{"id":88,"date":"2012-11-26T23:17:17","date_gmt":"2012-11-27T06:17:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nailcarehq.com\/?p=88"},"modified":"2022-01-10T21:05:04","modified_gmt":"2022-01-11T04:05:04","slug":"nail-care-how-to-strengthen-brittle-nails","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nailcareheadquarters.com\/nail-care-how-to-strengthen-brittle-nails\/","title":{"rendered":"Nail Care &#8211; How To Strengthen Brittle Nails"},"content":{"rendered":"<h6 style=\"text-align: right;\"><\/h6>\n<h2>ASK ANA: Nail Care &#8211; How To Strengthen Nails<\/h2>\n<blockquote><p>Hi Ana, my nails keep peeling and I don&#8217;t understand why. Is there any way to fix it? ~Victoria<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h2>ANSWER<\/h2>\n<h2>The Frustration<\/h2>\n<p>One of the biggest frustrations when trying to grow long nails is the fact that they keep breaking. Broken nails\u00a0make it difficult when doing nail art too.<\/p>\n<p>So many people ask me how to grow their nails. Actually, our nails are <strong>always\u00a0growing<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>The key is to get them to <strong>stop breaking.<\/strong> See my <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nailcareheadquarters.com\/stop-breaking-nails\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">&#8220;How to Stop Breaking Nails&#8221;<\/a> article for more tips.<\/p>\n<p>But the most important way to stop breaking brittle nails is to understand the factors that contribute to broken nails.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The damage is reversible.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>You&#8217;re\u00a0just a few days away from beautiful natural nails that are stronger and stop peeling.<\/p>\n<p>Let&#8217;s take a look at the things that make nails brittle, break, and peel.<\/p>\n<h2>The Perfect Balance<\/h2>\n<p>Natural fingernails are a composite of keratin cells and the perfect balance of about 18 percent moisture (water) and 5 percent body oil.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Nails with too much water are spongy and far too flexible like particle board forgotten in the rain.<\/li>\n<li>Nails that have inadequate moisture split and fracture like brightly colored fall leaves.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #808080;\"><em>Important note: I&#8217;m not a nail tech and I don\u2019t possess a science diploma. What I do have is a wonderful ability at performing thorough research and taking complicated subject areas and simplifying them so that everybody else can easily comprehend it. I simply just happen to be very geeky about nails considering that Nail Structure and Product Chemistry by Doug Schoon is my Fingernail Bible \u2026 I credit all the sciencey stuff to Mr. Schoon and the entertaining analogies are my own \u2026 yep, unquestionably geeky \u2026 so, on with the show. ~Ana<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<h2>An Excellent Water Trap<\/h2>\n<p>A <strong>miraculous 5% of oil<\/strong> is all that\u2019s required to <strong>trap<\/strong> an ideal amount of <strong>water (moisture)<\/strong> in the fingernails. But <strong>not all<\/strong> oils are the same.<\/p>\n<p>Naturally, the <strong>most beneficial<\/strong> oil is the one your body makes inside the nourishing layer of the nail bed\u2014the pinkish skin underneath your nail plate. Many people confuse the nail plate with the nail bed.<\/p>\n<p>The nail bed\u00a0actually contains cells similar to the inside lining within your mouth\u2014and if you\u2019ve ever suffered the loss of your own fingernail, then you know it\u2019s skin that includes tons of nerve endings and hurts like the bejesus!<\/p>\n<p>I know this because of my own personal experience when I was approximately eight years of age and slammed my thumb in a vehicle door.<\/p>\n<p>My nail turned green after which it fell off uncovering the sensitive nail bed, which I seemed to bump everywhere\u2026over two months of unbearable pain\u2026 but I digress\u2026.<\/p>\n<h2>Layers of Keratin Cells<\/h2>\n<p>Your nail consists of somewhere around 50 layers of dead, densely jam-packed, flattened keratin cells, that are enlarged approximately four hundred times in the image directly below. Toenails have about 100 layers.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Keratin<\/strong> is extremely <strong>important<\/strong> to the natural nail\u2019s <strong>flexibility. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">In the microscopic photo below, you can see how the nail cells link together in a random overlapping way.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Notice all the <b>tiny holes<\/b> in each cell as well as the <b>gaps around<\/b> each cell?<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">This is important to help you understand how easily our nails <b>dry out<\/b> and become <b>brittle<\/b>.<a href=\"https:\/\/nailcareheadquarters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Nail-Keratin-magnif-frame.