Nail Care Review of 2013! Part One!

Hello my readers!

  Happy New Year! I hope that you all had a wonderful holiday season.

  So, this entry is going to be quite different from what I typically post. Yes, you read the title correctly, this post is going to be my review of a few products I've been testing out last year and thought that I would go ahead and share them with you ladies! [Sorry guys, I'll try to have something more general up soon.]

  It's winter time and it can be hard to keep up a decent manicure. For those of you who may be struggling with this, maybe some of what I'm going to share here will help you. Before I get into it however; I want to put it out there that I'm not a professional nail tech and I do not claim to be. This is all information that I've either researched myself or tested on my own. These are just a few things that have worked for me and I thought, why not share! So here we go.

•   Yellow Nails

   How many of you have struggled with this issue? Not flattering right? Especially when you want to give your nails a break but feel you can't because they don't look socially acceptable.
  Yellowing of the nails can be caused by a few things.

1. An Underlying Medical Problem
2. Nail Fungus
3. Smoking
4. Excessive use of nail polish

[If you'd like to read up in more detail of what causes yellow fingernails, yahoo has some additional information].

  If you are a lover of painting nails and do them often, I think it's pretty safe to say that this can be the reason your nails turn yellow. So how can you reverse it?

  Here's something quick and easy you can do and it won't cost you much.

  Items you will need:

1. Small bowl
2. Baking Soda
3. Hydrogen Peroxide

Yes, that's it! Pour a bit of baking soda in a small bowl and add just enough hydrogen peroxide to make it into a thin paste. This is what you are going to want to soak your nails in.
  I personally make sure that my nails have been cleaned of any debris before doing this treatment. E.G. I remove all nail polish, wash my hands and dry them completely. I feel that once all the moisture has been removed from my nails, the mixture will be able to penetrate more efficiently.

  Now that you've created your mixture, dip your nails in and leave them submerged for about 10 minutes. You can leave them in a little longer depending on how deep the yellowing is.

NOTE: This is something you will have to do a few times before you reach your desired results. Also, if you have any small cuts on your cuticles or fingertips you may feel a bit of stinging. In that case, becareful and don't leave them in nearly as long.

I recommend doing this about every one to two weeks, depending on how long you keep a manicure.
  If you'd like to see a video tutorial on nail troubleshooting, check out elleandish // Janelle on YouTube. Other annoyances such as bubbles in your manicure, splitting or chipping etc... she covers in this same video.

• Weak Nails

  Do you have problems with chipping or splitting nails? Do they tend to snag on items and tear from the sides? I feel your pain. Now, this isn't something that'll just magically disappear I'm sorry to say. However; here are some things that I have done that has helped keep it down to a minimum.
  If it's a small split on the side [which I happen to currently have] Do Not under any circumstances try to lift it or pull it away from the rest of the nail. You can risk hurting the skin underneath or having to wait a whole lot longer for your manicure to look decent again.

  I like to get a nail file and smooth down the piece that is snagging. Once you can rub the nail and not really feel the snag, paint over the nail with a clear base/top coat. I prefer using a strengthening top coat to help mend and bond the nail together until it grows out and you can file it away completely. After a base/top coat has been applied, go ahead and paint your nails whatever color you fancy. I find that this helps me by 1. Not being able to see the crack and 2. I won't be tempted to try and mess with it.

  Another cause of weak nails, for me at least, is buffing. There's nothing wrong with wanting to get a natural shine by buffing every once in awhile but excessive buffing can weaken the nail. For me, in my search to get stronger nails, I've found that buffing just made my nails prone to breakage. It didn't matter how "pretty" or "shiny" they looked. They would bend so easily!
  So if you do like to buff, do so sparingly.

  Here are pictures of some of my favorite strengtheners that I've come across. You can find them at your local drug store, Target or Walmart.

  Sally Hansen's Diamond Strength Hardener [Left] and Sally Hansen's VitaSurge Strengthening Gel [Right].

  The hardener is just a clear polish that you can use as a base coat for you manicure or just by itself. The strengthening gel is what you can apply on the natural nail and rub it in by itself or you can use it every couple of days on top of your manicure. This gel has extra vitamins and nutrients that can be absorbed by the nail to help them become stronger. They both work well. The key ladies, is to be patient and consistent!
  If you decide to use these together, you may notice a difference within a few weeks if you are using the gel everyday. I recommend using it at night so that while you sleep the nails can absorb all that they can.
  Now, at first I started to notice more splitting and cracking while I was using this. I do not believe it was because of the products. I think it was just my nails growing out and getting rid of all the weaker parts of itself. [If that makes sense.] Anyway, I did notice that they weren't easy to bend after a few weeks which I was extremely happy about.

  Alright, I'm going to end this post here because I don't want it to be too long of a read. Part Two is coming soon!

  A little spoiler of what's to come: Cuticle Care, Top Coats etc.

  Good Night!
 
P.S. If you enjoyed this post, please let me know in the comments below! Or if there is something that you'd like for me to include in Part Two, feel free to leave those requests below as well. I'd love to interact with you and get some feedback!