Scarlets
member
Reged: 01/04/2007
Posts: 1889
Loc: Just across the pond
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I agree with Fluffington. Dont have false nails.
My daughter had them for a few months and I must admit I was quite jealous of them, until they started being a problem.
They left her own nails in a dreadful state. Took her months to get them back to just an ok state.
A friend asked me once what I do with my nails. Hand cream - loads of it, morning noon and night, especially at night.
If your nails are really bad slap on the hand cream when you go to bed and wear some old gloves so that you dont mark the bedding.
I dont have manicures - too expensive, but if you can afford them, do treat yourself.
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Foxie
member
Reged: 09/08/2007
Posts: 8006
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Some one at work has had her false nails removed after 12 years and her nails are really weak. Very thin and sensitive and keep breaking and splitting.
F x.
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I've learnt that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. Maya Angelou.
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issi
member
Reged: 30/09/2007
Posts: 3746
Loc: London
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I think you will have to get Dr Lewinn's on the internet. I got mine in Harrods so possibly a department store may have it.
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Glitterqueen
member
Reged: 11/01/2008
Posts: 3205
Loc: Essex
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I got my Dr Lewins in Debenhams. It's expensive but worth the money imo.
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angelfingers
member
Reged: 24/07/2009
Posts: 6
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hello everyone, i am a new member of the discussion forum. i am a qualified nail professional with a large list of private clients plus i am an international educator travelling world wide to train people in the beauty trade how to carry out nail procedures in a safe and ethical manner. so i thought i could perhaps pass on some advice and dispell some myths about nail treatments for you.
let me first assure you that having acrylic nail extensions in no way harms the natural nail. however the preparation, application, maintenance and aftercare involved must be 100% to keep this condition.
it is of the utmost importance to find a very well trained and highly qualified nail professional to perform the treatments.
this will ensure that your natural nails are given the correct care to maintain good condition.
one of the most important things to consider when having nail extensions is whether you are commited to the aftercare and maintenance routine.
wearers will be required to use cuticle oil at least once a day to retain the flexibility of the acrylic to prevent brittleness and breakages. in addition this will also nourish the natural nail and allow a supplenes that will mean the nail will flex rather than break if a trauma occurs.
secondly you must be prepared to return to your therapist for maintenance proceedures every 2 to 3 weeks. failure to do so will mean that your nail extensions will become out of balance and that will cause stress and damage to the natural nail. at a maintenance appointment, not only is the new area of growth filled in, but the entire nail should be reshaped to restore the correct structure.
thirdly the removal procedure is very important. ive lost count of the times i have heard 'i had acrylic nails, but they ruined my nails' usually when questioned the client will admit that they removed them by biting , picking or levering off the products.
the acrylic product bonds well to the natural nail and picking it off will take away layers of the natural nail with it and leave nails thin and damaged until nail growth replaces the damage with fresh undamages material.
after a professional removal by an experienced nail technician, nails may feel weaker because [as one poster noted] you have been used to the extra strength that the acrylic has given you. this takes a while to acclimatise to. also the nails will be temporarily dehydrated because we need to use a solvent to take off the acrylic gently. this is a short term problem that can be resolved with cuticle oil and allowing the nails to regain their natural moisture content.
never pick your nail professional on price alone. there are many poor quality nail salons around that in order to keep prices low to atract clients will cut corners in terms of quality.
they will be using inferior products that are not long lasting and in some cases actually harmful to the consumer. some low price salons are using an acrylic product called mma.this product is actually designed to make dentures with and is totally unsuitable to use for nail extensions because of the rigidity. this mma acrylic is actually outlawed in most of the united states. it requires very aggressive preparation of the nail plate in order to bond suficiently which will be very damaging and leave you with nails that are sore and very thin for months. sometimes if the mma nails are knocked hard, the weakened nail plate is prone to tear off the finger all together resulting in extreme pain and long term damage.
