How to get Stronger Nails.....

Every week or 2 I post a nail look featuring a new nail polish. I really love doing these posts because I have become a nail polish addict. I really love looking at nail polishes in shops, online and especially see other bloggers' swatches. And let's admit it nails not only look more glamourous when painted but they also look more put together. With nail polish on a woman with bad and weak nails can feel more confident about her nails, since the colour will cover any nail discolorations. However, nail polish shouldn't become the tool to hide your bad nails without doing something about them. Do use nail polish to hide you bad nails while taking care of them. Stronger and nicer looking nails will help you achieve more perfect nail looks. In fact, you will never get perfect nail polish application if your nails are bumpy or ridged. And weak nails will tend to break and never reach a suitable length thus not allowing a good nail polish application. Even worst you can even risk losing nails when they are extremely weak. 

SO HOW CAN YOU TAKE CARE OF YOUR NAILS TO MAKE THEM STRONGER?

This is what I have been doing for the past year. Before my wedding I had used nail polish very few times. French pink, pearl and beige apart from transparent nail polish were the only colours I have ever tried. And the times I would apply them were few. Boring, I know! Whenever I had an occasion or a date night with my partner I would simply apply transparent nail polish. And although this can look put together when your nails are good (and mine were at the time) it is also very boring and sad especially for a young woman. When I was organizing my wedding I decided to get acrylic nails and it wasn't the best decision for me. Getting them was not only expensive (which doesn't matter when you are spending so much on your day) but it was very painful on the day of application as well as on my wedding day and most of my honeymoon. My cuticle got so swollen and full of blood that is was a nightmare especially when touching or hitting them. Moreover, the fake nails really made me feel fake. I felt I couldn't touch things, lift and grab as well as do simple things with my hands in general. So if you are thinking about getting false acrylic nails especially for your wedding day or some other important occasion DON'T. You will risk ruining your day! My nails looked very nice but I am sure they could have looked as nice if not better without them being fake. I could have grown my nails and got gel application rather than fake nails. Also I will never get a manicure in a salon unless I specify to be extra gentle on my cuticle. In the picture below you can see my red and swollen cuticle especially on the last 2 fingers. 

Apart from the pain and lack of comfort acrylic nails almost ruined my nails. Luckily, I was able to save them and make them stronger. My mum, on the other hand who like me got acrylic nails for my wedding, is still suffering from the effects of fake nails and her nails are still weak. Here is how I got my nails strong again after acrylic nails.

Once my acrylic nails started coming off (one of them actually came off during my honeymoon about 8 days after their application) my nails were so thin and weak they continued breaking and the more I nail filed them the more they broke. What saved them was RIMMEL NAIL RESCUE Save me 14 Day Nail Hardening Treatment. This is really a great product. It dries quickly and is quickly absorbed by nails thus making it easier to harden them. I started applying it every few days and then topping it with a top coat. Initially I was using Professional Nails Top Coat which was part of a French Manicure Set I received for Christmas 2010 (see my review here http://alessiapearl.blogspot.com/2011/01/french-manicure-pedicure-gift-set.html). After few months, I switched the top coat for Rimmel 5 in 1 Nail Treat Base & Top Coat Total Care Action. This was definitely better than my previous top coat and it is ideal for those women who prefer single products which have multiple uses. Recently, I bought a new top coat which is Rimmel Pro Super Wear Ultra Shine Top Coat up to 10 days. This is definitely the best top coat I have used so far. Once applied it really protects your nail polish from water and other wear and tear. After drying it become very solid and when it's time for removal it is not so easily removed. You have to use a little extra nail polish remover and scracth harder. For Christmas I received a new nail hardening treatment from my sister. It is Resist & Shine Pro-Keratine Strong 5x stronger nails by L'Oreal Paris. I have only used it once so far so I will review it in few weeks. 

To summarize if you want stronger nails make sure to:

1. GIVE YOURSELF A BASIC MANICURE once a week (including nail cuticle pushing and trimming as well as nail filing)
2. APPLY A NAIL HARDENING TREATMENT after your manicure
3. APPLY A GOOD TOP COAT to protect your nails as well as keep your nail hardening treatment on.
4. APPLY NAIL POLISH ONLY ON TOP COAT to protect your nails from the chemicals contained in the nail polish. Not doing so may result into yellow nails.
5. WEAR YOUR GLOVES to wash dishes, do the laundry, wash floors and do other chores involving the use of water.

My last tip for achieving stronger nails is to skip nail polish application for one week every few weeks. About every 6 weeks I like to remove my nail polish, give myself a basic manicure and apply only my nail hardening treatment and top coat. This way I will let my nails breathe for at least one week. 

STAY FAB.