How do you keep your nails?

[Wenda]

I work in an office, try to take care of my hands, but just when I get a bit of nail, I break it! I broke my left thumb nail right back to the quick on Friday, ouch! I picked up some nail strengthener, and trying that. Not sure if there are dietary issues. suggestions? wenda.

[DanaJ]

Simple - go to a good nail salon and get them to do a gel overlay on your natural nails. Gel is much thinner than acrylic and looks much more natural, and has a great shine too. Of course, you will have to get fills every 2 weeks or so :)

I have had gels on my nails for about 2 months now, and I haven't had a break or snag since - and I have a pretty rough job.

DanaJ

P.S. Feel free to email or YM me if you want to talk in depth about this...

[Wenda]

Are those your nails in the avatar, or glue-ons? I bought some glue-ons, but couldn't see how I would remove them. wenda.

[Lily_gg]

You need lots of calcium (daily vitamin pills are great!), maybe a good clear topcoat/strengthener, and emery boards to smooth out any nicks - the ones that look like sandpaper, not metal nail files - metal ones are awful for your nails.

Make sure that even when you don't want to change the length/shape of your nails much, you just file them with the emery board to keep away any nicks that might get caught on something and tear. And only ever file in one direction - if you 'saw' your nails back and forth, it'll weaken them too.

If you go for topcoat/strengthener, paint it on so that it comes over the tip of the nail slightly, and seals the ends of your nails too, as this is where the breaks happen.

Glue-on nails - I'm a big fan of the ones with the double-sided stickers personally, partly because they come off with a gentle but determined peeling, and partly because I'm utterly cack-handed with glue. :D

HTH

[Wenda]

Thx Lily, I never really thought about the direction of filing...just like using a file for metal work, only file one direction. I wouldn't have thought about having the strengthener lapping over the end of the nails, makes sense. Thanks, wenda.

[DanaJ]

Are those your nails in the avatar, or glue-ons? I bought some glue-ons, but couldn't see how I would remove them. wenda.

Yep, in that case they were the glue on type - here is a picture of them with the gels....

DanaJ

[DanaJ]

I forgot to mention that the glue ones, if glued on full force, will easily dissolve in acetone (or nail polish remover). Below is a pic of the way my nails look right now, and I am getting ready to remove the polish before work tomorrow :(

DanaJ

[Jadeanne]

Hi all,

My fingernails used to be very brittle, and I asked my dermatologist. He gave me several small sample tubes of Eucerin alpha hydroxy cream and told me to put it on my nails 2 or 3 times a day. My fingernails became less brittle within a couple of weeks. After the samples ran out, I bought various alpha hydroxy containing creams and lotions and they all seemed to work.

I repair computers and still break a nail occasionally, but the damage is nowhere near as bad as it was before.

This probably won't work for everyone, but it's not expensive and shouldn't do any harm, so it might be worth a try.

Jadeanne

[Marlene4a]

Nice nails Dana !!

I do the glue on with crazy glue. Paint my nails a shiney red. Look great.
Trouble is, that when I "pry" them off with a claw bar, the glue is still on my nails.
I have tried the polish remover, like acetone, and filing, but still there.

It seems to take about a week of filing, picking, acetone washing, etc. to finally bring them to normal.

Next time, I will be trying on the store bought stick ons.
Question. Are they only good for a one time thing, or can u use the stick ons for a period of more than one try ??

[Jen_TGCD]

Nice nails Dana !!

I do the glue on with crazy glue. Paint my nails a shiney red. Look great.
Trouble is, that when I "pry" them off with a claw bar, the glue is still on my nails.
I have tried the polish remover, like acetone, and filing, but still there.

It seems to take about a week of filing, picking, acetone washing, etc. to finally bring them to normal.

Next time, I will be trying on the store bought stick ons.
Question. Are they only good for a one time thing, or can u use the stick ons for a period of more than one try ??Marlene ~
I never did have much luck with the stick on nails... but my fingernails are really flat compared to the shape of the fake nail.

What I do before I glue the nails on is to put on a clear coat of polish or a base coat, preferably the night before so it's very dry. The glue still sticks but is easier to pry off. Better for your real nails also. I don't know about the crazy glue... I buy the nail glue sold at the pharmacy and it also comes with a remover. It's fairly easy to get all the residual glue off.

[Tristen Cox]

Ummm on my fingers...








Ok I'm going to bed now...
(maybe) ;)


Bad girl go to my room!!!

[Lily_gg]

The stick-on ones I use are just normal false nails, but rather than stick them on with glue, you have these double sided sticky pads. The pads are only good for one use, but once you've pulled the nail off (which is fairly easy if you're deliberately pulling them, but they don't seem to just fall off), the sticky pad is easy to remove all traces of, both from the falsie and your real nails.

Thinking about it, lots of hand creams are also good for your nails - if you're using them, rub them into your nails and cuticles at the same time. The Body Shop used to do a great nail serum too - tiny white bottle with a grey/silver lid - really conditioned them well - sometimes it's not a case of nail strength, but dryness/brittle-ness that causes them to break easily.

I need to cut mine now actually, it's getting a bit tricky to type properly!!! :D

[Wenda]

Dana, those hands/nails are gorgeous. I would also like to know if there are re-usable nails. wenda.

