Nail Problems, Need advice...

Ok, so I absolutely love painting my nails and nail art in general..but I have terrible nails. They are short, peel, cuticles dry out and peel really bad...my job is more hands on too, so they see a lot of abuse with that and being a mom of two and all the messy little jobs that come with that. Now I regularly moisturize my hands, push back my cuticles and file rough edges to minimize peels...but nothing seems to really help them much. My questions are mainly what you all here on MUT think is the best nailcare regimine for really cruddy weak nails and to help them grow ( I can't do really long because of work but a little length would be nice). Please let me know what to do, what products work well and any other useful info you have tucked away. Thanks!!!

oh...this is the better hand

I'm hard on my hands as well, constantly washing at work and in/out of gloves. I just slather whatever hands lotion I have on and try to do cuticle oil in before bed. Just started using Nail Tek formula II a few weeks ago and think it's going well.

Cuticle oil makes all the difference for me, much better results than just lotion.

I used gel polish (Shellac) for about a month and my nails started to grow nice and strong.  I think since it's harder than regular polish, it helps strengthen them.  I rarely use it anymore but it really helped to grow my nails out strong.

You can buy the sally hansen gel polish at CVS for about 30 bucks...machine and polish.

I agree about cuticle oil.  Agran oil also works if you already have some as part of your beauty regime but if not cuticle oil is cheaper. 

I have found a strengthening base coat also works well for me because my nails are polished often.  I use Essie's Grow Stronger basecoat.    Their sensitivity basecoat has worked well for me in the past.  I cannot stress the importance of this (at least in my opinion) if your nails are polished more than 40-50% of the time.

Also, it is annoying, but it's important you do this stuff every day (or every time you polish if you go with a basecoat). 

I used gel polish (Shellac) for about a month and my nails started to grow nice and strong.  I think since it's harder than regular polish, it helps strengthen them.  I rarely use it anymore but it really helped to grow my nails out strong.

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I've been wanting to try the gel polish, but ive heard its damaging to your nails..have you noticed any change in your natural nail when the polish is off? Also, i change my polish too often with doing nail art(recent thing) so i dont know if i could commit to one color for 2 weeks.lol. can you use regular polish over it to change the look? Or will the regular polish peel off?

I agree about cuticle oil.  Agran oil also works if you already have some as part of your beauty regime but if not cuticle oil is cheaper.  I have found a strengthening base coat also works well for me because my nails are polished often.  I use Essie's Grow Stronger basecoat.    Their sensitivity basecoat has worked well for me in the past.  I cannot stress the importance of this (at least in my opinion) if your nails are polished more than 40-50% of the time. Also, it is annoying, but it's important you do this stuff every day (or every time you polish if you go with a basecoat). 

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I never thought about that, i use argan oil in my hair i'll have to try it as a cuticle oil. Thanks!

I agree about cuticle oil.  Agran oil also works if you already have some as part of your beauty regime but if not cuticle oil is cheaper.  I have found a strengthening base coat also works well for me because my nails are polished often.  I use Essie's Grow Stronger basecoat.    Their sensitivity basecoat has worked well for me in the past.  I cannot stress the importance of this (at least in my opinion) if your nails are polished more than 40-50% of the time. Also, it is annoying, but it's important you do this stuff every day (or every time you polish if you go with a basecoat). 

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I do use a base coat with my polishes...i do my nails at least every other day except weekends when i dont go anywhere. I use a revlon now, tried a cpl other brands too. I'll pick up the essie and try that. I usually dont use essie because all the ones i have are so thin and i hate having to do like 5 coats..but as a base i wouldnt have to worry about seeing it so its worth a try.

Has anyone tried seche vite? Ive heard great things as a top coat...do they have a base? If so is it good? I learned the hard way OPI is not great as a base...though their polishes are one of my favorites for chip resistance and colors.

Originally Posted by lissa1307 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Has anyone tried seche vite? Ive heard great things as a top coat...do they have a base? If so is it good? I learned the hard way OPI is not great as a base...though their polishes are one of my favorites for chip resistance and colors.

