Healthy Nails – Why You Need a Break From Your Nexgen Dip or Shellac Manicure
Beautiful nails start from the inside. A healthy diet and Biotin supplement can help your nails become and remain healthy. Where you go to get your manicure and what kind of manicure you get can also make a BIG difference.
Your Nails
First, a little info about your fingernails….they are composed of laminated layers of a protein called keratin. Keratin grows from the area at the base of the nail under your cuticle. Healthy fingernails are smooth, without pits or grooves. They’re uniform in both color and consistency and free of spots or discoloration.
Sometimes fingernails develop harmless vertical ridges that run from the cuticle to the tip of the nail. Vertical ridges tend to become more prominent with age. Though fingernails can also develop white lines or spots due to injury, these eventually grow out with the nail.
Here are a few things you can do to keep your fingernails looking their best:
• Keep them dry and clean. This prevents bacteria from growing under your fingernails. Repeated or prolonged contact with water can contribute to split fingernails. Wear cotton-lined rubber gloves when washing dishes, cleaning, or using harsh chemicals.
• Use a good moisturizer and cuticle oil. Rub the oil and lotion into your fingernails and cuticles. Spa Ritual’s Hand Salve is formulated with healing ingredients including Marula Oil, Shea Butter, and Honeybush Extract moisturizes.
• Apply a protective layer to your nails every 2 to 3 days. We highly recommend Spa Ritual’s Protein Boost for Brittle Nails. It provides a protein boost to help repair brittle nails and binds nail layers, preventing splitting and peeling.
• Stop biting your fingernails or picking at your cuticles. These habits can damage the nail bed and cause infection by exposing your nails to bacteria.
• Let a licensed nail technician trim your cuticles, not cut them.
• Limit your use of pure acetone. Stonebriar Spa uses a shellac remover infused with macadamia and vitamin E oils to condition nails and gently removes Shellac in just eight minutes.
• Indulge in acrylic or shellac treatments sparingly. If you can’t stay away from them entirely, take a break every few months. Although Stonebriar Spa does not provide acrylic services, we do offer shellac using a conditioning remover and LED lights to cure the polish rather than UV lights.
Our Corrective Manicure
Our anti-aging approach to nail and cuticle care will begin with extra hydration using a heated, coconut-infused mask loaded with a restoring blend of fatty acid-rich butters and oils, plus antioxidant-rich vitamin E and moisturizing fruit extracts.
It is important to maintain your cuticles, not remove them. Your cuticles will be expertly trimmed and pushed back to protect your nails from bacteria and infection. Your nails will be filed with long fluid strokes from side to center to prevent tearing the nail.
Polish is optional – talk to your nail therapist about what is best for your nails while you are strengthening and growing your nails out.
You can rely on us for your healthy manicures. We are a licensed facility that only employs licensed technicians. Your cuticles will be trimmed, not cut. This is important because cuticles seal the skin to the nail plate, to avoid bacteria and infection. We also use disposable files and buffing blocks and sterilize all metal tools.
The Spa uses products from Spa Ritual for our Corrective Manicure. Their polishes are free of DBP, toluene, camphor, formaldehyde, and formaldehyde resin. The lotion is made with vegan ingredients from around the world, including many specially sourced and selected plant essences that are Certified Organic and Fair Trade.
You can talk to us about your nail concerns. Our nail techs are knowledgeable and genuinely concerned about your wellbeing. We know our limits. If you have a nail problem that doesn’t seem to go away on its own or is associated with other signs and symptoms, we will recommend that you consult your doctor or dermatologist for an evaluation.
