nail experts this way please - i need your help!

[shelley72]

my nails are a mess. firstly my fingernails are very flaky and peeling off in layers at the free edge. i like to keep them short. i file with a crystal file and have been using OPI nail envy religiously for a month or so but if anything, they have got worse. what am i doing wrong / what can you recommend?

also i am going out for the first time in years tomorrow night with DH and i really wanted to have beautiful painted nails. i probably paint my nails twice a year . i wipe with nail polish remover use a base coat, 2 coats of polish then seche vite. it takes ages to do (time i dont really have tbh) and then it just doesnt last. any tips for improving the routine to make it last a bit longer?

lastly my toes. they are pretty ghastly. i spent most of the summer in lovely dark red / coral shades and toes have been 'nude' for most of the winter. yet they still look very yellow and stained - big toes especially. they really are a mess. do you have any ideas (cant afford to go to a salon as now SAHM) as to how to fix before the summer when i start painting them really dark again

thank you

hopeful bump..

My nails are rubbish too but I find when Im watching tv at night rubbing hand cream or cuticle oil in and taking time to do it round the cuticles helps, to see a differnce takes a few wks though. I'm watching this thread to see if you get any better tips!

hmm...not sure i can answer all of these but i'll give it a bash. OPI nail envy, cuticle oil and lots of hand cream are your friends. I use the first two every day and have hand cream everywhere - in the car, next to the sink, on my dressing table etc etc.

TBH, my painted nails dont last half as long as id like (4 days max) but I know that i should be re-applying top coat every couple of days and using marigolds (neither of which I do).

As for the stains, ive never tried it but i understand scrubbing with a hydrogen peroxide solution / whitening toothpaste / lemon juice may help .....

Do you wear gloves when washing up/ cleaning? I get very dry hands, especially in winter, and this is made worse by harsh detergents and cleaning product.

While the nail experts are here could I possibly piggyback onto this thread and ask for help? Hope you don't mind shelley.
About 6 years ago my finger got hit and since then the nail has vertical ridges down one side and splits vertically down the nail, which means I can't grow it without it catching on everything - is there anything I can do?

Not an expert but... your toe nails need to breath so you should to stop using nail polish on them every day. You can rub them with lemon to make them whiter but it might be worth getting them checked by a doctor for a fungal infection as that can make the nails yellow. The vitamin b's help you to have strong nails so it might be worth looking into that. Make sure you are using a good quality nail polish as that can make a difference as well but even that will chip when you are doing household chores :(.

Have a lovely evening out with hubby.

Well, Nail envy and a crystal file should be doing the trick...fixed my peeling nails in 2 weeks... I kept my nails really short at first (to about 1-2mm of white tip) while I 'grew out' the peels and splits. As a start to finish I...

Day 1: removed any polish with non acetone remover (I use cutex), then oil my cuticles and push back the cuticles with a rubber tipped hoof stick. I then file and buff my nails. I then wash my hands in the sink with regular hand wash and a nail brush. Thoroughly dry hands. Then apply two coats of nail envy, taking it over the free edge of the nail. (colour and top coat then go over the top if that is the look I am going for)
Day 3: File nail if necessay (just while growing out the splits - for me only took 2 weeks). Apply another coat of nail envy.
Day 5: As day 3.
Day 7: As day 3.
Day 8: As day 1.

Cuticle oil and moisturiser as often as possible (and certainly everytime after washing my hands) every day - pref every couple of hours!!! - and I wash up a couple of times a day...no rubber gloves.

I don't apply nail envy every day as I find it makes the laquer too thick by the end of the week. Also, the head of OPI for the uk only advises to do it every other day.

For my manicure...I do as above really but I make sure every layer is dry before the next until I do the 2nd coat of colour...then the seche vite goes straight over the top while the colour is still wet. I always paint the free edge and underside of the nail with seche vite first before doing the full coat over the nail...I get a full week out of mine. If I fancy a natural look I just use 1 coat of nails inc south molton street (really sheer natural pink) and use nail envy as my top coat and a nail whitening pencil to make the tips really stand out.

