughts

“I have followed Ana’s Pure Nail Oil™ “Let’s Get Naked Challenge” for 3 days and I have to say I am loving the results!

As a nail polish obsessive I generally try to take pretty good care of my hands and nails. I regularly use cuticle oils and balms but I still do get dry bits on some cutcicles and I tend to have quite brittle nails.

When I first started this challenge I didn’t really expect to get huge result, after all, my nails were in an OK shape to start with.

I think my pictures speak for themselves.

The skin around my nails really was transformed and the nail plate much less dry—in only 3 days!. I was astounded by the difference!

I have used OPI and CND cuticle oils and we all know they are good quality. Well—I am very impressed with Pure Nail and Cuticle Oil™!

I have to say—I really like it—it feels less thick and sticky than other oils I have tried. Crisp™ has a pleasant scent.

But the thing that has made the most difference to me is how easily it sinks into my skin. It’s almost like Pure™ has a finer texture if that’s possible.

I will be continuing to use the oil daily and I am looking forward to seeing the longer term results.

Thank you Ana for a fabulous product and for really caring about your customers.” ~Kira

Ana’s Thoughts

I have so much to write about why Pure™ helped Kira get such amazing results, that it makes this post way too long.

I’ll share those in the next article. Until next time…

The Simple Solution

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

*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 TREATMENT OF DRY SKIN – Pure Nail Oil™ Challenger Kira’s Results first appeared on Nail Care Headquarters.

• Can nail oil help strengthen nails?
• Why is nail oil important?
• Does it really work?

Many people think that there is some magical formula in a nail lacquer bottle that’s going to make your nails longer and stronger.

This just isn’t true.

What is true? Nail Oil creates stronger nails.

The beginning of this article shows Kelli’s results after her 3-Day Hydration Treatment Challenge. Be sure to see her 3 month results at the bottom of the article.

Kelli’s results demonstrate this and her complete blog review is available at NailArtForNerds.

Kelli’s 5 Week Challenge

Kelli’s Results

Before – Right Hand

Day 3 – Right Hand

Day 1 – Left Hand

Day 3 – Left Hand

5 Weeks

Kelli’s Thoughts

Ana, I want to thank you for coming up with such an amazing product. I just want to say it again and again I LOVE Pure Nail Oil™ so much!

The scent of Crisp is amazing and not overpowering like some other oils.

It’s so amazing how my nails and cuticles went from dry, cracking, and brittle to shiny, smooth, and strong!

I really can’t express how pleased I am with how my nails look and feel. I swear they feel stronger already, in just 3 days!

I’m so used to wearing polish to cover up the yellow discoloration, but now I don’t have to be ashamed because these nails look beyond beautiful to me.

I think that I can love my nails now, instead of hating them.

Because I know this product actually works, I’m definitely going to be using Pure Nail Oil™ exclusively on myself and my clients for as long as I’m a nail professional.

Since the price is so reasonable and affordable, I will be recommending Pure™ to ALL of my clients and fellow nail techs.

Thank you so much for a wonderfully amazing product!  I am in love with Pure Nail Oil™—and so are my nails!

Ana’s Thoughts

Like Erica, Kelli holds a special place in my heart as well. She’s the first nail professional to fall in love with Pure™.

How Oil Creates Stronger Nails

In it’s simplest terms—Oil is the glue that holds your nail’s 50 layers of keratin together. Too much water in our nails pulls the layers apart. This is the cause of peeling nails.

Healthy, moisturized nails are the perfect balance of 18% water and 5% oil. This is a balance we are continually working to maintain.

Our Past

In a time long ago, when horses were our only transportation and indoor plumbing was over a hundred years away, we did things differently.

We rinsed our hands in the local stream without soap. We bathed once a month and always smelled of campfire smoke. Our nail beds nourished our nail plates with moisture and sebum perfectly.

And dirt wasn’t an enemy.

Today

Fast forward to today. Indoor bathrooms with antibacterial soap on every counter. Our fear of germs and dirt has created a multi-million dollar hand sanitizer market.

The main ingredient in hand sanitizers is isopropyl alcohol—a great oil solvent.

The average person today washes their hands 20 times per day! The tiny 5% of oil doesn’t stand a chance!

