Taking Care of your Nail Enhancements

As an (almost) qualified Nail Technician, I have been getting lots of people asking me about what they should be doing to take care of their Nail Enhancements, or why they are having certain problems with their enhancements.







Here are my best tips for caring for your nail enhancements;
• Treat your nails as jewels, not tools. Be gentle on your nails, and don't use them for things such as opening drink cans, picking at things and generally treating them roughly. The more you knock and bump your nails, the more trauma they will receive making them weaker and more likely to break.
• Keep your rebalance appointments. Depending on how fast your nails grow, you will need to get them rebalanced every 2-3 weeks. Leaving too long in between appointments means that your enhancements will be longer and more likely to be bumped, and the enhancement will be weaker as it is no longer covering your entire nail bed. Make your next appointment before you leave the salon.
• Wear gloves when doing the house work, dishes and gardening. You don't want all of those germs to be getting under your nails, and if you get any dirt in a cut or under your nail enhancement, it can lead to infections (or even mould in the case of water being trapped). Its just generally not nice or pretty.
• Use cuticle oil multiple times a day. This will keep the enhancement moisturised helping to prevent lifting from your natural nail, and help keep your enhancements nice and shiny. Your nail tech will be able to recommend an oil to suit you.
• Use acetone free nailpolish remover. Look for products labled acetone free or without acetone listed as an ingredient. Acetone will effect the surface of your enhancement, and can event cause the glue bond to break down.
• Before painting your nails, paint on a clear base coat. This will act as a barrier between your enhancement and nail polish, ensuring that there is no staining to the nail.
• Dry your hands thoroughly after washing. Bacteria thrives in moist conditions, and if any water becomes trapped between your natural nail and enhancement, it could result in mould growing on your nail. That's just not pleasant at all.
• Only ever have your nails removed by soaking them off in remover. Pulling your nail enhancements off can result in damage to your natural nail, not to mention it hurts. Nail enhancements only need to be removed if you no longer wish to have them, a tip has been applied crooked, or there is a medical reason for removal. People often say they they need to let their nails 'breathe'. Ever seen a nail with a set of lungs? Your enhancements protect your natural nails from wear and tear.
• Never let a nail technician use a drill on your natural nail. This can thin out your nail plate, and the result can be quite painful. Your natural nail should only ever be hand filed.
• Steer clear of Nail Salons that use LMA product. MMA is a banned substance, and is very harmful to you with some serious side effects. For more information on MMA, please visit http://www.glambeautyandnails.com.au/MMA.pdf.
• Head in for a repair as soon as you can, if you break a nail or get a chip. This means the enhancement is weakened, and you don't want to do any damage to your natural nail.
By sticking to these guidelines, it will ensure you get the best out of your Nail Enhancements, and keep your nails in the best condition! If you ever have any questions (no matter how silly you may think they seem) call your nail technician!



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