Toenail-wise, I haven't used it personally but I know that you can get products like scholl nail brightening system. No idea how well they work but buffing is great for removing nail polish stains...just don't over buff! And always use base coat on your toenails!!!!

No expert but that's what I do and it definately works for me.

Thank you for all the replies. I am continuing with the OPI and filing. I do need to try and remember the oil though. I am quite good with hand cream but I NEVER wear gloves when washing up etc, so these are on my list for the weekend and I am also going to try and put on hand cream before I wash up so that it soaks in.

My toes have been 'breathing' for ages and the bottom half seems to be getting pinkier - its the top half. Maybe its just a case of letting them grow a bit more. If not I think I may get them checked out.

Thank you all again

Hi Shelley - you could try gel polish on your toes for the summer. It lasts 2-3 weeks on fingers but mine lasts for about 6 weeks on toes and the basecoat means no staining.
Salon prices are usually about 25 quid a go but you could get the new DIY one which is much cheaper in the long run (& vouchercodes or someone have a tenner off at Boots at the moment when you spend 70 )
SensatioNail

Daisie - this might work for you too - gel is thicker than polish and I have found it protects splits really well and helps me grow them out.

ah jackstini i tried gel polish on my fingers (at least i think it was - is that the one where you have to set it under UV light or something) for my hols last year - lasted 2 days before it chipped off . i was rather miffed to say the least. maybe nail colour just doesnt like me!

Use rubber gloves - washing up liquid makes my nails peel/split.

Have had problems with peeling nails for years - tried everything - had just about given up hope of ever having nice nails again and then tried Rimmel Nail Care Rescue. Cheapest thing I ever used and the best. Nails are now really strong.

Who has time for all this primping and preening? Get a weekly (or at least fortnightly) manicure and a monthly pedicure. So worth the expense. You will never have to arse around with nail polish and files again

I cannot put more emphasis on RUBBER GLOVES!! and almond oil..rub rub rub!

I read somewhere to soak your feet in water with denture tablets in it to whiten your toe nails.I've never tried it myself though

my local college does beauty courses and you can have your nails done by students for £8 which they say takes 45mins, I've not had it done but have had other stuff done and it's all really good work they just need to do so many to get there certificates or whatever, they are all trained already
might be worth looking into if you can afford that but not a salon say? I had mine properly done the other day and can really tell the difference

I have given up and back to acyrilic nails. I have an American finish which is more natural looking for when i don't want varnish on, but I can paint them just use has coat and acetone free remover.
I tried uv gel nails (expensive CNd ones) but they don't last like acrylic do . I go to the salon every two weeks to have infills and filed down.

Especially good fOr holidays as they last two week sometimes three it depends how fast your nails grow and how soon you get a big gap between your cuticle and the false nail.

Meant to say mine cost £20 so not bad value, I could stretch to three weeks but by the end of the third week the gap is far too big for my liking.

If you don't want Acrylics try a Shellac manicure. My salon where I go charge £20 and they last 2 weeks. Once a fortnight infills and an hour treatment - sounds like you spend more time and money than this currently and this way it is done and you can forget about it. Also have you tried Shea oil?

Daisy: I've got exactly the same as what you describe, a vertical line down my nail which sometimes peels and splits verticaly. I've had it for over 10 years but it has been getting softer

Shelley: sounds as though you are doing everything right. Are you cutting your nails short to get rid of the flaking bits? Once they have peeled, nothing will mend them or stick them back together. OPI nail envy is good and will make them better but to be honest it is a treatment for the new growth. You need to get rud if the damaged nail ends to get to new, strong growth. For your night out, cut them really short, put nail envy on and lots of hand cream. If you've got time paint them dark (dark colours always look best on short nails in my opinion).
Re toes: were you using a base coat under your dark nail polished? If not, it could explain why it's happened.

By the way I have switched to renunail and I am pleased to say that it is better and works faster than nail envy! The bummer is that you need to apply it every day as opposed to every other day with nail envy and that it takes longer to dry.

Hi Shelley - gel always used to be cured under UV and some salons still use it but LED is safer and quicker. I have got 2 weeks out of my manicure eaily and my toes have lasted 7 weeks!! (Sensationail invincible gel - home kit)