Combine that with the oil dissolving properties of acetone—it doesn’t take long for your nails to be drier than the Sahara Desert.

Water, Water, Everywhere

According to Doug Schoon, author of Nail Structure and Product Chemistry, our nails have the ability to absorb 3 times their weight in water!

If there isn’t any oil in your nails to slow down the water absorption, then the spaces in between the keratin layers get filled with water—pushing them apart.

When your nails have enough oil in them, water has to work a lot harder to work it’s way through the layers. So oil helps protect your nails.

Will Any Oil Do?

No.

Most oil molecules are too big. Jojoba oil is the only oil almost identical in molecular structure to our body’s natural oil—sebum.

If sebum and water are the only two molecules that can travel between your keratin layers—then you want an oil that’s almost identical to sebum.

Stronger Nails

Strong nails are flexible nails.

Think of a fresh, green Spring leaf—it’s filled with moisture and very bendable. A crispy, cracking Autumn leaf has lost all of it’s moisture. It breaks with the slightest pressure.

Stronger nails bend under the stresses of life. Stronger nails aren’t hard—as the cosmetics industry has led us to believe. Commercial nail strengtheners and nail hardeners only make your nails weaker.

The reason Kelli said her nails felt stronger is because they were!

In 3 days using Pure Nail Oil™, you can feel your nails becoming strong and flexible. You can bend them and you know they won’t break.

They don’t get mushy soft like when you’ve been in the tub for 30 minutes.

It’s different—and you can feel it.

The Simple Solution

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

3 Month Update

“Two weeks ago, even my TEACHER thought I had acrylics on! That made me laugh, because she was a trainer for CND and has been in the business of doing nails for 37 years. I couldn’t be more thrilled with my results!” ~Kelli

Left Hand

Right Hand

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

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 were never called to take Chemistry and Physics in high school or university.

The post STRONGER NAILS – Pure Nail Oil™ Challenger Kelli’s Results first appeared on Nail Care Headquarters.

Can nail oil help prevent yellow nails? Why is nail oil important? Does it really work?

Many people think that there is some magical formula in a nail lacquer bottle that’s going to make your nails longer and stronger.

This just isn’t true.

What is true? Nail Oil makes nails stronger.

And Erica’s results demonstrate this.

Erica’s 25 Day Challenge

Erica’s Results

Day 1

Day 25

Erica’s Thoughts

Day 25—Today was the last straw!  

I wanted to hold out until Monday (the 4 week mark) but I just couldn’t!  My nails were starting to get too long to type —even for the smallest amount of time.

I type with the ends of my fingertips rather than the pads of my fingertips and it was actually getting painful!

My nails had to be cut down!

I took these pictures before cutting—and holy crap!  I can’t believe how long they are!

I really wish I could deal with my nails being so long. If it wasn’t for my job, I seriously would have let them keep growing.

What made you purchase Pure™?

Peer pressure! Haha—kidding. Katie Rae at Lustrous Lacquer posted about Ana’s Pure Nail Oil™. I got intrigued, went to the website, and bought it. Did I mention that I’m also am impulse buyer?

I trusted that she knew what she was doing.  And she wasn’t hiding anything from anyone.

After using Pure™ for going on 4 months now, I have to say that in combination with Aveeno Eczema Care hand cream, it’s one of my favourite products to use on my hands!

Why would you recommend Pure™?

Ana has taught me “moisturize, moisturize, moisturize!”  Canadian winters are harsh and every year my nails and skin take a beating in sub-zero weather.

Pure Cuticle and Nail Oil™ is seriously the bomb, and helps my nails gain strength (flexibility is strength for nails) and length.

I went from NUBS to “OMG I need to HACK these down” in 25 days—using Ana’s oil!

Also—thought it’s not its purpose, I find that using the oil all the time helps to prevent yellowing. I’m not shooting you a line.

My nails used to be so yellow—it was bad—and embarrassing if I happened to leave home without polishing.

I have been using Ana’s oil since the end of October 2012 and I am proud to wear them NAKED if I go out without polishing first!  You can check out my full review with lots of photos.  (see how yellow my nails were?!)

Ana’s Thoughts

Erica will always hold a very special place in my heart.

