The Healing of Nails...

So first off let me start with a confession.  I'm a reformed nail biter.  Almost my entire life I've had horrible nails.  I had long given up on the hope that I would ever have nice ones.  I would come up with many excuses as to why I would never have nice nails:

"I don't have the right finger shape"
"My nail beds are too short"
"I have my Dads fingers"
"I'm too artsy and hands on for nice nails"
"I'm in too many chemicals on a daily basis"
"I don't have time to keep up with nice nails"

The list goes on and on.  I really had a lot of reasons my nails sucked.  But the simple truth?  (and I'm keeping it real here)  They were always in my mouth.  I would file my nail edge with my teeth.  I would get those pesky hang nails by chewing them off.  In hopes of getting nicer nails I would get manicures at nail salons (and being ignorant in terms of beauty stuff in general) that had power tools and clippers-of-doom that ruined nails and cuticles alike.  I never moisturized.  Certainly never used silly things like cuticle oil or nail strengthener.  I just had a lot of bad habits that made my nails horrendous.  

Then one day it all stopped.  I think it was mid-scurry of me trying to get a baby blanket knit as a gift that I just stopped all these bad habits.  The blankets yarn was drying my hands out so I actually moisturized.  I started taking a hair skin and nails vitamin and in my craze of getting the blanket done, I kept my hands out of my mouth.  Next thing I knew I had nails.  And they were pretty healthy.

So what's the first thing I did with these new found keratin based accessories on my body?  Well I took them to a butcher shop called a nail salon of course!  I got myself a nice looking manicure in a bright springtime color and was happy with the results.  But after a day my cuticles started looking red, swollen, dried out, and nasty.  Alas!  I was doomed to bad nails!  Even a manicure couldn't save me!! 

With tears of desperation streaming down my face I consulted the Google-gods. What do you know!  Everything I was doing was wrong.  Clipping your cuticles are evil.  A good portion of nail salons are evil.  And there was still hope for my hands.  Here is how they are now:

This is honestly the healthiest my nails have ever been!

    




 
So here is a step-by-step guide on how to get yourself to nail and cuticle nirvana as well:


Step one:

Keep your fingers away from your mouth!  No, seriously.  Not for a hang-nail, not for a broken nail, not for nothin'. There are enzymes in your saliva that start breaking down food to aid with digestion.  
Guess what?  They can't tell the difference between food and your fingers.  So don't tempt fate.  Keep an emergency file and clippers in your purse, at your desk at work, in 20 locations in your house, in your car.... everywhere!  

Step two:

Now that you don't put your fingers in your mouth you can occupy it with something else.  Try taking a Biotin based supplement to help aid with your nails strength, health, and growth.  Biotin is Vitamin B7 and is water soluble.  So if you take too much you will just urinate the excess out.  
A word of caution:  A lot of the Biotin multi-vitamins and gummies have the fat soluble Vitamin A, E, and D contained inside as well and those like to hang out in the body for a while.  So if you are already taking a daily multi-vitamin be careful not to take too much!

Step three:

This is the only time I will tell you to do this.  It's a last time kind of deal.  Only follow this step if you are a nail biter like I was.  One last time, go to a nail salon and get a manicure (if you are good at giving yourself one then by all means do!)  Let them do their thing.  They will get your nails in a workable condition so that you can go from there.  Choose a fun color that you LOVE.  When you get home look at them and revel in their beauty.  I only state this step so that the nail biting stops.  You are less likely to chomp on those nails if there is a fun gorgeous color that you are in love with on them.

Step four:

Moisturize!  After you have your manicure and your nails are all pretty your cuticles can become neglected and dried out.  So find yourself a good cuticle oil and apply it at least twice a day, or whenever they feel neglected.  If you don't want to spend the money on a cuticle oil you can always purchase some jojoba oil and use that.  The oil particles in jojoba are small enough to penetrate the nail bed and its super great at mimicking your skins sebum (the stuff your skin glands make that keeps your skin hydrated).  After cuticle oil is applied and soaks in for a bit, apply a nice hand lotion to lock in all those beneficial oils you just applied.

Step five:

*IMPORTANT*  Never, ever, ever cut your cuticles.  This can actually lead to an infected nail bed that is red swollen and can lead to damaged nails.  What you want to do:  after your hands have had a good soak (after a shower works as well) GENTLY push back your cuticles with an orange stick or your own nails.  You can use cuticle remover ointment to get at those pesky dead skin cells.   
If (BIG IF) you have a lot of excess dead skin on your cuticles (signified as white, dead, hanging there, dried out skin), and you are desperate then you may use sharp cuticle nipper (gently, carefully, sparingly).   I know I said don't ever, never cut your cuticle... well I mean the living cuticle (sometimes hard to tell the difference when your hands are wet)  Just be careful!  
Remember above all else:  Push them back!

Step six:

Treat occasionally with a cuticle balm, thick hand cream, and cotton gloves for an all over luxurious feeling

Step seven:

Enjoy!  Your hands and nails are officially on thier way to healing and looking great!  I never thought I would be able to do it, but now I'm loving my nails and the little luxuries that having nice ones bring!




Take care of thyselves,
Jeanette