WHY YOU DON'T NEED A NAIL BREAK
Posted on January 15 2018
When a client tells me that she has been taking a ‘nail break’ I can almost guarantee that she has either tried to remove a salon manicure herself resulting in damage to the nails or is suffering from some other form of dissatisfaction with her current nail care regime.
The popular belief is that nail polish, in particular gel polish is the cause of nail dryness or damage or that by removing polish for an extended period of time our nails will somehow improve.
In reality, unless you are suffering from a medical condition which requires you to remove polish or refrain from manicures, the only results you’ll get from a nail break are likely to be shorter, ungroomed nails. Just as nails begin to show growth we often decide to have a ‘nail break’, this means all the growth from weeks past is lost within a day or so.
Using Nail Polish to Maintain Optimum Balance in the Nail
Natural nails do not breathe, nor do they require oxygen to thrive. They are composed of dead keratin, sebaceous oils and 7 to 18% water. Nail polish, rather than drying our nails out, actually helps to maintain the delicate water balance of the nail and seals in vital moisture.
Water evaporates through the nail naturally but when we factor in central heating, hand washing etc this level of loss can increase. In applying a coating to the nail such as nail polish we create a barrier which can reduce this water loss. Similarly, nail polish can also defend against the nails taking on too much water and becoming too soft and vulnerable to tearing. Too much water and the nail will be overly pliable, too little and the nail will become brittle.
The best thing you can do for your nails is wear a quality traditional polish or better still an expertly applied gel polish and then look after it correctly at home. Coating the nail will help to make it more resilient and therefore preserve growth and using a hand cream with the correct blend of oils will improve the performance of polish even further. If we can look after our nail coating our nails will look after themselves.
Look After Your Nail Polish and It Will Look After You
Once nail polish is cured (dried) it forms and immediate protective barrier but to maintain its effectiveness it must be looked after. Applying SLIXIR Hand & Polish Cream twice a day will help to increase its barrier capabilities and therefore maintain optimal water balance of the nail.
For more specialist tips and advice on anything hands, nails or polish subscribe to our blog #moreperfectpolishdays. If you have any specific hand, nail or polish concerns that we can address through our blog we’d love to hear about them. Please get in touch info@slixir.com.
Until then,
Wishing You More Perfect Polish Days!
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