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-159\" title=\"Nail-Keratin-Nail Care HQ and brittle nails\" src=\"https:\/\/nailcareheadquarters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Nail-Keratin-magnif-frame.jpg\" alt=\"Nail Care HQ and brittle nails\" width=\"600\" height=\"481\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nailcareheadquarters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Nail-Keratin-magnif-frame.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.nailcareheadquarters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Nail-Keratin-magnif-frame-500x401.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.nailcareheadquarters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Nail-Keratin-magnif-frame-300x240.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h2>Similar To A Sponge<a href=\"https:\/\/nailcareheadquarters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/peeling-nail-simple-nail-art-tips.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-160\" title=\"peeling-nail-Nail Care HQ and brittle nails\" src=\"https:\/\/nailcareheadquarters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/peeling-nail-simple-nail-art-tips.jpg\" alt=\"Nail Care HQ and brittle nails\" width=\"210\" height=\"163\" \/><\/a><\/h2>\n<p>A normal fingernail plate holds almost <strong>one-third<\/strong> it\u2019s own weight in water!<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m positive you\u2019ve observed that immediately after you\u2019ve been in the shower or bath for too long.<\/p>\n<p>Using a process called diffusion, <strong>water and body oil move in between<\/strong> the 50 layers of cells <strong>plus the microscopic gaps<\/strong> between the cells.<\/p>\n<p>Water molecules are so small that they will travel <strong>through AND between<\/strong> the cells.<\/p>\n<p>Oil molecules happen to be much bigger and can <strong>only go BETWEEN<\/strong>\u00a0the cells.<\/p>\n<h2>Houston, We Have a Problem<a href=\"https:\/\/nailcareheadquarters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/drain-peeling-nails.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-156\" title=\"drain-peeling-nails\" src=\"https:\/\/nailcareheadquarters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/drain-peeling-nails-300x238.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"238\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nailcareheadquarters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/drain-peeling-nails-300x238.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.nailcareheadquarters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/drain-peeling-nails-500x397.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.nailcareheadquarters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/drain-peeling-nails.jpg 535w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/h2>\n<h3><em>Fingernails are exposed to 2 major solvents; water and nail polish removers. <\/em><\/h3>\n<p>Let&#8217;s start with water.<\/p>\n<p>The average person <strong>washes<\/strong> their hands <strong>twelve to twenty<\/strong> occasions each day with harsh antibacterial soaps!<\/p>\n<p>Hand washing frequency <strong>increases<\/strong> during <strong>cold and virus season.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Here&#8217;s the vicious cycle:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Your fingernails absorb the water.<\/li>\n<li>Cleansing soap washes away your skin and nail&#8217;s natural oils.<\/li>\n<li>Water evaporates from the nails taking a little oil with it.<\/li>\n<li>Rinse and repeat. (pun intended \ud83d\ude00 )<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Considering the fact that the <strong>nail&#8217;s oil<\/strong> was <strong>washed away<\/strong>, water <strong>evaporation<\/strong> takes away even more of the oil. Now your body&#8217;s perfect 18% water\/5% oil balance is <strong>down the drain.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>You are left with fingernails that are <strong>dry, stiff,<\/strong> and <strong>ready to snap<\/strong> the next time you bump them.<\/p>\n<h2>Polish Lovers Watch Out<\/h2>\n<h3><em><a href=\"https:\/\/nailcareheadquarters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/acetone-peeling-nails.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-155\" title=\"acetone-peeling-nails\" src=\"https:\/\/nailcareheadquarters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/acetone-peeling-nails-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"acetone and brittle nails\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nailcareheadquarters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/acetone-peeling-nails-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.nailcareheadquarters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/acetone-peeling-nails-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>Peeling and Splitting? <\/em><\/h3>\n<p>Anything that dries out the nail plate also will decrease flexibleness and resilience. This includes <strong>acetone AND non-acetone polish removers. