Why Your Nails Suck and How to Fix Them
Creating a treatment plan for your nails can be a challenge, especially if you don’t know the problem or what’s causing it. We’ve compiled a list of common complaints about the state of natural nails and provided our recommended treatment plans to solve those issues.
Keep in mind, these fixes will not happen overnight. You need to be diligent about your nail health and usually stick with these treatments for a longer period of time to see your desired results.
So let’s get into common nail problems and our fixes for them!
"My nails are discolored"
Have you ever taken off your nail polish and seen yucky yellow stains? Consistent polish wear, the use of gels or acrylics, and soaking the nails in acetone can all play a role in staining the natural nail. Stained nails can prevent polish colors from looking as they should, and may make you self-conscious about the state of your natural nail.
An easy fix for lightly stained nails is to use a color perfector by Naked Manicure, which acts a base for polish. This can disguise the stains and be used to achieve a more wearable natural look or to ensure that the stains on your nails are not interfering with the polish appearance. There are a range of color perfectors to choose from, each one intended to neutralize the appearance of a particular stain. You may want to mix some of the perfectors to achieve the neutralizing color you prefer.
In order to actually remove the staining, however, it may be a good idea to give your nails a break from polish and focus on hydrating them. Any intense discoloration could be a sign of an infection or bacteria and may need professional treatment.
"My nails feel brittle and keep breaking"
Nothing is worse than going about your day and noticing another one of your nails has broken. One of the biggest causes for weak nails is dehydration. Just like your skin, your nails require hydration too! When your nails get weak, they’re more prone to breakage and can then take longer to grow out again.
Our treatment plan is to hydrate the nail and restore its natural keratin structure. To do this, use the Rescue & Repair System. This system is composed of the Gelie Cure Rescue Serum and the Gelie Cure Repair Base, which work together to seal in a hydrating and healing nail treatment under your manicure.
Apply the Rescue Serum before every fresh manicure or as often as you’d like. Think of this serum as a keratin cushion for your nails, which restores damaged keratin and promotes the flexibility and strength of the nail. In order to lock in these treatment benefits, the serum needs to be sealed with the Gelie Cure Repair Base, which you can apply directly over top. This will act as a base coat for polish you apply over it, as it locks the serum in place and fills in any brittle edges or ridges on the nail plate. See how it transforms the appearance of brittle nails instantly by replacing it with a healthy-looking natural nail finish.
Use this system consistently to gain back strength and durability in your nails again. You may choose to reapply the serum on a daily basis over polish, but keep in mind the treatment will only be locked in place if the Repair Base is used on top. This is why we recommend you do the system every time you change out your polish color to ensure that treatment is locked in place until you remove it.
"My nails won't grow"
First consider the way you’re filing your nails. Filing too often or incorrectly can actually damage your nails and inhibit nail growth.
Your lack of nail growth may be caused by a lack of hydration. You can fix this by using the Rescue & Repair treatment system as outlined above in the “breakage” section, or you can try using a cuticle oil to keep the cuticles and surrounding nail bed moisturized.
Nail strength and growth starts with healthy, hydrated cuticles. For the best cuticle treatment, Oylie offers Solid Gold, which is a cuticle oil you can use throughout the day to soften dehydrated cuticles. For intensely dry cuticles or hang nail problems, you may want to try the Qtica Intense Cuticle Repair Balm, which you may leave on overnight.
You may notice that through all of these nail health problems is a common thread: dehydration. It’s easy to forget the necessary hydration your nails need to maintain their strength. With constant polish application and acetone removal, your nails will be stripped of their natural keratin that keeps them healthy.
Ensuring your nails are hydrated by massaging the nail beds daily with a cuticle oil or using the more intense treatment of the Rescue & Repair System will be the best start you can have at achieving the healthy nails you want.