[Sharon]

I never enjoyed using stick-on nails and never could get used to typing(my livelihood) with them. I just keep my nails trimmed enough to give them enough shape to look good in polish, yet short enough to not be noticeable when not dressed. I've gone as long as a week with polish on my fingers when I'm stuck inside fighting a deadline, putting my hands in my pockets when I venture outside for the paper or mail. When there's a delivery expected, I'll put on a clear or blush polish. Usually though, I'll remove the polish right before heading to bed.

[LindaTS]

I try to keep my nails about 1" long and don't have very much trouble with them. However, I do have one nail the keeps splitting, horizontally, kind of like it's peeling. Does anyone have any ideas for this one problem nail? Thanks. Linda

[Natasha Anne]

I was chatting to a GG at work today. She had the most stunning pink nail varnish on. Turns out silk is the way to go. So get it done, file them back to a reasonable length and be a girl.

Of course who has the guts to go for it?

[Wenda]

Jadeanne, thanks for the alpha hydroxy cream suggestion. Might also work for LindaTS? I forgot the ingredients today when I stopped by the nails dept for supplies. Interesting, since I painted the strengthener on my nails on Saturday, I have been more interested in my nails. 6 out of 10 don't look too bad! thanks, wenda.

[Ava Mouse]

Marlene,

Go to a hobby store and get the anti-dote! There are several brands of solutions that will (slowly) dissolve cyro-acrylic glues. i.e. crazy glue, nail glue, etc. "Jet" is one I can think of....

Also, put the glue on the fake nail, wait a few seconds, then put the fake nail on the finger. This means more of the glue surface is on the fake nail instead of the real one, meaning when you separate it, the glue will more likely go with the fake nail. :)

The nails I buy tend to have more of a curve to them, while my nails are flat. So, I usually put the glue along the sides of the fake nail. This way I don't have to push and hold so hard to make the middle areas meet.

If you do it right, the nails will stick for a long time during normal use, but pop right off with a knife or small wedge. :)

When applying, presize and line up the fake nails. Start with your pinky fingers first and end with your thumb. It's easier that way.

-Ava



Nice nails Dana !!

I do the glue on with crazy glue. Paint my nails a shiney red. Look great.
Trouble is, that when I "pry" them off with a claw bar, the glue is still on my nails.
I have tried the polish remover, like acetone, and filing, but still there.

It seems to take about a week of filing, picking, acetone washing, etc. to finally bring them to normal.

Next time, I will be trying on the store bought stick ons.
Question. Are they only good for a one time thing, or can u use the stick ons for a period of more than one try ??

[Ava Mouse]

I agree. Ideally what we girls need is a strong water soluble glue. That way we could take a bubble bath and soak the nails off... :)

Maybe I should try Elmers, it's strong, but takes a while to dry... hmmm....


If you're looking for an excellent press on nail nothing I have found is better than "1 Easy Step" by Kiss. You take them out and press them on your nail, that's it, nothing more. They stay on better than glued on nails and don't damage your real nails. I put on a set on Friday, showered twice between then and Sunday and the nails were still holding strong. I was able to fasten the clip on my skirt, put on jewelry, and do everything else I normally do when getting dressed and never had any problem with them coming off.

One downside, once you take them off chances are they won't stick as well the second time and it gets worse as you remove and replace them from there. I wish there was someplace I could find that glue they use. I'd be one happy girl!

[Sara Kat]

I don't have very nice nails at all. I've got the nasty habit of biting them too much. In my defense there's a cute girl who I work with who does it too! :p

[Sharon]

I don't have much experience with stick-on nails, but maybe there's a double-faced tape that will work when the adhesive grows too weak. The tape I'm thinking of is the kind that only leaves the adhesive when you peel back the paper. A good stationary store should have some, just make sure you're handy using sissors.

[windycissy]

Isn't it ironic that dedicated crossdressers seem to have better-looking nails than a lot of genuine girls? As for myself, I prefer the natural look, which means I keep my nails a little on the long side for a guy, and enables me to move back and forth between my two worlds without too much trouble. When I'm dressing up, I'll file them into oval shapes, and one coat of quick-dry polish does the trick. There is nothing more sensual than sitting in front of a mirror in my slip and stockings, watching the girl in the mirror put a coat of nail polish on her nails. Knowing that girl is really me helps put me in the right frame of mind for my outing as Windy.

[Stiletto]

I just recently bought some of the stick-on nails from Target for 3 bucks that are pre-painted and I LOVE 'em! They seem to hold pretty well and come off easily. If the sticky stuff is still on your real nails, just use some Goo-Gone and it'll come off in seconds. Easy on, easy off.

[Wenda]

hhmmm, I am thinking of the double sided tape that we use for auto trim?? wenda.

[Sharon]

It seems to me that if the tape is strong enough to adhere auto trim, it might be a little stronger than you desire. Think of the weather and road conditions it must endure. Also -- the stuff I used years ago on my car was pretty heavy.

[LindaTS]

Alpha hydroxy cream has been mentioned here and am wondering, is ithis something what would be in the Nail Care section of stores, such as Wal-Mart? I think I'll give it a try to see if it helps my one bad nail. Thanks girls.