It’s been a busy few weeks since Nails by Laura D Lee was permitted to reopen, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed seeing you all again, as well as some lovely new faces.
Given that nobody has been able to have a professional mani for the past few months, I thought I’d remind you of my top aftercare tips, so that you can keep your nails looking their best for longer.
1. SolarOil
Anyone who has ever had a Nails by Laura D Lee appointment knows that the number one not-so-well-kept secret to prolonging the life of your mani is…regular use of your SolarOil!
If you’ve never heard of it before, SolarOil is an award-winning blend of jojoba seed & sweet almond oils assisted by vitamin E to deeply penetrate & hydrate the skin & nails, even whilst wearing CND™ Shellac™ or Vinylux™.
I explain to all my clients that our nails are made from the same substance that makes up our hair – Keratin. We would not dream of washing our hair without then following up with conditioner, yet all too often our nails are not given the same TLC. SolarOil works like a conditioner for your nails and is the key to helping them grow long and strong.
Simply put a drop of oil on each nail and massage it in, all over the nail plate. It is quickly absorbed and non-greasy, plus it smells fantastic. Do this at least twice a day to feel the benefit, but more often if you find yourself washing your hands a lot throughout the day or if you notice your skin surrounding the nail feeling dry. It takes no time at all to do, and will make the world of difference to your nails.
If you’ve run out, or you’d like to order some, simply pop me a message & let me know which size you’re after:
2. ‘Jewels not tools’
This phrase is often used by nail technicians to remind clients to treat their nails with care, by which we mean not using your nails to open ring-pulls on cans or tins (use a knife), not flicking your thumbnail under the end of the sellotape (run the pad of your thumb along instead to find the end, and then fold the edge down for next time) and not using the tip of your nails to lift off price stickers/open chocolate coins/prise open anything else (use another implement or ask someone else to do it!)
CND Shellac is a gel polish, which means that it is harder & stronger than normal nail polish or your natural nails, but it is not indestructible. Using your nails as tools will often lead to chipping at the ends, which can also then lead to the overlay lifting, neither of which are a good look!
3. No picking!
If you do happen to accidentally damage your gel polish coating, do not (and I cannot stress this enough) DO. NOT. PICK. AT. IT! Or pull at it. Or fiddle with it in any way!
When you come to me for a nail appointment, after filing and shaping your nails I then tidy and remove any dead skin debris (cuticle) from your nail plate, before cleaning any residual contaminants away with ScrubFresh, to help prolong the wearability of the nail coating.
This means that the gel polish is then applied directly onto your nails and cured in place. By picking your polish off, you are pulling at polish still adhered to your nail plate and therefore you are very likely to also peel away layers of your nail with your polish. This will thin your nails, causing them to weaken and become more likely to bend and/or break. DO NOT DO IT! *
*If you ignored my stern words & picked it off anyway (tut tut), there IS a magic fix.
4. Always wear gloves
Using gloves for household jobs such as cleaning, washing up, or gardening, any hobbies which are rough on your hands, or anything which uses harsh chemical products, provides a protective layer for your nails and helps to prevent any damage to them.
5. Remember to rinse
CND Shellac has been formulated for gentle removal in minutes with no nail damage. To achieve this, it has microscopic ‘tunnels’ through which the remover can ‘flood’ so as to remove quickly and easily. However, these tunnels are also susceptible to other chemicals ‘flooding’ through them, which of course could then start the removal process earlier than intended.
For this reason, it is advised that you wear gloves as suggested above, to prevent other chemicals coming into contact with your gel polish. However, if you are applying something for which you would not usually wear gloves, such as suncream, insect repellant, or anti-aging creams, just be sure to rinse your hands once you have finished applying your cream. By preventing the creams from lingering on your nails, you will stop them from entering the tunnels and thereby also stop the breakdown process from starting.
Finally, some of the more delicate CND Shellac colours (pinks, I am looking at you) can start to fade if they are in chlorinated water followed by excessive sun. This is due to the fact that chlorine is a bleaching agent and the sun then intensifies the bleaching action. In order to minimise this fading process, rinse and dry your hands and nails immediately after swimming (followed by a quick slick of SolarOil).
So there you have it - my comprehensive guide on how to look after your nails at home after you've had a Nails by Laura D Lee manicure.
How many of these did you already know? More importantly, how many of these do you already do??
If you need any extra aftercare advice or you've got any questions, let me know in the comments below!
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