Tag Archive | brittle nails

Monday Mani

Sep11

Healthy Natural Nails*

 

Formula 1 – Maintenance after healthy and strong nails are achieved

Formula 2 – Weak, peeling nails

Formula 3 – Dry, brittle nails

Formula 2 Plus – Damaged and thin nails

Use:  daily application of thin even coats, careful to cap free edges.  After the sixth or seventh day of daily application, remove and began daily application for another six or seven days until the desired results are achieved.  Better and faster results if used without polish for the first 30 days of beginning the treatment.  Can be worn over nail polish if so desired.

*Purchased only at authorized nails salons
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What are your nails saying about you?

Jan26

 Healthy nails . . .

What Are Your Nails Trying to Tell You?Manicured hands

Photo: Getty Images

They say, “The eyes are the window to the soul”.  But as it turns out, the nails may give us a glimpse of our inside and overall health.  “Fingernails should be a healthy, pinkish color,” says Dr. Jeannette Graf, a clinical and research dermatologist and Assistant Clinical Professor of Dermatology at Mount Sinai Medical Center. “But significant changes to the entire nail could represent something going on in the body.”

Of course, slight variations are normal and no reason for panic, but here’s a guide to what specific issues could mean.

Pitting – “Pitting of the nails could be psoriasis,” says Dr. Graf, adding that in some cases, it could be a symptom of a connective tissue disorder.  If you see small depressions or irregular contours in your nail bed, it’s time to visit a dermatologist.

Clubbing – Surprisingly, the tips of your nails hold hints about your lungs. “Clubbing of the end of the fingers can be suggestive of pulmonary disease,” Dr. Graf explains. Colloquially known as Hippocratic fingers, this condition is easy to identify due to its “inflated” appearance. “If you look at the end of the nail and it’s thick and round, that’s clubbing,” Dr. Graf adds.  Other signs of possible lung problems?  Longitudinal, linear lesions in the nail bed or blood splinters.

Spoon-shaped nails – Koilonychia—indented or concave nails with ridges—could be a sign of iron-deficiency anemia, according to Dr. Graf. It may also suggest hemochromatosis, a liver disease caused by too much iron buildup. Uneven nails, she says, should also grab your attention: “In the absence of trauma or psoriasis, when the nail is uneven, it could also be a sign of thyroid problems.”

To be continued . . .

If you have any questions about your nails, skin or hair, please consult a dermatologist.

 

Think About It:  Take time to write out your goals.  Writing out your goals makes you more decisive.

 

Some Causes of Nail Problems

Sep15

Manicured hands

While doing a manicure, I often ask clients how did they break a nail.  They ultimately say, they don’t know why or how their nails come to have a break, split or peel.  ‘It just peel or split like that?’  Some are legitimate reasons:  searching in a large purse, car door handle or just hit the nail and it breaks.  Breaks are often better than bending.  Believe me!  We all know the nail doesn’t grow out broken.  Broken nails are most likely due to some action or mishap by the client.  Some are just heavy-handed or use their nails as tools:  to open or peel something.  Most often its the thumb nail.

Cuticle care is very important to nail health.  If the cuticles are dry, cracked and tight, it could impede the nail growth.  The cuticle is actually a protective sheath that grows over the root of the nail. This is where your nail’s new cells are developed — the new cells grow and then push out existing nail, which is what causes the dead, whitened parts of your nail to grow over time and require trimming.  Washing the hands excessively can also cause dry brittle nails and dry tight cuticles.  Insufficient hydration through your diet can also cause dryness.

The bottom line:  healthy nails, have healthy cuticles

 

Think About It:  For a woman, self-maintenance is a full-time job

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Dry, Brittle and Breaking Nails

Apr8

ImageThere are many reasons fingernails break.  The reasons I find at Dew Drop Nails are:  nails are used as tools(that’s number one), wearing the nails too long, age, cold and dry weather, and over-exposure to chemicals.  Therefore, these nails cannot stand the harsh treatment and when the nails can’t take any more, they break!

Almost daily, I’m asked by the guests that come to Dew Drop Nails what can they do about their dry, brittle nails and how to keep them from breaking?  First of all, you would want your nails to break?  If not, the pain could be unbearable because of the nail bed involvement.

THE PROBLEM:

Your nails dry out as you age, losing their natural oils which act as a glue to hold the nail layers together.  If you have thin fingernails and dry skin to begin with you can expect this to happen to you ‘sooner rather than later’.  Exposing your hands to harsh soaps, cleaning products, solvents and rough work makes things worse.  At first your nails begin to ‘fray’ on the edges, becoming brittle. Eventually the layers split.  Nail hardeners make this worse because the alcohols, formaldehyde and other chemicals in the nail hardeners really dry out your natural oils. (Crazy fact: Nail hardeners actually contain more of these chemicals than nail polishes!  It’s these chemicals that make the nails feel harder at first, but- whammo– after a few weeks the splitting is worse than ever.) —Dr. C. Bailey

There may also be underlining health factors which may affect the nails, hair and skin not just the above factors.

THE CURE

Regular manicures, moisturize(water, not oils or vaseline), and use oils to keep the cuticles and nail beds supple and pliable.  Some of my favorite hydrating ingredients for nails are Shea Butter, Jojoba oil, avocado oil, or other rich natural oils that come from plants.  These natural oils have a tendency not to rub off but to penetrate the skin to lock in the moisture.  These oils are applied after the skin has been wet.

If you file these brittle and dry nails, use a high grit file(240 grit) to keep the nails from breaking, fraying and/or cracking any further.

Finally, use a nail-strengthener not a nail hardener, Nailtiques in a great strengthener.  This particular strengthener binds with the proteins in the nail plate.  This will not happen over night, 3-6 months of daily use.  The results will depend upon how fast your nails grow and if you honor the regimen.  One could easily see positive results in 30 days.   It will work!  If used.

Think About It:   Give yourself time to achieve your goal.  Good things take effort and time.