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Because not even a Zoom filter can save your three-week-old manicure.
Linh Khuu, owner of Vancouver’s Varnish Nails and Beauty Lounge, hands out some expert tips
OK, I’ll admit it: access to beauty services is not the most important thing going on in the world right now. But global pandemic or not, time still passes, and nails still grow. No fear, the expert esthetician is here! We got some DIY advice from Linh Khuu, owner of Vancouver nail salon Varnish Nails and Beauty Lounge. Read on to take your nails from busted to bare.
After, Khuu recommends using a nail strengthener (like OPI’s Nail Envy) to your clean and dry nails. Swipe on one coat every other day, then remove with nail polish remover after one week, and repeat if desired. Khuu also suggests using a cuticle treatment (like CND‘s RescueRXx) twice a day. “The keratin protein treatment helps strengthen weakened or damaged nails while restoring moisture,” she says. CND cuticle eraser also helps to micro-exfoliate the cuticles and condition the nail plate and surrounding skin—you can massage a small amount onto your cuticles daily.
Do moisturize your handsWater alone can be drying to the skin. Keep your hands moisturized to prevent your skin from scaling and cracking. Make sure to rub lotion onto your nails and cuticles, too.
Do use a base coat when wearing nail polish—it protects your nailsStay away from polishes that contain toxic chemicals such as dibutyl phthalate (DBP), formaldehyde and toluene. These chemicals lead to brittleness, splitting and cracking.
Don’t bite, peel or pull hangnailsYou might rip the tissue along with the hangnail. This can cause minor cut alongside the fingernail, allowing bacteria or fungi to enter and cause an infection. Clip off the hangnail instead.
Don’t bite your nailsPlenty of germs lurk underneath your fingernails, and it’s difficult to get rid of all them even by washing your hands. Biting your nails increases the risk of catching a cold, developing skin infections around the nail and causing long-term nail damage. (It can also damage your teeth!) Trimming your nails every two weeks is recommended.
Don’t peel off gel polishIf you pick or peel off gel polish, you’re also peeling off layers of nail. This causes thinning of the nail plate and makes them brittle and weak.