Tuesday, September 25, 2012

I gave up on nature!

OPI - Lincoln Park After Dark
I have tried for the past year to get my nails stronger. I tried Nailtiques and Nail Envy. I also have been taking biotin for quite a while. All have yielded the same soft peeling nails that tear as soon as there is any growth at all. I explained this to the salon owner. She said she could do a thin acrylic overlay. I said sure. even though I knew I was committing to regular visits for  fills. I wasn't her first male customer. They have some musician guys that get acrylics to help with their guitar playing. I was made to feel comfortable. I want my nails to be just to the end of my fingers but no further. I am looking for a length that allows me to still do my job, yet still enjoy my nails. I often wondered what it would be like to have some long nails for a few days. I realize it would be impractical. I am learning to do thing in more nail friendly ways.

I find it amazing how such a little change in nail thickness messes with your head. It feels like I have dice on my nails. It reminds me of when surgeons fused my wrist. It took a few weeks to get used to not being able to bend my wrist ever again. Now it seems normal.

I had a job evaluation today and the nails didn't come up. I was a bit nervous since I was wearing such a dark color.

13 comments:

  1. Oh I’m also about to give up on nature! The moment my nails start approaching my finger tips they break in the corners or because of the pealing the just break at the slightest knock. Your nails are really looking so good 

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  2. I know what you mean, my nails only go to a certain length then tear, rip, or peel till they're too thin then break. I started using gell top coats to protect them from the daily bangs and it works for a while. But the day I stop using it it's back to square one.

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  3. The tips would be so soft that when I grabed things the end of the nail would bend a little and the polish would chip off the entire tip. They would peel like an onion skin. I am excited to see how this goes, so far so good!

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  4. Unless you have some sort of health condition causing your nails being weak and peeling, a dietary change will give you strong nails. It worked for me after a lifetime of bendy nails that broke easily and peeled. Now I never get a break, and I wouldn't touch acrylics or gel with a ten foot pole -- it destroys your natural nails.

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    1. What changes are necessary, I get plenty of protein and I was taking biotin. I am not sure if my kidney disease has anything to do with it. Worse case I enjoy the nails for now. I do know if I take them off I'll have to live with trashed nails until they grow out. A lot of people have strong feelings about acrylics either way.

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  5. Glad you've found something that's working for you!

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    1. Thanks, it has been nice not having my nails chip from them bending.

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  6. Hello! My name is Sergey, I'm Russian beauty blogger. I think same way as you about polishes!
    Check my blog www.ostrikov.com
    I post tons of nail polishes on my male nails.

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    1. It is nice to know others feel the same way. I don't know why, but I enjoy it and that is good enough for me.

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  7. I've never tried biotin, but between a job where handling so much paper that my nails were peely and brittle, and not having the greatest nails even before that (although I could grow them a bit, but a lot of breaks), I had kind of given up. After I retired a bit early, a medical issue eased and I was able to start taking multivitamins for the first time in years. Between that and using straight jojoba and sweet almond oil on my hands and nails (even when painted), they've grown out finally. I don't get peelies anymore at all unless I peel my polish off (bad, bad polish lover, lol), and I so seldom break one that I'm often asked if they're real (yes they are, thank you for asking ;o) ). It helps that I don't work anymore, but I still cook, do dishes and clean house (I wear inexpensive, disposable, food prep gloves while using any cleaning products that will touch my hands), and my nails have gotten pretty healthy. I give credit to the the multivitamin and maybe the Glucosamine Chondroitin. Since the last one helps cartilege grow, maybe it helps my nails too.

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  8. Given my job working with my hands repairing medical equipment, this has worked for me. It is like armor on my nails. This is the first time since starting to wear polish that it doesn't chip and stays on until I want to change it.

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  9. How does using remover multiple times while changing polish affect the acrylic finish? Did she rough up the nail at all first? You hear so many horror stories about acrylic that the idea scares me and if I couldn't change my polish as often as I liked (although with no chipping it might not be every other day like it is now), I wouldn't like it at all. Otherwise, no chipping polish? I could definitely go for that!

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    1. Sandi, It is an issue. It was recommended that I ask for a UV gel over the acrylic. That would protect the acrylic from the acetone and allow me to change polish as often as I want. I'll ask next time I go for a fill.

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