I’m brought to tears as I write this. There is a saying…. “You never forget your First.” Fortunately, I married my first love—Cory … but Erica?

Erica created my first Blogger Review—totally unsolicited—and totally unexpected. She purchased, she experimented, she took tons of photos, and she reported to her fans.

I wasn’t surprised by Erica’s results, because I experienced the same results multiplied by three!

Prevent Yellow Nails?

The thing that did surprise me was her experience with yellowing nails.

Nail staining is usually caused by dark pigments used by polish companies offering less expensive polishes. They choose cheaper quality dyes which stain and yellow the nails.

You have approximately 30-50 dead, keratin layers making up your nail plate. Only the top few layers get stained.

Can I Sand?

So in theory, you could sand the staining off—but this is a seriously bad idea. I’m surprised that this is actually recommended by dermatologist Deirdre O’Boyle Hooper, MD. on Oprah.com. 

Each time you sand off staining, you’re removing layers of your nail plate—causing them to be thin and brittle.

In fact, I disagree with all of Dr Hooper’s advice in her article except using basecoat to prevent staining. That actually does work. There are better options to prevent or reduce staining.

How Oil Prevents Staining

So … why would Erica experience less staining? I believe it’s because Pure Nail Oil™ has filled up the microscopic spaces between your keratin cells.

Imagine a sponge with little holes, like the photo to the right. If those holes stay empty, then there is potential for dyes to remain in the top layer. The dye is not able to work down into the deeper layers.

Now, if all those holes are filled with the perfect blend of 18% water and 5% oil, then there simply isn’t room for the dye. It’s removed with your acetone.

I know some of you have probably jumped ahead of me already … Can you skip basecoat if you use Pure™ regularly? No. 

Remember, base coats are formulated to bond to the nail plate. Color polishes are formulated to bond to base coat—not the natural nail.

The solution? Put the oil back in your nails.

The post YELLOW NAILS & NAIL OIL – Pure Nail Oil™ Challenger Erica’s Results first appeared on Nail Care Headquarters.

GROW NAILS FASTER

How to grow nails faster … We all want to find that magic product to help our nails grow faster.

Nicole asks me a question that I get quite often.

This article is a companion to my article: Nail Growth – Does Qtica Nail Growth Stimulator Work?

In this article I cover growth products, natural ways to grow nails faster, and the real solution for stronger nails.

Read on…

ASK ANA

What is the best basecoat that that helps your nails grow? I use Stuck on Blu! from Glisten and Glow to prevent staining but it does not help with growth.

Now I know some will say that no polish can help with growth, but I do use one that actually does help with growth and I stopped using it just to see if my nails would still grow. They don’t—and they are again weak and brittle. Just pressing on them bends them. But when I was using the treatment I have I could not bend them as easily as they do now.

And the treatment can be used as a basecoat BUT it does not prevent staining. Do you think I could use that, then the Stuck on Blu! then top coat, like layer them? Or would that be too much? Is there a product out there that anyone knows of that does prevent staining and helps with growth or strength. ~Nicole

ANSWER

Your Treatment Product

Author of Nail Structure and Product Chemistry, Doug Schoon just emailed me this yesterday…

Ok, I need to pause here….Eeeeeee! Doug Schoon emailed me! He’s read some of my articles on this site and thinks they’re really good. He’s really excited about the work I’m doing to bring you the truth about nails. Eeeeee! Ok, geeky girl party over 😀   ~Ana

I digress … So here’s what Doug Schoon emailed …

No cosmetic product can claim to “stimulate growth.” Not only is this a false claim, it is an illegal claim. Cosmetics can NOT claim to affect the structure or function of the body. Cosmetics can’t speed up nail growth and they can’t legally claim to do so. ~Doug Schoon

Nicole, when you stopped using the product you describe your nails as weak and brittle.

This is due to the fact that your product is a nail hardener. There is nothing in this, or any  product, that helps grow nails faster.

The ingredients in nail hardeners actually dry out your nails more. This makes them more weak and brittle when you remove the product.

Hardeners are also a big contributor to peeling nails. Nails peel when they are severely dried out. I explain how water helps push the layers apart in my article How to Strengthen Brittle Nails.

Stop Growing?

