6 Questions to Ask Yourself if Your Nails Are Breaking

I was recently asked by a friend for help with her nails... "My nails have been breaking a lot all of the sudden."  And if  you are having sudden problems with your nails breaking, peeling nails or split nails, here are the questions you need to ask yourself.  

Even if you are not honest with your nail technician, be honest with yourself.

1. How long are your nails when they break and how you are using them?  

        If they get too long they will break easier.  

        Don't wear the free edge (white part of the nail) longer than half the length of your nail bed. 

2.  Have you been using your nails as tools or jewels? 

        Here is where you ask yourself...
        "Does my nail look like a screwdriver?" "Can I use my nail like a screwdriver and not have it break?

        Also, if you love certain types of hobbies or work that is hard on your nails, use gloves.  They will protect your nails better than going without them.

        Lets be honest...  If you use your nail as a screwdriver, they will break.

3.  Have you been eating right within the last 6-8 MONTHS?  Is there Biotin in you vitamin supplements you are taking?  Are you drinking enough water?

        Healthy foods rich in natural vitamins and minerals along with supplements that have biotin will keep your nails (and hair) healthier than having a cheeseburger and fries.  

        Drinking your daily supply of water makes for healthier nails too.  It is a good rule to drink half your height in inches to that amount of ounces of water.  Example: If you are 5'4" tall, your total inches would be 64" tall.  Divide 64 in half which equals 32.  You should probably be drinking approximately 32 ounces of water every day.

      

4.  Are you keeping your nails hydrated with a good cuticle oil?  

        Lotion on your hands doesn't necessarily mean better hydration for the nails, they need oil to keep them flexible.  

        Lotion is made mostly with water and nails need water from the inside, not from the outside.  Which brings us to the next point.

Bella10's CutiOil was created with 
a specific blend of natural oils and vitamins to hydrate the cuticle and nail.
Regular daily use will minimize breaking, peeling and splitting nails.

5.  Have you been in a lot water or in a lot hot water lately?  Strong chemicals? Do you wear gloves when doing house chores?

        Water swells individual nail cells and softens the protein that holds those cells together, kind of like glue.  Being in water a lot will leach the natural oils which keeps your nails flexible and keeps the protein from drying out.  Hot water expands the nails further and when they are combined with detergents and cleaning chemicals, this will leach out the natural oils from our nails even more, leaving them dried out and brittle. Solution, use only warm water, not hot.  This will reduce the drying effect.  Also it is wise to wear gloves when using cleaning chemicals.

        Being in too much hot water = Your nails will be prone to splitting, peeling and breaking.

6.  Do you keep polish on them?

        Even clear polish adds a layer of strength and protection to the natural nail.  
        There are also gel polishes that can add strength without the constant application.  
        A warning on gel polishes though, they are very strong and if the gel polish is peeled off or removed incorrectly or if the nail is buffed too much on top of the nail, your nail will weaken dramatically!  It will be as if you have just removed artificial nails.

From "8 Tips on How to Grow Your Nails Faster and Stronger"

If you are recovering from Artificial Nails
and trying to get healthy natural nails back, check out
"The Secret to Artificial Nail Recovery"

8 Tips on How to Grow Your Nails Faster and Stronger

Let's face it, women want long fingernails.  They're sexy and they're feminine. But the question always remains, how can I get them naturally? Here are some key ways to help get your nails to grow longer and stronger.

1. Eat a healthy diet.  Our nails, hair and skin reflect our overall health and nutrition.  Eating healthy foods rich in vitamins, minerals and other healthy nutrients is a long term solution with excellent results. Your nails, hair and skin can improve over time.
2. Keep them protected.  Use gloves when doing dishes, gardening or any mechanical work.  Water damages nails, so do chemicals and hard use.
3. Keep your nails polished at all times. Nail polish increases the thickness of your nails thereby protecting the nails.  Even if you only use a clear polish, making certain to cap the tips of your nails.  Prevent them from chipping by applying another clear coat (top coat) every 2-3 days. For more on nail polish see Prevent Polish Chipping & Peeling
4.  Do not clip your nails.  Clipping the nails creates micro-cracks.  If you must clip your nails, soak them in water for approximately two minutes first.  If possible, invest in a precision blade nail clipper.  It is preferable to file your nails in one direction, from side to tip
5. Do not let your nails get TOO long.  Be realistic.  Based on your activity levels and what you do with your hands, keep your nails just a little shorter than where they usually break.  If one finger breaks more often than the others, keep that nail shorter as you use that finger more or it has a weak area. 

