29 Jul I Think I’ve been mistreating my nails

Okay so, I love a good mani. I also have really long and strong nails, so you would think I take good care of them, right? Wrong. I mean, I don’t mistreat them… but I also don’t spend much time or energy on them. They grow, I paint them… end of story. I recently got this fun manicure at Paint Box in Soho. While painting my nails Mabelyn and I chatted through our masks and plexiglass about proper nail care. Below are a few tips I picked up during our conversation, along with some gems I already knew (but wasn’t actually applying).

1. Give your nails a break from gel polish. Too much gel can ruin your nails. Give them a break every now and then.
2. Remove gel properly. Scraping, peeling, or allowing anyone to use that drill thingy are all ways you should AVOID when removing gel.
3. Speaking of gel, I heard the Bio Seaweed Gel gives you a healthier nail experience. The ingredients aren’t as harsh, and its easier to remove.
4. Okay let’s talk cuticles. After 4 months of no real nail care, my cuticles were out of control. Mabelyn suggested that while I’m in the shower to just push the cuticles back with the nails from my opposite hand. This slight bit of maintenance will make all the difference. It will even help your nails grow out.
5. Oil your nails. Yup.. you read it correctly. Oil your nails and cuticles every day. Even when you’re wearing gel. Gel is porous and the oil will be able to penetrate to your nail. You can use any oil you’d use on your face (I’ve been using flax seed oil). The oil will help keep both your nails and cuticles moisturized, which again, will help them grow.
6. What you eat matters. The more you feed your. body nutrient rich food.. the more your nails will grow and the stronger they will be.
7. Genetics are a big f*cking deal. Nail length, growth rate, and strength are all affected by our genetics.

I hope this helps on your nail care journey. Leave some tips you’ve learned below! I would love to hear from you!