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Most of the people are convinced non-acetone removers are less dangerous and much less destructive. <strong>This is false.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Acetone<\/strong> is a better solution as it <strong>dissolves the lacquer faster.<\/strong> Less time scrubbing equates to much <strong>less drying damage<\/strong> to your fingernails.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Acetone and the chemicals in non-acetone remover (ethyl acetate &amp; methyl ethyl ketone) are typically risk-free solvents when used moderately. When used only <strong>once each week,<\/strong> the drying out result is actually short lived and swiftly corrects itself. ~Doug Schoon, <em>Nail Structure and Product Chemistry<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Although this analogy isn&#8217;t precise, picture your own nail\u2019s keratin layers like the paper pages of a book. Typically the paper fibers interlock firmly <a href=\"https:\/\/nailcareheadquarters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/peeling-nails-book-Simple-Nail-Art-Tips.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-161\" title=\"peeling-nails-book-Nail Care HQ and brittle nails\" src=\"https:\/\/nailcareheadquarters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/peeling-nails-book-Simple-Nail-Art-Tips-300x223.jpg\" alt=\"Nail Care HQ and brittle nails\" width=\"300\" height=\"223\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nailcareheadquarters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/peeling-nails-book-Simple-Nail-Art-Tips-300x223.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.nailcareheadquarters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/peeling-nails-book-Simple-Nail-Art-Tips.jpg 488w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>together very similarly to the keratin cells in the layers of your nails.<\/p>\n<p>The spine of the book is like your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nailcareheadquarters.com\/nail-anatomy\/\">proximal fold (cuticle line)<\/a>. When new, the book pages stack together perfectly flat. Everything lies smoothly.<\/p>\n<p>So what happens as soon as the <strong>book\u2019s pages<\/strong> become <strong>soaked<\/strong>?<\/p>\n<p>The water gets <strong>absorbed<\/strong> into the <strong>paper fibers, they relax, and spread out.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>What happens\u00a0once the <strong>pages dry?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>All of the paper\u2019s fibers continue to <strong>remain spread out<\/strong> so the pages dry distorted. The layers of the pages don\u2019t lie smoothly together any longer.<\/p>\n<h2>Our Fingernails Are Tougher Than a Book<\/h2>\n<p>However, you could possibly be thinking, \u201cAna, my nails get wet again and again so this small book comparison isn\u2019t right.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>And you\u2019re correct \u2026 up to a point. That point is when your brittle fingernails begin <strong>peeling and cracking.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Too much exposure to water over a period of time weakens the nail plate and causes all kinds of damage. The photo below is what <strong>peeling nails<\/strong> look like under an <strong>electron microscope<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s a little different when compared to the nice, smooth nail photo towards the top of this article, right?<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/nailcareheadquarters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/delaminated-peeling-nails-magnified.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-229\" title=\"delaminated-peeling-nails-magnified\" src=\"https:\/\/nailcareheadquarters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/delaminated-peeling-nails-magnified.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"571\" height=\"484\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nailcareheadquarters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/delaminated-peeling-nails-magnified.jpg 571w, https:\/\/www.nailcareheadquarters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/delaminated-peeling-nails-magnified-500x424.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.nailcareheadquarters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/delaminated-peeling-nails-magnified-300x254.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 571px) 100vw, 571px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h2>What\u2019s The Answer?<\/h2>\n<p>Actually \u2026 considering the fact that I can\u2019t advise eliminating hand washing, your only other option is to <strong>get the oil back in your fingernails.