also beware of a nail technician that completes the job very rapidly. a properly trained technician using quality products and following correct proceedures will take between 1 and 2 hours to complete the work carefully.
i could go on all night with facts and information, but i have outlined what are probably the most important factors for consideration. i recomend going to www.salongeek.com and enquiring in the consumer section as to a good tech in your area.
the best advice on this thread so far is to make cuticle oil a regular habit. it will do wonders for the condition of the natural nail if you keep up the regime.it prevents breakage by adding flexibility and the action of the regular massage in the matrix area of the nail will stimilate growth by boosting circulation.
i am a master technician, qualified in all areas of nail treatments and if anyone would like to ask me any specific questions i would be glad to help.
susan.
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izzyb50
member
Reged: 11/07/2009
Posts: 916
Loc: Sitting with Laptop on knee
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Hi, i've had acrylic nails on and off for 10 years and agree with everything Angelfingers says, when i have my nails removed they do feel thin and sensitive but they have been used to all that acrylic for months which have protected them. The oil is very important and does make a difference.
hope this helps.
izzy x
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Foxie
member
Reged: 09/08/2007
Posts: 8006
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Hi angelfingers
Thanks for the advice, I have seen nail bars offering a full set of acrylics for £10 on the Walworth Road in Elephant and Castle.
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I've learnt that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. Maya Angelou.
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angelfingers
member
Reged: 24/07/2009
Posts: 6
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you have got to wonder why they are so cheap.
i wouldnt touch them with somebody elses barge pole !
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Shoelover
member
Reged: 28/02/2008
Posts: 764
Loc: Essex
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I was a nail biter for years, until a few years ago when I made a real effort to stop. Even so, I still nibble when I am really stressed! Also, as I use a keyboard all day, my nails get quite alot of bashing anyway, so they have been soft and flaky for a long time.
I've tried all sorts of falsies - fibreglass, acrylic, stick on and have given up on them all as they just make matters worse.
The best of all solution I have found is to use a good quality nail buffer about once a week (no more or it makes the nails thin) and the best cream is the Sally Hansen cuticle and nail cream in the little silver tub. Its really gloopy and sticky and you have to rub it in really well, so I do it on the train in the morning and also sometimes at night. Also, don't use any polish or paint on strengthener and make sure you wear gloves when cleaning, washing up, gardening etc.
My nails are now growing healthy and strong.
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Topcat
member
Reged: 11/02/2009
Posts: 16
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Hi
I am having problems with my nails. I had bitten them for many years, but have now stopped and managed to grow them to quite a good length. However disaster has struck. I painted them with nail varnish for my holiday (only 1 week)and they looked great. However when I took the varnish off to renew it, several nails had white patches stretching down towards the cuticle and appeared to be lifting off of the nail bed. I have had to cut them short and they are now unslightly. what did I do wrong?
Could it be that because I had bitten away the sides of the nails in the past?
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angelfingers
member
Reged: 24/07/2009
Posts: 6
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Quote:
Hi
I am having problems with my nails. I had bitten them for many years, but have now stopped and managed to grow them to quite a good length. However disaster has struck. I painted them with nail varnish for my holiday (only 1 week)and they looked great. However when I took the varnish off to renew it, several nails had white patches stretching down towards the cuticle and appeared to be lifting off of the nail bed. I have had to cut them short and they are now unslightly. what did I do wrong?
