I have been a serial nail biter as long as I can remember. I can recall gluing on crooked plastic french tips in the middle school bathroom, and the envious and embarrassed feeling I would get when girls would grab their favorite nail polish at sleepovers... and I would sit on my hands, embarrassed my my little nubs. Why couldn't I get rid of my biting habit? A lot of research will show that bitten nails are a common precursor to anxiety disorders, which are prevalent in people with ADD (me!). It wasn't until recently, right before my wedding, that I kicked this habit for good. I'm a Jamberry consultant, and when I began wearing the vinyl wraps, there was no chance of my nonchalant biting or picking to do any damage to my nails. My heart soared when I gazed upon my beautiful hands and my long nails- yippie! Finally, I wasn't hiding my hands in photos! But I did want to make sure I wouldn't just kick the habit but learn how to keep my nails healthy and strong. So, here are some great tips for you to follow along with me!
-Wear Rubber Gloves When Cleaning - I used to never take this seriously. I used to be a hair stylist- my hands could handle anything! Except they shouldn't, and those abrasive cleaners can tear nails apart six ways from sunday. Step One: Find the cutest pair of rubber gloves you can find. Step 2: Always wear them. Pledge, Windex, Lysol, whatever- Use Protection! Wear your rubbers! ;)
-Go Easy On The Water - While your Jamberry nail wraps are completely water resistant, your nails and your hands aren't- Hot water can tear your hands apart, and nails are porous and absorb water, so they need a little bit of "me" time after submerging them in water. Let them dry, and use a nice hand balm to repair the cuticle and the dried-out skin. And, you know, use those rubbers when you do dishes!
-Care For Your Cuticles - Have you ever tried cuticle oil? OMG YOU HAVEN'T? Go, run to the store, buy some now, and thank me later. I will assume anyone that has tried cuticle oil read this title and thought, "oh yeah, I am a smarty pants and I love the feeling of healthy cuticles, so I always do this religiously every single day." Cuticles are the gateway into the soul- or at least your nail beds. So treat them nice so they don't peel and make you sad. Plus, healthy cuticles promote healthy, strong nails! Jamberry makes a great cuticle oil, it smells DELICIOUS. Go buy some immediately, it will be the best $10 you spent today: http://bombshellbeauty.jamberrynails.net/product/nail-care-cuticle-oil#.U_ffA1boYTQ
-Grab Your Gloves - Is it cold out? Did you grab a hoodie? Good, grab your gloves, while your at it. The best way not to forget these babies is to keep them in your coat pockets. Cold weather can seriously dry out and deteriorate your skin and nails. This is an easily avoidable problem. You can find adorable pairs of gloves for a $1 like, anywhere between September and April. Go find some favorites and stick them everywhere- in your jackets, in your car, in your boyfriends car, and next to your dog's leash.
-Beware the Bad Polish - Guess what? I would bet my whole Jamberry collection that your nail polish contains Formaldahyde, Formadahyde resin and Toluene. These are REALLY REALLY BAD FOR YOU. Like, completely toxic. Can you imagine how bad it could be if it flaked off in a kids mouth? in your dog's mouth? In your mouth? And you are wearing it on your body! Stop that right now! If you are a smartie pants, you can go order some Jamberry Nail Wraps from me and solve that problem forever, or at the very least, purchase their Nail Lacquer that is 5 FREE (AKA none of the toxins you will find in your salon-quality polish). Visit my Jamberry site for more details.
-SPF your Mani - Still insisting on getting those gels on? Ok, that's fine, but promise me you will wear SPF on your fingers- those UV and LED lights are so dangerous, and you will seriously see a difference in your skin and your nails if you avoid them or protect against them. Use a full-spectrum sunscreen before using one of these lights at a salon, and if you're nail tech says not to, you can tell her "Sayonara" and find a salon that cares more about your body. Seriously.
-Take Your Biotin - Biotin is on my list of my FAVORITE THINGS EVER (I should really write out that list... maybe soon). There are even biotin treatments you can apply directly to your nail- even better! Do this routine consistently on a daily basis. No really, do it. Put it next to your BC pills, or your toothbrush, or your fish named Greg that you feed religiously everyday. Also, those vitamin E capsules? My grammy would always push a hole in the capsule with a pin, apply the liquid to the nail and massage in. That's awesome also; do that too.
-File, Baby, File - Keep a nail file handy wherever you go. Keep one in your car, at the office, at your boyfriends house, in the fridge- you know, all the places you frequent on a regular basis. It was SO EASY for me to pick and bite if my nails had got caught on something, and a frequent filer will keep rough edges and damage away. (I know this is TMI, but I keep one next to the toilet in my restroom to take care of any nail issues while I'm... resting)
-Protein Power! - Lots of water and a well-balenced diet is always a great start at healthy nails, but what will really make a difference is the kinds of protein you are putting in your body- lean protein like chicken and protein with Omega-3 Fatty Acids like Fish are perfect for pretty nails.
Go, fly be free with beautiful hands and healthy nails! Show off your hands and those adorable nail wraps!
(what, you aren't wearing Jamberry wraps? what is wrong with you, go order your free ones right now!)
Bombshell Always,
Kelsey