<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;Oils have a plasticizing effect and can noticeably increase flexibility of the plate, especially with dry, brittle nails. How? Oils can increase the amount of moisture in the nail plate. When applied and absorbed into the nail surface, oils will slow down the passage of water through the nail plate. Oils block and temporarily seal the moisture channels. This can be especially useful for very dry nail plates. Oils slow water evaporation from the nail plate, which increases moisture content. The result is less brittle, more flexible nail plates.&#8221; ~Doug Schoon, Nail Structure and Product Chemistry<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Remember when I mentioned <strong>not all oils<\/strong> are created the <strong>same<\/strong>? A lot of people have applied avocado, canola, mineral, or olive oil on their fingernails with no success.<\/p>\n<p>The reason for this is that <strong>many<\/strong> oil molecules are <strong>very large<\/strong>. And some oils, like mineral oil, <strong>can&#8217;t absorb<\/strong> into the keratin layers at all.<\/p>\n<p>Other larger molecule oils usually get washed away before they can penetrate.<\/p>\n<h2><a href=\"https:\/\/nailcareheadquarters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Jojoba-fruit-peeling-nails.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-157\" title=\"Jojoba-fruit-peeling-nails\" src=\"https:\/\/nailcareheadquarters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Jojoba-fruit-peeling-nails-300x218.jpg\" alt=\"Jojoba and brittle nails\" width=\"300\" height=\"218\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nailcareheadquarters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Jojoba-fruit-peeling-nails-300x218.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.nailcareheadquarters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Jojoba-fruit-peeling-nails-500x363.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.nailcareheadquarters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Jojoba-fruit-peeling-nails.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>Jojoba\u2019s History<\/h2>\n<p>Despite the fact that jojoba wax ester has been around since 1822, it obtained notoriety in 1971 when the United States stopped the import of sperm whale oil which was implemented extensively in the cosmetics industry.<\/p>\n<p>The market sector ended up being compelled to look for a replacement and jojoba was determined to be most suitable.<\/p>\n<p>Without becoming far too geeky on you, the vast majority of vegetable seed oils are triglycerides. Jojoba wax ester\u00a0consists of long-chain fatty acids and fatty alcohols with no side branching. This particular chemical arrangement accords jojoba special attributes unparalleled in the plant kingdom. (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.hort.purdue.edu\/newcrop\/proceedings1990\/v1-247.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Hort.Purdue.Edu<\/a>)<\/p>\n<h2>In What Way It\u2019s Distinct<\/h2>\n<p>Jojoba wax ester\u00a0is the <strong>same molecular size<\/strong> as the human body\u2019s particular oil, sebum. For the reason that jojoba is made up of wax esters and fatty acids which are comparable to human sebum, it\u2019s a favorite ingredient in cosmetics and skin products. (eHow.com)<\/p>\n<h2>The Reason Why It Really Works<\/h2>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cOils are absorbed into the nail plate to keep it flexible, but much more slowly than water. Similar to how oils are absorbed a lot more slowly right into the nail plate, it is also alot more difficult for the oils to escape. Therefore, oils stay in the plate for a very long time and can exert a dramatic long-term influence on the durability of the natural nail plate.\u201d ~Doug Schoon,\u00a0<a title=\"Nail Structure and Chemistry\" href=\"http:\/\/tinyurl.com\/NailStructureAndChemistry\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Nail Structure and Product Chemistry<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h2>What to Look for in a Nail Oil Blend<\/h2>\n<p>As you can probably guess by now, <a title=\"Pure Nail Oil\" href=\"http:\/\/www.myblisskiss.com\/simply-pure-hydrating-oil-starter-kit-4-pens\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">your nail oil<\/a> MUST have jojoba wax ester, and ideally at the start of the ingredient list.<\/p>\n<p>But why did I say &#8220;blend&#8221;, instead of just pure jojoba?<\/p>\n<p>When different ingredients are combined they behave differently than each individual component.<\/p>\n<h4>Can I Have My Cake and Eat It Too?<\/h4>\n<p>As a simplistic example, let&#8217;s look at the ingredients in a cake.<\/p>\n<p>Eggs, vegetable oil, flour mixture, etc. Or if you&#8217;re lazy like me\u2014cake mix!<\/p>\n<p>Once you mix those ingredients you have a batter. You no longer have the separate ingredients.<\/p>\n<p>Then when you bake it, you have a cake. You no longer have batter.