| MY NAIL CARE ROUTINE |

Dear Noteblair,

For 2 years now I’ve been rocking long & round nails. It wasn’t really an intentional decision, it sort of just happened when I started wearing gel polish on regular bases & my nails stopped cracking, chipping or breaking. At first I was very hesitant to get gel polish regularly because I have had horrible experience with it before, but when you find a really good nail technician I guess all of that changed.

A little back story. I have always had really good nails up until when I got my weight loss surgery. Due to nutrition deficiency my hair & my nails were not the same. So I started taking vitamins like my life depended on them. I do think the vitamins were a huge factor on how my nails were getting stronger however I think the major change happened when I stopped getting manicures. In fact I was never big on soaking my hands & removing the cuticles. Purely because the more you do it, the thicker the cuticles becomes.

When you soak your hands the nail absorbs all the water & it expands the nails. After you get the manicure & the polish your nails shrink back so the nails polish chips easier & also it damages the health of your nails. The only reason the nail salons soak your hands is to make it easier to push back & cut the cuticles. Now I never ever soak my hands or even remove the cuticles. I only remove if there is extra bit of skin around my nail after I’m done getting my nails done.

I get my nails done every other Thursday without a fail. I never try to remove the gel polish at home. Truth is I don’t know how to do it & I don’t want to take the chance of damaging my nail. I always get it almond shape because I noticed that my nails don’t break as much when they are more on pointy side. My nails used to break from the sides a lot & ever since I decided to keep them a bit sharper they don’t break as much.

So My nails routine when I go to salon is
1. Removing the gel polish. ( My nail tech wraps my nails with acetone & foil. And then wraps my hands with warm towel) Leaves it on for 5 minutes & then he starts removing the gel polish without damaging my hair.
2. Pushes back the cuticles gently. Usually there is not much skin but if there is he just pushes them back.
3. Then he cuts & shapes my nails.
4. He wipes my nails with alcohol before applying the polish.
5. Next step is polish. I always always do gel polish.
6. Last step is oil on my cuticles.

As far as vitamins goes I take Collagen powder every day with my coffee. I love this one because it does not have taste or smell. (I would not let anything ruin my morning coffee.) Besides the powder I take Hair, Skin & Nails Gummies.

Lastly, I always use gloves when I’m washing dishes or while cleaning. Trust me it makes a huge difference on how long your nail polish lasts & how your nails look.