   

   
   

   Bella10 CutiOil is Available at Bella10.com 

6. Use a good Cuticle Oil.  Skin sebum keeps nails healthy but as we mature, sebum production diminishes. Replace natural sebum with natural plant based oils rich in Vitamin E like Almond oil (softens nails), Macadamia Nut and Jojoba oil (mimic natural sebum).   
7. Massage your finger tips daily.  Increased blood circulation to the nails stimulates faster nail growth.  This can be done in conjunction with using cuticle oil.
8. Have a regular manicure.  It doesn't matter if you do it yourself or if someone does it for you, a regular manicure will keep you aware of your nails and you will protect them more.

Remember, growing longer healthier nails does not happen overnight.  Be patient and use these 8 tips to grow healthier, longer, and more beautiful nails!

To learn more about Natural Nail care, read

"The Secret to Beautiful Natural Nails"

Available at Amazon.com. Barnes & Noble or your local bookseller.

6 Tips for Winter Skin & Winter Nails

Winter can bring on extra challenges in natural nail and skin care.   

Of course we all know lotion helps with winter skin, but even using lotion regularly sometimes doesn't help. Dry, rough and flakey skin, even splits or fissures can develop with the colder temperatures.  

Can winter weather also affect our nails they way it affects our skin?We all experience dry winter skin but many of us forget the effects that the winter can have on our nails. 

Nails grow slower because our metabolisms are usually slower in colder months. They do not regenerate the way they can in the warmer months.  In addition, extreme temperature changes due to cold weather and indoor heating can dry out the skin.  Your skin (and nails) expand and contract just as anything else when exposed to temperature changes. This constant expansion and contraction from indoor and outdoor temperature changes can make us loose our protective natural oil barrier which protects our skin and keeps it hydrated.  Therefore, winter weather means dry, rough, and even cracked skin.  Dry skin leads to dry nails… Dry nails increases nail breakage, and peeling.  So how can you minimize winters impact on your nails and hands?

1. Wear gloves or mittens when outdoors. For an extra kick, apply a good hand cream to your hands before putting them on.
2. Never underestimate the use of a good cuticle oil, like CutiOil.  The important part is to use it DAILY!  It will not only reduce or eliminate hangnails, it will also minimize nail breakage and peeling. A drop or two of CutiOil on extremely rough skin, in addition to your hand cream would be extremely beneficial in replacing the natural oils that have been lost!
3. Keep your nails shorter if necessary.  If you need to take down more length, use a quality nail clipper and never clip down your nails unless they have soaked in water for at least 2 minutes.
4. Use a gentle nail file to minimize nail peeling.  I like glass or crystal nail files or you can use an emery board with grits from 220 to 400 grit.  File your nail from side to tip, don’t saw your nails with the file as this can create more peeling later.
5. Avoid extreme temperatures.  Very hot water for showering and washing your hands will dry out the skin and nails.  Be certain to lotion your skin after washing to help replenish the oils lost that help keep your skin moisturized.
6. Apply your lotions and oils at night.  Night time is when your body goes into "repair mode".  Plus, applying your lotion and oils to your hands, feet or nails at night will lessen the chance you will wash it off quickly.  No need to over-apply unless your skin and nails are extremely chapped.  In this case, socks or gloves may be a great idea.

Bella10 Nail & Skin Care products are made to help mimic the skin's natural oils unlike products with mineral oils or petroleum.
 
Bella10 Nail & Skin Care products are natural, non-toxic and will help repair dry, chapped, and rough winter skin when used regularly. 

Get yours today!

To learn more about fingertip fissures and how to help heal cracked skin, see
"How to Heal Fingertip Cracks and Fissures"

Bella10 CutiOil is the Best Cuticle Oil Ever!

I am  always busy!  I work in a salon full time, I write blogs about nail care and nail care products I like, so yes, I'm always busy.  We won't even mention my social life...  But this time I've added more to my busy life.  I've decided to get busy creating my own line of all natural nail care products.  And it feels right!  I feel that it's a natural progression in my career

 Since I've been in the beauty industry for over 30 years, worked with all kinds of products, I know what type of products work and with what kind of ingredients are best.  I've always wanted my own brand of Cuticle Oil, hence my saying "Oil, Oil, Oil" to all my clients and friends.  Oil in the natural nail helps to minimize nail peeling nails and it reduces nail breakage.

Presto!  Bella10 CutiOil!