<\/p>\n<p>A high-quality hydrating oil blend will yield far superior results than jojoba alone.<\/p>\n<p>My mother and my best friend tried jojoba and reported back to me that it didn&#8217;t work like the <a href=\"http:\/\/myblisskiss.com\">Simply Pure\u2122 oil blend<\/a> I created in my kitchen in 2012.<\/p>\n<p>Since starting <a href=\"http:\/\/myblisskiss.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">our business Bliss Kiss<\/a> when my husband was laid off, we&#8217;ve had hundreds of customers give the same report.<\/p>\n<p>Why? \u2014 Synergy.<\/p>\n<h1>How To Apply Nail Oil\u00a0Guidelines<a href=\"https:\/\/nailcareheadquarters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/jojoba-oil-Ana-Simple-Nail-Art-Tips.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-158\" title=\"jojoba-oil-Nail Care HQ\" src=\"https:\/\/nailcareheadquarters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/jojoba-oil-Ana-Simple-Nail-Art-Tips-249x300.jpg\" alt=\"jojoba-oil-Nail Care HQ and brittle nails\" width=\"249\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nailcareheadquarters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/jojoba-oil-Ana-Simple-Nail-Art-Tips-249x300.jpg 249w, https:\/\/www.nailcareheadquarters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/jojoba-oil-Ana-Simple-Nail-Art-Tips.jpg 434w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 249px) 100vw, 249px\" \/><\/a><\/h1>\n<h2>The Initial Three (3) Days<\/h2>\n<p>When I started using my <a href=\"http:\/\/myblisskiss.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Simply Pure\u2122 hydrating oil<\/a>, I noticed that my nails seemed to keep soaking it up like a sponge.<\/p>\n<p>I just kept reapplying it until the absorption slowed down. That took three days. As a result, I created the directions for a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nailcareheadquarters.com\/products\/pure-nail-oil\/anas-3-day-hydration-treatment\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">three-day hydration treatment.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>During the first three days, you will use quite a bit of oil.<\/p>\n<p>After that, you&#8217;ll apply it only as needed. For me, that&#8217;s\u00a0about 4 times per day.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Clear away all nail lacquer<\/li>\n<li>Proceed with the basic daily application instructions below. As soon as you\u2019re finished, your fingernails will feel a tad slippery. You do not want to be greasy.<\/li>\n<li>Once in a while throughout the next hour or two, rub the surface oil into your nails<\/li>\n<li>Whenever you do this your fingernails will feel less oily. When you feel the oil has become absorbed, reapply<\/li>\n<li>Repeat step 4 for your first 72 hours.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2>Basic Daily Application<\/h2>\n<h3><em>Two Times (2x) Daily or \u00a0more <\/em><\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li>Uncap <a title=\"Pure Nail Oil\" href=\"http:\/\/www.myblisskiss.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">the pen<\/a>, twist end until you see oil inside the bristles<\/li>\n<li>Brush oil on your nail, cuticle, sidewalls and under your free edge of the nail<\/li>\n<li>Recap pen<\/li>\n<li>Using your fingers, massage the oil directly into the fingernails and fingers up to the knuckle closest to your nail.<\/li>\n<li>Spend a bit of time massaging the matrix (right behind the cuticle) * This improves the flow of blood to where your nail is created so they really will be stronger and healthier.<\/li>\n<li>Carry on using this oil application with lacquer manicures, acrylic or gel manicures. Just like your fingernails are not solid, neither is lacquer, acrylic monomers or gel. Jojoba wax ester\u00a0is absorbed into each one of these products whilst keeping them a lot more flexible as they aren\u2019t dehydrating.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2>Don&#8217;t Have Three Days?<\/h2>\n<p>In 2017, one of my best friends told me about her results doing an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nailcareheadquarters.com\/dry-skin-overnight-hydration-treatment\/\">intensive hydration treatment<\/a> with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.myblisskiss.com\/mini-hydration-kit\/\">Simply Pure\u2122 hydrating oil, Simply Sealed\u2122 lotion stick, and nitrile gloves.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>When I tried it, I was blown away by the amount of oil my nails had absorbed.<\/p>\n<p>I love that it doesn&#8217;t take 3 days to make my nails stronger between manicures anymore.<\/p>\n<p>And if I don&#8217;t have time for overnight? I just do a mini-hydration treatment while watching a movie.<\/p>\n<h2>Polishing After Nail Oil<\/h2>\n<p>Using 91% rubbing alcohol or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nailcareheadquarters.com\/is-acetone-a-safe-nail-polish-remover\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pure acetone<\/a>, swiftly cleanse the surface of your own nail. Doing this will remove the oil sitting on top of your own nail for increased adhesion of your own lacquer. Polish your nails by using your chosen base coat.