Nichole, you also said you stopped the product to see if your nails would still grow. The truth is that your nails have a consistent growth rate that doesn’t stop until you are dead. Sorry if that seems blunt but it’s true.

Nails don’t stop growing when removing a product. They also don’t start growing by applying a product. As long as you’re eating and breathing—your nails are growing.

Layering Hardener Before Base Coat

This could work but you may experience more polish chipping. The reason is that good base coats are made to bond to the nail surface, not another polish.

Base Coats Reduce Staining

Base coats definitely reduce staining from high pigmented polishes. They are formulated to bond to the bare nail plate so you’ll have longer polish wear. Colored nail polishes are formulated to bond to a base coat.

My favorite base coat has microparticles to smooth out the nail plate. I’ve also noticed that it’s great at covering up mild yellow staining.

Three Natural Ways to Grow Nails Faster

Other than a healthy diet and lifestyle, there are only 3 things that can help healthy nails GROW faster, longer or stronger.

1. Get Pregnant

This one is well known by every woman who has had a baby. Nail plate growth progressively increases 3.5% to 20% during pregnancy because of increased hormones. Nail growth slows down dramatically when nursing the baby after it’s born. Then nail growth will return to the normal rate when the child is weaned.

2. Damage or Bite Your Nails

Finger nail plates grow quicker when damaged. This is your body’s survival method. You need your fingernails. If you turn to biting though, you’re not going to see the increased nail growth. You’ll be biting it all away.

3. Move Somewhere Warm

Nail plates grow twenty percent (20%) faster during the summer—due to increased blood flow to the matrix. This also explains why massaging lotion or oil into your cuticle lines will help you grow nails faster. You’ll be bringing more blood to your matrix. This is where your nail cells are formed.

You can read more about these in my article: Ask Ana: Does Qtica Nail Growth Stimulator Work? 

Vitamins?

“Nothing you eat will make healthy nail plates become stronger than normal, but poor nutrition can certainly make them weaker…..To date, no conclusive scientific studies have linked vitamin supplements, gelatin drinks, or special foods to the faster growth of healthy nails.” ~Doug Schoon, Nail Structure and Product Chemistry

With that being said, I do believe that most Americans are vitamin deficient. If you’re not consuming 7 to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables daily, you could be deficient of many important vitamins and minerals.

Find a good multi-vitamin that has significantly more than the US RDA (recommended daily allowance). Basically those numbers are what is required to keep you from getting many vitamin induced diseases, like Scurvy. A healthy diet will help your grow nails faster.

Many gals swear by Biotin supplements for stronger nails. This is most likely because a lot of us aren’t getting enough biotin in our diet.

Strengthen with Oil

Think of a leaf.

During the Summer, it’s gorgeous, full of moisture and very flexible.

Then when it dies during the Fall, the moisture is sucked out. It shrivels up, get’s fragile and cracks.

Our nails are the same.

When they are hydrated with the perfect mix of about 18% water and 5% oil, nails are flexible and can endure the brutal forces of living life. This is true nail strength.

When they are dried out from way too much hand washing with harsh, antibacterial soaps, polish removers and nail hardening products, they get stiff and fragile. Your nails snap instantly with barely any pressure.

Strong nails are flexible nails

The very best way to improve the flexibility of your nails is with a high quality, jojoba wax ester based nail oil.

Try my 3 Day Initial Hydration Treatment (bottom of page in link). You will be shocked how much oil your nails will absorb. After the first 3 days, the oil will stay in your nails for many weeks if you keep them protected with lacquer.

The enemies of your skin and nails are soap, water and polish removers. These are the things that remove that precious 5% of oil.

Oil certainly won’t help you grow nails faster, but it will make them stronger and more flexible. They will break less. This makes it appear like our nails are growing faster.

Protect with Polish

Lacquer actually helps protect your nails. It has a tighter molecular structure. Water can penetrate lacquer, but very, very slowly.

Each layer of polish adds temporary strength and as long as the polish is freshly applied, it’s flexible too.

Consistent use of polish is another way of adding flexible strength to your nails. This helps reduce breaking—again—making it appear like your nails are growing faster.

NEW RULE: New Manicure Every 7 Days

Polish that’s been on for more than 7 days gets brittle and cracks. Raquel from Love4Nails reapplies a new manicure every 7 days. She says every time she doesn’t follow this rule, she breaks a nail. This is because after 7 days, the polish dries out too much and cracks.