But I had to have the right combination of natural oils, with natural vitamin content (A,C,D & E), that would hydrate the nail and the cuticle.  I knew that I wanted Almond Oil to soften the nail and allow the nail to bend a little and not break if it was bumped.  I wanted an oil to mimic the skin's own natural sebum.  Luckily, I not only found one in Jojoba Oil but I also found another that I just love, Macadamia Nut Oil.  When our skin slows in producing it's own oil, we need to topically apply something to help the nails and skin stay hydrated.  I also wanted Apricot Kernel Oil because it has a very small molecular structure and can be a carrier oil and draw the extra vitamin E that I wanted to add deeper into the nail itself.  I added a very light Egyptian Geranium and Rose fragrance too.  Wish this screen had a scratch and sniff so I could share how light and beautiful this fragrance really is.

I am very pleased with the mixture of all these fantastic natural oils.  The quality of the cuticle oil compares with some of the major brands that are on the market and the price is better than what you will find too.  I will be retailing CutiOil at only $9.99 per bottle and I am accepting wholesale accounts.

This is just the beginning, as it looks like I have the beginnings of making my own brand. CutiOil is available on the Bella10 website!

To find out more about the lotions, see

"Why You Should Consider Natural Ingredients in Your Skin Care and Cosmetics" 

 

Prevent Peeling Nails

In my last post, I told you about an amazing TopInox® Stainless Steel Nail Clipper from Zamberg, that cuts so cleanly, and when used correctly will minimize micro-cracks in the nail plate that cause peeling nails.  Of course, it is always best to clip the nail after the nail has been soaked for at least 2 minutes. 

Clipping the nail is great if you need to take a lot of nail off at one time.  But even after clipping, the nail needs to be filed.  One of the best files I've come across over the years is a glass nail file, and luckily, Zamberg has those too!  Hey, I love one stop shopping!  lol

Check out these beauties!

 

I love that they have Bling too!

  

I personally like a pointed tip to my personal nail file

so I can clean under my own nails easily.

But seriously...

Glass nail files are gentle, yet effective way of filing the nails and preventing micro-tears between the flattened nail plates.  Micro-cracks and micro-tears can be caused by aggressive filing with a coarse nail file.  Also remember that filing the nails should always be from the side to the tip.  As shown below.

Artwork by Dawn Loberg, from "The Secret to Beautiful Natural Nails"

 Also, angle your file as shown here.

Artwork by Dawn Loberg, from "The Secret to Beautiful Natural Nails"

When ever you file, you will find small frays that stick out.  Be certain to gently file or buff that off with a light touch with your file or a very fine nail file or buffer.  A fray is an over-sized micro-tear. The less pressure with the file will be gentler to the natural nail and a nice glass file will do this beautifully.

Thanks for stopping by.  Hope you learned something new!

Want to know more on how to prevent peeling nails? Then you need to know about

 "Bella10 CutiOil is the Best Cuticle Oil Ever!"

Bella10 CutiOil is available at Bella10.com

Acrylic Nail and Gel Nail Removal… Should It Be Painful? NO, NO, NO, NO, NO… Oh and did I say “NO!”

Today I heard a story that really got my ire up!  What is worse is that some people think this is the way things are supposed to be. 

Let me back up.  My boyfriend’s daughter recently went to a nail salon near where she works and lives.  She believed she had gel but it turns out she had acrylic with a gel sealer (a common misconception).  When getting the fills got to be too much for her wallet, she decided to take them off.  This seems very reasonable.  What is unreasonable is what happened next!

It seems the technician “took some clippers, hacked into my nail and used a piece of plastic to pry them off.  When he tried taking a drill over the top of my newly destroyed paper thin nails, I screamed and ripped my hand away… I literally walked out of there in tears.”  The other upsetting part is that her friend, who was trying to console her, said “it’s pretty much protocol, that s*@# hurts”.  I won’t disagree that it really hurt.  What I disagree with is the “protocol” part.  I can’t believe that some women think this type of practice is a normal part of the nail care services!  In Non-Standard Salons but for concerned nail technicians, this is an atrocity!!!

Let me make this perfectly clear!  Nail care should NOT be painful!  Some salons and technicians do things with the intention of being fast and “efficient”.  Is it efficient to leave a battered, thin, weak, painful wreck of a nail?  NO!  If anyone tries this with you, get up and walk out!  They do not care for your welfare or well-being with this type of behavior.  This is not nail care, it is torture!  And some women pay for this!  To end this type of behavior, we need to get the word out! Do not go to this type of salon!  If you, a friend or family member experiences this type of behavior, tell all your family and friends what happened and where they did it!  People need to stop paying to be tortured or it will continue to get worse!  Let’s get the word out.

Stop the madness!!!  Nail care (manicures, pedicures, acrylic and gel nails) should NOT be painful!  If it is, walk out!!!