<\/p>\n<h2>Base Coat: Essential!<\/h2>\n<p>Base coats include a high percentage of a resin which actually improves nail plate adhesion and reduces\u00a0yellow staining.<\/p>\n<p>Topcoats usually have high amounts of nitrocellulose to increase wear by covering the polish by creating a preventative shield in addition to maximizing high gloss.<\/p>\n<p>Base coats and top coats are definitely\u00a0<strong>not interchangeable<\/strong>. Any polish that claims to be a base coat and top coat will be a disappointment and lead to early polish chipping.<\/p>\n<h2>Taking off Nail Polish<\/h2>\n<h3>Consider Acetone<\/h3>\n<p>Considering the fact that acetone works quicker than the non-acetone ingredients, which in turn causes you to rub and scrub a lot more, it\u2019s actually <strong>more effective to begin using acetone<\/strong> to take off your nail polish.<\/p>\n<p>Use my <a href=\"https:\/\/www.myblisskiss.com\/soak-swipe-manicure-clips\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Soak &amp; Swipe\u2122 method and manicure clips<\/a> to remove your polish without scrubbing. Your body heat warms the acetone and makes it 50% more effective.<\/p>\n<h3>Moisturize<\/h3>\n<p>Do an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.myblisskiss.com\/mini-hydration-kit\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">intensive hydration treatment<\/a> for a few hours to help your nails reabsorb some oil. I have more details in my <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nailcareheadquarters.com\/dry-skin-intensive-hydration-treatment\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Intensive Hydration article.<\/a><\/p>\n<h2>The Result?<\/h2>\n<p>With proper nail care, your brittle fingernails will be a thing of the past and you&#8217;ll know how to maintain beautiful long nails!<\/p>\n<p>And if you like doing nail art, it&#8217;s a joy to be able to wear your creations for 7-10 days.<\/p>\n<h2>Next Steps\u00a0For Your Nails<\/h2>\n<p>Get Naked! Well, at least\u00a0get your fingernails naked. I know, it can be scary to even think of leaving the house without your nails painted. Especially if your nails are stained like mine from my favorite dark polishes.<\/p>\n<p>Remember that any respectable nail artist will probably have stained nails. So, flaunt those naked nails with pride!<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.myblisskiss.com\/challenge\">The &#8220;Get Naked&#8221; Challenge<\/a> is\u00a0really the best way to hydrate your nails so you can get those gorgeous long, strong nails you&#8217;ve always dreamed of.<\/p>\n<h2>Ready to<a href=\"http:\/\/www.myblisskiss.com\/challenge\"> take the &#8220;Get Naked&#8221; Challenge<\/a>?<\/h2>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ana explains how to water and acetone contribute to brittle, peeling, weak nails. Nail strengtheners can actually make nails too hard. You&#8217;ll learn the techniques necessary to strengthen your nails naturally and protect them from the dangers of water absorption.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":93620,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,8,18,7,3,4,20,6,5],"tags":[15,24,14,16,13,72,9,12,26,10,11,25],"class_list":["post-88","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-brittle-nails-nail-problems","category-cuticle-oil","category-nail-care-2","category-nail-oil","category-nail-problems","category-peeling","category-polish-removers","category-solutions","category-splitting","tag-beautiful-nails","tag-breaking-nails","tag-brittle-fingernails","tag-brittle-nails","tag-cuticle-oil-2","tag-long-nails","tag-nail-care","tag-nail-oil-2","tag-nail-strengthener","tag-peeling-nails","tag-splitting-nails","tag-stronger-nails"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nailcareheadquarters.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nailcareheadquarters.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nailcareheadquarters.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nailcareheadquarters.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nailcareheadquarters.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=88"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.nailcareheadquarters.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nailcareheadquarters.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/93620"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nailcareheadquarters.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=88"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nailcareheadquarters.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=88"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nailcareheadquarters.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=88"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}