Nicole, I hope that clears up some of your really important questions. I’m sure you’ve helped a lot of people who have the same questions as you. Take Care! ~Ana

The post How To Grow Nails Faster! first appeared on Nail Care Headquarters.

Even worse is removing green and having green nails (true story).

By the end of this article you’ll understand

1. The causes of yellow nails and color staining.
2. What you can do to remove the staining as well, although in most cases I don’t recommend it.
3. What the best ways to reduce the staining are in the first place.

ASK ANA

What is the best basecoat that prevents staining from dark polishes and yellowing from wearing polish all the time? ~Nicole

 

ANSWER

There are several different causes contributing to yellow nails and staining.

The most common is using dark pigmented nail polishes. But it can also be because of other unhealthy causes. Let’s take a look.

Causes of Yellow Nails

Health

If you have yellow nails and don’t wear dark nail polishes, then the yellowing can be caused by a serious condition.

In rare cases, yellow nails can indicate a more serious health issue such as diabetes, severe thyroid disease, lung disease or psoriasis. You will want to notify your doctor as soon as possible.

Fungus

Nail fungus occurs more frequently in toenails but can appear in fingernails as well. It starts as yellowing and leads to the nail plate separating from the nail bed. Often times it’s not bothersome, but it can also be quite painful.

When nail fungus has been present for a long time and left untreated, the nail begins to get thicker, peels or crumbles, and there is a foul odor.

Smoking

Smoking can cause yellow nails as well. Nicotine and tar are sticky substances that grab on to the smoker’s hands while holding a cigarette. Often tar is responsible for the brown stains and nicotine for the yellow nails.

The most ideal solution is to quit smoking. But since it is difficult to quit, smokers will see the stains continue to build up as the years pass.

Nail Polish

“Certain dyes can deeply stain the nail plate. Early nail color formulations used high concentrations of staining dyes. Today, high-quality, professional nail polishes use low levels of dye and use only those that don’t permanently stain the nail plate. However, some inexpensive brands cut corners and use large amounts of dyes to reduce the cost, making them more likely to discolor the plate.

In general, nail discoloration is caused by dyes, damage, drugs, disease, injury, or illness. Some topcoats can cause yellow or light brown stains when applied directly to the bare natural nail. Base coats do more than improve nail polish adhesion—they help seal and protect the plate from staining.” ~Doug Schoon, Nail Structure and Product Chemistry.

Solutions to Yellow Nails

Why Do You Want the Stains Gone?

My first question to you before I get into the solutions is, “Why do you want your nails unstained?”

If you need to do a photo shoot of your bare nails or a French Manicure, then it’s a great idea. But if you’re just going to turn around and do another colored manicure, then you’ll be covering the stains.

Removing the stains will just waste your time. It will weaken your nails by leaving them more dried out than when you started.

Prevention is Key

Base coats are formulated with certain ingredients to improve the bond to the bare nail.

Nail polish is formulated to bond to base coats—not the bare nail. Base coats help extend nail polish wear. They also protect the nail from the staining dyes in nail polishes.

I did a quick search online to see if there were good basecoat comparison articles that prevents yellow nails.

What I discovered is that there is no outstanding winner. Everyone has their favorite base coat based on their personal chemistry and lifestyle.

My suggestion would be to use two coats of your favorite basecoat if using a dark colored or inexpensive polish—otherwise 1 coat should be enough.

A great example of the power of using a basecoat to prevent staining can be seen at Kae’s website, www.TheHungryAsian.com  She shows what her nails looked like stained yellow and then how they look after 3 months of using basecoat with her manicures. It’s startling!

Nail Whitening Techniques

Realize that soaking your nails in any liquid solution for 15 minutes dries out and weakens your nails.

You will need to rehydrate your nails with a high quality, jojoba based nail oil over several hours.

I DO NOT recommend any of these nail whitening techniques for long-term staining unless you are going to photograph a French Manicure.

These are the suggested solutions I found on the internet. Some look like they may be successful, one is very dangerous and the other is a lie.

