I love a manicure. More specifically, I love gel and shellac manicures, but they wreak havoc on my nails. Instead of constantly doing back-to-back gel manicures, I try to take a couple weeks off and rehab my nails.
To take off the gel, I must admit I do use a rather primitive process: I peel it off myself. This is the end result:
Nails are thin, cracked, flaking off and feel paper thin. In general, no bueno.
Here’s what I do to encourage the healing process to begin:
First, use a four-way buffer to smooth your nails. This will remove any flakes, as well as polish and seal up exposed parts of the nail.
The next step involves these two miracle products:
Vitamin E oil and Sally Hansen’s Nail Protex.
First, rub Vitamin E oil all over the nail bed and the cuticle. Let this soak in and leave for a few hours or overnight. (Trust me, it will soak in quickly.)
After the Vitamin E has soaked in, apply the Sally Hansen polish. Paint a coat or two on and it will last for a week. You might notice a bluish hue when you apply it, and that’s fine. That means it’s working.
Let the healing begin.
Both of these products are sold at drugstores and grocery stores everywhere for about $5.
I recommend giving yourself two weeks of rehab (or 28 days, whatever you see fit). After this time passes, return to your favorite scheduled program of UV manicures. I’m loving all the new OPI Gel Shades for fall, especially Road House Blues.
