Looking after your gel manicure...
There's a saying in the nail industry "Jewels not tools". When I told my bestie this the other day, she laughed and said "That's the dumbest saying I've ever heard". Needless to say she's not my easiest client, and she's definitely guilty of using her nails as tools!
A lot of people think when they have gel polish, acrylics or hard gel on their nails, their nails become indestructible and this is certainly not the case. Care and love is still needed in between appointments to look after those beautiful jewels on the tips of your fingers! I thought I'd write a blog post about how you can best take care of your manicure, so that you get the most out of your colour and protect the health of your nails at the same time.
Tip 1:
Always wear gloves when doing dishes, cleaning or gardening. Chemicals, over exposure to water/soap is not a good time for your nails. You may find that if you've gone on holiday and you are swimming a lot, due to excessive exposure to water your manicure may not last as long.
Tip 2:
Wash hands thoroughly after applying sunscreen, insect repellant, tanning products, and even certain body lotions. A lot of these can cause staining and completely change the colour of your manicure.
Tip 3:
Use cuticle oil daily to keep your skin around your nails and your nails nourished and hydrated. This also helps with nail growth and strength, and prolongs the life of your gel manicure. I tell my clients to apply their cuticle oil before bed, so that the oil has the best chance of soaking into your nails while you sleep, and won't be washed off. My favourite cuticle oil is Dadi' Oil. It's completely natural and organic, soaks into the skin easily and has so many good oils in it such as avocado oil and olive oil. It smells yummy as well because of its blend of 21 essential oils! Dadi' oil and Dadi' lotion are both available on my online store here. You want to be using cuticle oil everyday for best results!
Tip 4:
Don't use your nails as tools! Using them to pick, open, scratch away at things will not end well. It can lead to the polish cracking, or your nail breaking, chipping or tearing.
Tip 5:
Never pick or peel your polish off. I'm sure all of us are guilty of this at some stage! But let me tell you why it's super important not to do it. When you peel of the polish which has been bonded to your nail, you are at risk of peeling off more than just the polish. Quite often you are also peeling back layers of your nail with the polish. This leads to weakened, thin nails and visible damage on the nail.
Tip 6:
Following on from Tip 5, always return back to the salon for proper removal and regular maintenance. I know a lot of people try to get the most out of the manicure and will try to stretch out the length of time between appointments. You want to get colour removed every 2-3 weeks. Any longer and you risk damaging your nails, polish lifting, cracking, getting caught on something, or chipped nails. When removing polish I hand file off the top coat and soak each nail in a nail wrap. The product will then soften, making it easier to scrape off the nail. The product should never be forced off, pulled or picked off for the same reasons listed in Tip 5.
Hopefully these tips give you some insight into how to make the most of your manicure! Now everyone repeat after me...Jewels not tools!
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