Could it be that because I had bitten away the sides of the nails in the past?
so have the nails actually got patches where they are no longer attatched to the nail bed?
it is difficult to tell without seing the nails, but sometimes white patches appear on the surface of the nail because of excessive dryness. polish that contains formaldehide can cause dryness with excessive use.
but nails that have lifted from the nailbed are usually caused by trauma of some kind.
if you have recently stopped biting your nails then it is still going to be a while before the nails are anchored to the fingertip in the normal place [this is called the hyponichium].
when you bite the nail this join is erroded and moves further away from the tip and toward the base of the nail as it is damaged.
so it could be that because of the extra length you have now but the weakness of the recovering hyponichium, that there has been some leverage of the nail that has caused this lifting.[correct term is onycholisis]
my recomendation is to trim the nails a little shorter.
drop a little tea tree oil behind the nails every day to assist healing and reattachment and keep the bacteria out.
and apply cuticle oil as many times a day as possible to assist with growth of healthy new nails.
dont give up, my model that i use for professional photo shoots used to be a biter, but she has lovely nails now.
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LindaH
member
Reged: 10/09/2007
Posts: 310
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I love Dr Lewin's as does issi, it's worked wonders for me. Have at last got pretty nails and they don't split any more. Will now persevere with the oil.
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Thimble
member
Reged: 04/12/2008
Posts: 4325
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angelfingers................may I just say on behalf of all the ladies here ............... Many thanks for all the expert advice you have given us free of charge. I am sure it has been of great benefit to everyone. Thank you.
One question...............is cuticle oil different to the hand cream I use (Clarins Hand and Nail Cream) that has a cuticle moisturiser as part of it? Also I use OPI Nail Envy daily to strengthen my nails as they were getting very brittle is this the best product I can use?
I have never had nail extensions, false nails or anything like this.
A question for all the ladies.................. which nail varnish have you found to be the best with regards to staying power, not chipping within 24 hours, going on nicely and not creating a bubble effect on the nails. I have tried so many and been disappointed with most of them.
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angelfingers
member
Reged: 24/07/2009
Posts: 6
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I am always happy to give advice. i feel its great to inform members of the public so they have the correct information on which to base nailcare decisions. so much of what we read about nails in magazines is either outdated information or just plain misinformation that writers gather up from dubious sources. it makes a better read to hear about nail salon problems than it does to hear about the thousands of satisfied well cared for clients that never get a mention.
cuticle oil is far more concentrated in nourishment terms than hand cream is. look for an oil that is botanically based as it is far more compatible with your skin and will be absorbed more. some oils are merely liquid parafin, so it will add moisture but only on the surface and not provide any deep nourishment. to get professional quality products that will be most effective, i recomend you buy at a good nail salon as they will retail top quality products that are not on general sale. keep on with the handcream as wellbut it is not a good substitute for cuticle oil which will give your nails deep down therapy if used regularly.
nail strengtheners can work in 2 ways.
one type hardens the nail with a chemical compound.
the other provides added layers to build up the resilience of the natural nail.
the first type should not be used long term as after a while they have a drying effect and will cause brittleness and breakage eventually. try using for a week in conjunction with a good cuticle oil then do a week of oil only. alternate in this way until they are stronger then carry on with oil alone.
the second types are generally just similar to polish. the more you apply the more strength there will be. it forms a sheild on the natural nail but doesnt change the nail itself.
a coat or 2 of clear [or coloured] polish on the nails will add a little strength and protect the nails to a certain degree from drying effects caused by handwashing etc. avoid removing the polish more than around once a week as the remover has a drying effect too. i think its better to stick with clear and add another coat later in the week to diguise any chipping.
i am not 100 % familiar with opi nail envys formula, but i can tell you that opi is a widely used brand amongst professionals .it has a good reputation for quality.
on the subject of nail polish.... some products are definately better than others, but its not so much what you use as the way that you use it. when a professional applies polish its after a good deal of preparation of the nail plate. this is essential to get the best possible results.
however, so much of the end result depends on the natural nail it is applied to. have you ever noticed how polish starts to chip on the tip area of the nail first ? thats because this is the part of the nail that moves the most and subsequently this shakes and cracks the polish on the nail. its a bit like an earthquake, it starts below the surface and the damage travels upwards.
if you have thin and bendy nails the polish will start to deteriorate much more quickly than if you have thick strong nails even when its been expertly applied.
sorry to go on, my posts are more like essays !