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I love Seche Vite quick-dry top coat, but I wasn't impressed by their base coat. I am using Orly Bonder right now, which is pretty good. My favorite so far is by Sally Hansen; I can't remember the name of the product at the moment, but it's in a light green bottle with silver cap. My friend swears by NailTek II, but I haven't used it personally.

Originally Posted by sleepykat /img/forum/go_quote.gif


I love Seche Vite quick-dry top coat, but I wasn't impressed by their base coat. I am using Orly Bonder right now, which is pretty good. My favorite so far is by Sally Hansen; I can't remember the name of the product at the moment, but it's in a light green bottle with silver cap. My friend swears by NailTek II, but I haven't used it personally.

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This. Seche-Vite is pretty much my go to topcoat but their base coat was one of the worst base coats that I've ever purchased.  Of course YMMV.

OPI makes my favorite base coats, and Seche Vite is my favorite top coat. So that shows ymmv.

Originally Posted by lissa1307 /img/forum/go_quote.gif

I've been wanting to try the gel polish, but ive heard its damaging to your nails..have you noticed any change in your natural nail when the polish is off? Also, i change my polish too often with doing nail art(recent thing) so i dont know if i could commit to one color for 2 weeks.lol. can you use regular polish over it to change the look? Or will the regular polish peel off?

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It isn't like that artificial gel nails you would get at the salon.  It goes on just like nail polish but hardens.  I didn't notice any issues with my nails anymore than normal polish.  You have to rough it up with a file before removing it so it comes off easier.

It's just my opinion but if my nails weren't in good shape, I'd nix the nail art and just concentrate on getting them strong and healthy first.

I use both the Seche base and top coat and I love them both.  I would not even think of doing my nails without the SV top coat.  For real.

Edit:  When I used the gel polish, I didn't attempt to polish over it so I don't know if it would peel off.  I saw a youtube video where people were using regular polish in between the base and top coat of the gel polish system so I guess it might work.

Have you tried using Julep's oxygen polish? It's a little expensive (14-18$ online), but I got it for my grandmother because she had really weak nails and it seems to be working. 

http://www.julep.com/oxygen-nail-treatment.html

Hi hun, I'm new here so my apologies for the late reply. Although I'm new I am very very much into nail art and change mine every 2 days so I was def in search of what you are now. I wanna tell you the one thing that has done WONDERS for me and this goes to all of you lovely ladies! I came across a post on Pinterest that a user swore by and that was a post about a vitamin called Biotin! It helps with nails, hair and skin. I used it for 1 month and my nails now grow like crazy. I use to have to wear at least 5 coats of polish at all times so my nails wouldn't break or chip. I can now go without any polish and my nails are strong and healthy and I stopped taking them months ago only because I hate pills of any kind. It also made my skin GLOW, I got so many compliments. If you read about it you'll see people say it'll make you break out. It will ONLY because your skin has to push all the yuck out before it can heal, make sense? I can tell you I had very little break out, maybe one or two but by the 2nd week you will be happy you didn't stop taking them. I ask you to please do the research and decide yourself but it's my personal wonder pill! If you don't wanna try that then I suggest doing what I did before. Use 2 layers of a base coat, I use Revlon (it's milky white, can't remember the name), your polish/design of choice, and SV fast dry top coat. If that's too much then pick up Sally Hansen Triple Strong (green bottle) and use 2 layers as a base. It's a true gel strengthener and I loved it. Hope this helps, sry so long. /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

I agree julep's oxygen is pretty good, though it is pricey. Have you tried Nail magic botanical nail strengthener with horsetail, it is at sally's beauty supply it seems to work pretty good you can use it as a base and top coat, it isn't as expensive.

I use Nail Life from Sally Beauty Supply. I have thin, weak nails and nothing else I have tried works. I have tried so many treatments. Nail life is the only treatment that keeps my nails from the peeling of the nail bed itself and dry nails. I also agree with the other gals that cuticle oil is a must.
 

Try Nailtiques or Nail tek... They come in steps so you start with formula 1 and then 2 and 2plus. It's worked for a lot of people.