Peroxide/Baking Soda

Several tricks can be used to remove the yellow stains from nails. The author of Beautiful Hands and Nails Naturally, nail expert Fran Manos recommends bleaching nails in a solution of 1 tablespoon of 3% hydrogen peroxide mixed with 2 1/2 tablespoons of baking soda in a small plastic bowl.

Use a cotton swab to press some of the mixture, with a paste-like consistency, firmly under the tip of each nail as well as over the top of the nail. Cover all the nails on one hand. Wait about three minutes before rinsing with warm water. Repeat on the other hand. Fran suggests trying this treatment every six to eight weeks.

Lemon Juice

Many people swear by lemon juice and there are several techniques. You can soak your nails for 15 minutes in fresh or reconstituted lemon juice. Some people just rub the lemon juice into their nails and hands and let it dry

Marina at www.ForeverTheUglyDuckling.com has graciously allowed me to show her before and after photos using lemon juice combined with a commercial whitening product. You can see by the photos to the right, she had great results, but at what cost?

Denture Tablets

Several people have had great results with soaking your fingers in warm water with 4 denture tablets, for 15 minutes. Diana of www.PaintedLadyFingers.com gives a detailed review of her process and experience.

Whitening Toothpaste

Some people have results with scrubbing your nails for two minutes with a whitening toothpaste and a nail brush. According to Anutka at WackyLaki.blogspot.com, this is her favorite technique for immediate staining. As in, you remove red polish and your nails are pink.  She says it won’t work on long-term staining.

Hector at GrilledNail.blogspot.com has an interesting case study. He’s a talented young nail artist who prefers to create art on his left hand. As you can see in the photos to the right, his right hand tends to remain unpolished.

Hector attempted to use the whitening toothpaste on deeper stains and found it to be minimally effective. His results are in alignment with Anutka’s opinion from WackyLaki.

Light Buffing

This is a bad solution. I DO NOT recommend this technique.

Yes, it will work because it’s probably only the top few layers of keratin that are stained.

The problem is that most of us only have about 50 layers of keratin.

If you sand a few off each time your nails are stained, over time your nails will become very weak and brittle.

Letting Your Nails Breathe

This is an old wives tale that just won’t die!

I explain how it came about in a previous Ask Ana article: Do Nails Breathe

Better Removal Techniques!

Soak & Swipe

The best way to remove polish while reducing staining is to use my Soak & Swipe™ technique.

It’s the quickest way to remove polish with no scrubbing required! This way you are not grinding the pigments into the top surface of the nail plate.

I used to hate removing my polish and now it’s actually a pleasant experience.

More detailed information can be found in this video and in my Nail Polish Remover Tips article.

Cuticle Remover?

Surprisingly, it does work!

Michelle of LabMuffin.com did a very detailed experiment showing how well different removal techniques worked at removing immediate stains.

Acetone

I also wrote another article showing how I used acetone to remove blue stains. You might want to try this technique first.

In Conclusion

Since I haven’t purchased and tested every basecoat on the market, I am not able to hold up one saying “this is it!”

I did recently do a 2-month long trial where I tested 6 popular ridge-filling basecoats available in the United States.

I’ve read too many reports from nail artists over the years, how they love brand X over brand Y, and then another artist with say she prefers brand Y over brand X. Why? Perhaps it’s her personal chemistry, or perhaps it’s her belief in marketing claims—perhaps it’s something else.

I know from years of experience that two coats of your favorite basecoat before colored lacquer will reduce staining.

A lot of staining is often caused when you’ve re-wet the lacquer while you’re removing it and are scrubbing to get it off—are you scrubbing the pigments into your nails?

Basecoats are formulated to bond to the nail plate. They help your polish bond better too so you will experience less chipping and longer lasting manicures.

Try different basecoats to find your favorite. Should a polish immediately stain upon removal with acetone, try using acetone again and scrubbing backward toward the cuticle line. After that, then try cuticle remover. As a last resort, use the whitening toothpaste technique.

For long-term staining, it’s best to start using a basecoat with every manicure and just let the stained nail grow out.

Just remember to ask yourself, “do I really need these stains gone?” when you are most likely going to cover them with another wonderful color.

The post Yellow Nails – Is There a Basecoat that Prevents Staining? first appeared on Nail Care Headquarters.