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Topcat
member
Reged: 11/02/2009
Posts: 16
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Thank you Angelfingers for taking the time to reply to my query. It was very re-assuring to understand what was going on with my nails.
Your comments are much appreciated.
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Anneh1957
member
Reged: 25/04/2007
Posts: 59
Loc: New Malden, Surrey
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Have followed this discussion with interest, I have very sensitive nails, used to bite them but haven't done so for years now, do they ever really recover? I can't grow them very long as they just break. A particular problem with one thumbnail is that it's 'lumpy' - the half moon is raised and very white and pronounced, covers much more of the nail than it should, and the rest of the nail has lots of horizontal ridges and the odd yellow flaky bit! It looks as if I've damaged it by trapping it in a door or something, which I haven't. A beauty therapist told me it probably wouldn't grow back normally as it must be 'scarred'. Can nails get scarred, or is it the skin underneath that's damaged? I had hoped that as the nail grows it would get better. The rest of my nails aren't too bad now but this one is so awful I can't bear anyone to see it! 
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angelfingers
member
Reged: 24/07/2009
Posts: 6
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Quote:
Have followed this discussion with interest, I have very sensitive nails, used to bite them but haven't done so for years now, do they ever really recover? I can't grow them very long as they just break. A particular problem with one thumbnail is that it's 'lumpy' - the half moon is raised and very white and pronounced, covers much more of the nail than it should, and the rest of the nail has lots of horizontal ridges and the odd yellow flaky bit! It looks as if I've damaged it by trapping it in a door or something, which I haven't. A beauty therapist told me it probably wouldn't grow back normally as it must be 'scarred'. Can nails get scarred, or is it the skin underneath that's damaged? I had hoped that as the nail grows it would get better. The rest of my nails aren't too bad now but this one is so awful I can't bear anyone to see it!
the recovery is a long process. but even if you had never been a nailbiter, you may have had really thin weak nails anyway. mine are naturally like that and i have never bitten them.
the thumbnail does sound like it is permanently damaged.
this can often happen with biters especially those who have a nibble at the surrounding skin too. its also common in those that were long term thumbsuckers and can happen with accidental damage too. the nail itself is not 'scarred' as such but you have damage to the nail matrix.
the nail matrix lies behind the half moon [lunula] and below the surface of the skin a few millimetres. the matrix is where the cells transform into harder nail plate cells. the lunula is composed of not quite mature cells that are half way through the process. these 2 areas are very delicate and very easy to damage.
when the matrix gets damaged, it causes the nail to form differently and the damage is then permanent.
think of the matrix like a letterbox and the nail itself like an item of mail being posted through. if the letterbox has a dent or some other kind of damage, when the mail is pushed through, it tears the envelope and results in the mail being damaged when it reaches its final destination.
i keep my own weak nails smooth and prevent them from breaking with a gel overlay otherwise i would never be able to get them past my fingertips.
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Anneh1957
member
Reged: 25/04/2007
Posts: 59
Loc: New Malden, Surrey
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Thank you so much for your reply. A bit depressing that I may be stuck with this but at least I know more about it now and can think about gel overlays perhaps.
(Why is my question in such a large font so big? I didn't make it that size!!)
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angelfingers
member
Reged: 24/07/2009
Posts: 6
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Quote:
Thank you so much for your reply. A bit depressing that I may be stuck with this but at least I know more about it now and can think about gel overlays perhaps.
(Why is my question in such a large font so big? I didn't make it that size!!)
i dont know why that happened, it came up that way when i used the quote function. probably because you are VERY important 
ooh look it did it again.
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wendy21709
member
Reged: 16/09/2009
Posts: 27
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Hi
This is a late post, sorry! But do not have nail extensions, they really do ruin your nails. Eat lots and lots of sugar free jelly, and after a couple of weeks you will see the difference!!
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