Nail Help Needed!

[wantacruise]

Help please! My nails are in bad shape! I got acrylic nails last summer before my cruise. They looked great and I actually kept them up through the summer. I knew I would have trouble when school started though so I took them off late August/early September. Ever since, my nails have been in awful condition. When they start growing out the least little bit they start peeling and splitting. I have been putting nail strengthener on faithfully but, they are still a mess. Any other suggestions?

[LynnAB]

Hi,

 

I don't have an answer on this one, but I sure hope you get one!!! I'm in the same predicament that you are, and I don't get acrylics because I'm a court reporter and I hate having the acrylic nails at work. I need help with my OWN nails, too. Is there any magic to get them to grow nicely???

 

Lynn

[babsee101]

I have the same problem... and have had it every time the acrylics come off.

 

I have tried everything and only two things have worked...

1. wait until the weakened area that was under the acrylic grows out.

2. have them "done" again!

 

If anyone has had success in another way, please share.

Thanks

[Guest Time2gocruzn]

It happens because they sand down the surface of your nail to get the acryllic to adhere to it. As soon as you grow an entirely new nail/nail bed it should stop. In the mean time try to apply a goot stregnthener on them. When ever I have that problem I buf them first then put on a good base coat then paint (2 coats) then a good top coat. Tends to fill in all the ridges and sort of hide the damage. I love to have acryllics too but man it is not pretty when they come off, lol:D

[Jaxsonbrownie]

I work at a local salon and spa. Tha nail tech. recommends a product called just that, Nail Tekk.You can get it at most salons and it helps grow beautiful, strong nails.It really works well!:)

[babsee101]

Thanks for the tips

[ajpack]

There is a product called Nailtiques and they have different formulations for problem nails. There is one for "after acrylic nails". All their products are excellent.

[WeirdEyes]

I have been using OPI Nail Envy. It seems to help my peeling nails. Mine aren't bad from acrylics though....just crappy by themselves. The Nail Envy is around $15 per bottle though. :eek:

[Guest Time2gocruzn]

I have been using OPI Nail Envy.

I LOVE OPI stuff! I have a lipstick by OPI and it is one of my favorites! I always get OPI cotton candy painted over my french manicure on my acrylics (when I have them) and LOVE it!

[Luckyroot]

Thanks for the tips

 

Hehehehe. This reply in this thread just made me giggle. :D

[ladycaveat]

I know what you mean about how your nails look when the acrylics come off. For the first time in five years, I had the acrylics nails removed two weeks ago. I couldn't believe what my nails (or lack there of) looked like. Today, I finally gave up and had tips and acrylic put back on. They now look fantastic again but it is so sad what acrylic does to ones natural nails.

[wantacruise]

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll have to check out the different strengtheners mentioned. I just thought after six months my nails would be better! I guess more time will tell. Thanks again!

[DesrtDrmr]

I have had the same problem, and it has taken almost a year and a half to get my nails anywhere near back to normal. I have been dumb and done that TWICE. It wasn't dumb the first time because I didn't know, but it was the second time!! I love the looks of longer, glamorous nails, but I'm never going to do that again................I'll just stumble along with my stubby fingers. :) I should have noticed that the woman that does my nails........has natural nails, and not real long, either. I tried EVERYTHING to get mine to stop splitting, peeling, and to start growing, and the only thing that worked was TIME.

Good luck, all, and if you really DO find something that works. please post.............I guess I could be Dumb for the THIRD time!! Long nails are awfully tempting..............

[Happy ks]

It does take, on an average, 4 to 6 months for your nail to grow from the bed to the tip. I've never gotten acrylics because of the damage it does to your natural nail. I wear gel nails, a product where they don't grind your own nail down for application, but even with the gel nails you have to be careful of the product. The one I get is called Bio-Sculpture, supposedly a higher end product and a little harder to find. It may be a good alternative to use while trying to get your own nails back in shape again. They cost a bit more than acrylics, but are worth it to me because it is not damaging my natural nails. They come in colors, or clear, I have French nails and they look a lot different than acrylics, more like a real fingernail.

[DesrtDrmr]

Happy ks, I've not heard of gel nails, but I'm going to look. Can you take them off? Or,can they be removed? Could you just have them applied for the holidays, and then remove them without damage to your natural nails? What a great deal that would be!

[Happy ks]

They need to be soaked off, just like acrylics, the gel does bond to your own nail. You would have to ask a qualified nail tech that does gel to get more info. It's almost like I have a very strong clear nail polish on my fingernails, they do have to be filled like acrylics, the only difference is they don't grind the nail. A really good nail tech is a treasure.

[ladycaveat]

It does take, on an average, 4 to 6 months for your nail to grow from the bed to the tip. I've never gotten acrylics because of the damage it does to your natural nail. I wear gel nails, a product where they don't grind your own nail down for application, but even with the gel nails you have to be careful of the product. The one I get is called Bio-Sculpture, supposedly a higher end product and a little harder to find. It may be a good alternative to use while trying to get your own nails back in shape again. They cost a bit more than acrylics, but are worth it to me because it is not damaging my natural nails. They come in colors, or clear, I have French nails and they look a lot different than acrylics, more like a real fingernail.

 

Hi Kathy (just responded to another of your notes on another thread . . . honest, I'm not following you . . . tee hee). I had acrylic nails for years and about three or four years ago I switched to gels. I loved the gels . . . still do. They look so natural . . . especially when one only has French. But, about six months ago, I switched back to acrylics. My gel refills were about $50.00 every other week (including the tip) and even more if a nail was broken. I now pay about half that for my acrylic refills. They don't look nearly as natural but . . . they sure are a lot less expensive.

[marvholly]

I am a nut about having natural nails. I have really nice nails on my left hand and barly acceptable on my right (totally right handed). No damage to grow out. However, I did MAJOR damage to my nailbed a few years ago slamming a finger it into a drawer at work and it took about a year to grow ihe damage in and over another year to grow out. Also, at 58 y/o I find my skin, inc nails, is much dryer than it used to be. If I really want to grow my natural nails I do have to be really careful at home and work about wearing gloves when using ANY cleaning stuff and be careful to use hand cream and nail moisturizer when exposed to possibly damageing cleaning chemicals. I also wear gloves for the long exporsure times (anything over a couple minutes) and really harsh chemicals like bleach, soaps and alcohol).

 

It does really help to keep polish on your nails,l even plain. this does protect the nails. I have falso ound that Revlon Extra Life top coat really does help keep a manicuredecent a couple extra days, home or professional. Another thing is to top coat any maincure at least every other day.

 

I have also learned I am limited in the brands of polish that will NOT damage my nails and will hold up 5-7 days at home and 10+ days on vacation. I cannot wear Sally Hansen, my nails split. I can wear Cover Girl, Maybeline and OPI. Other brands I have not tried on a routine basis.

[B-Anne]

sells a product called ProStrong. It is excellent for splitting, thin, weak nails and for nails that previously had acrylics. Because of all the medication I have taken over the years, my nails are a mess. When I get serious and decide to take care of them, I immediately start the prostrong regime!! I find the best place to start is the set with the calcium in it. If you go online, you can find prostrong products on the QVC website. It's even better to watch the presentation when it's on. I have tried everything over the years, including ALL of the products mentioned above, and ProStrong is the only product that works!!! ~Barb~

[wantacruise]

B-Anne,

Thanks! I'll check out the Prostrong. I found the Nail Envy and Nailtiques on Ebay--just watching for now--not bidding until it is almost over. I'm not sure which formula for the Nailtiques? I'll check out QVC in the meantime!

 

I usually don't keep polish on my nails as I am constantly washing my hands, cleaning, or something, and the polish always comes off too easily--even with a top coat. At least it isn't so noticeable when it starts coming off with the clear strengthener!

 

Marvholly--I haven't had good luck with the Sally Hansen either--it keeps flaking off!!!

 

I guess more time is needed! I just hope they look better before my next cruise in June!

[enidgirl]

I tried Pro Strong after acrylics a couple years ago...didn't find it helped much. But, I recently took my acrylics off and am using "Tips", another product from QVC. I find it to be working much better than Pro Strong - it's strengthening my nails and they are really improving. I will NEVER put acrylics on again. They are just too damaging.

[marvholly]

Sally Hansen actually caused my nails to peel. I bought L'oreal recently and I think I am having the same problem. I am going to wait a couple weeks using my old reliables of OPI, Maybelline and Cover Girl with the revlon atop coat and then try again.