Nail Aftercare | foryournailsonly

Nail Aftercare - Is it essential?

I always provide you with a perfect manicure. Keeping your nails that way is up to you.

Taking care of your nails begins with.......aftercare.

The main rules of aftercare are -

1. Always use gloves when doing housework - especially when using household cleaning products.

2. Always use gloves when gardening.

3. Use Solar Oil at least twice a day.

4. Wash hands after applying suntan lotion or mosquito repellent.

5. Never try to pick off Shellac or Hard Gel that has lifted.

6. 'Nails are jewels not tools' - do not ever use nails to open cans.

Here I am going to be focusing on Solar Oil because it is the most vital part of your aftercare routine.

Aftercare can really sound like a marketing gimmick - I am always telling clients to use it constantly and it really must sound like I own shares in the company! The honest truth is - I don't. I advise using Solar Oil because it really is an ESSENTIAL part of your manicure.

In fact I believe it is so essential to the care of the clients nails that I give clients a FREE bottle at EVERY manicure! So no excuses to not use it all the time!

Why do you need to focus on aftercare? Well, very few things survive without some degree of feeding, watering, care, attention or maintenance - and your Shellac manicure is no different.

If you want your nails to look perfect for the full 2-3 weeks, then you do have to invest a little bit of time in making sure you follow the aftercare rules.

Why do you need Solar Oil?

First of all it keeps the skin around the nails moisturized and looking great!

Its most important function though, is to maintain the Shellac manicure.

It has been specifically designed to be used in the aftercare of the product. Shellac needs Solar Oil.

When Shellac cures it develops microscopic holes in it. These holes make Shellac very absorbent and allow the acetone to sink into the Shellac and break it down easily during removal - this is why Shellac removal is much less harsh than with standard Gel polishes. Solar Oil has been specifically developed with molecules small enough to penetrate through the Shellac holes and be able to moisturize the nail surface and keep the Shellac flexible.

Shellac is flexible and it needs to stay that way. Shellac is a UV product and it will continue to cure even after your manicure is completed, because we are surrounded by UV light rays. This is obviously a very slight amount and a gradual thing, but the effect it will have on nails without Solar Oil, is that the Shellac will harden and lose its flexibility. Once Shellac loses its flexibility, problems can occur...

Here are some questions I get asked about Solar Oil and I will tell you why flexibility is important for nails and the issues that can arise from lack of aftercare....

"I use hand cream all the time so I don't think I need Solar Oil"

I would always advise a client use a hand cream product, but for aftercare purposes a hand cream or lotion is unlikely to be able to penetrate the surface of the Shellac and give the aftercare results that Solar Oil provides. So while it is great that you use a hand cream, you really do need Solar Oil as well.

"What happens if I don't use Solar Oil"?

Several things can happen to your manicure if you don't properly and consistently use Solar Oil.

If you decide to not use Solar Oil at all, it is likely the Shellac will become hardened to the point where it becomes very difficult to remove and needs longer soaking.

While I use the CND conditioning remover, it still contains acetone which will have a drying effect on nails if used for a long time. So longer soaking is not exactly beneficial for your nails.

Solar Oil also moisturizes the natural nail. If you ever see white patches on the nail when your Shellac is removed – called Keratin Granulations - it means that the usually flat keratin cells in your nail plate have become dehydrated and are now rougher in texture, giving a whitish appearance.

This basically means the nails are dry and they are a very obvious sign that the nails are not being oiled enough. Keratin Granulations are not harmful, but they are not a good thing to see. Like dry skin or hair, their appearance can be improved by applying more moisturization. Ignoring it, and not increasing Solar Oil use, means the dryness will only continue to get worse. This will lead to nails that are more prone to splitting and breaking – which leads to more manicure issues.

"Why is hardened Shellac a problem? I have weak nails so surely I need a hard nail coating to stop my nails breaking"

No you actually don't. Natural nails are flexible and a nail is meant to bend when it hits something. This is exactly why Shellac is designed to have flexibility. We catch nails on things a lot, often without even realizing it. If the Shellac has hardened and the nail is knocked or banged against something, the flexible natural nail will pull slightly away from the hardened Shellac surface. This is because the Shellac is no longer flexible enough to bend with the natural nail. The hardened Shellac can also become so brittle that it might crack slightly or chip.

These issues will possibly cause some or all of three things...

1. You will want a repair to deal with chipped nails – While it is possible to remove just one nail coating and reapply, it is not an ideal scenario because the other nails will also receive more curing - which increases the hardening issue. It adds more cost to your manicure and takes up more of your time. It can also be very difficult to fit in unplanned repair appointments when my diary is full.

2. Hardened Shellac can cause a Pseudomonas infection due to the natural nail pulling away from the Shellac leaving a tiny gap allowing water in. This might not even be noticeable at the time - it only needs the tiniest crack in the Shellac surface or a minute amount of lifting to let water in. Once water is trapped on the nail surface it is the perfect surroundings for bacteria growth and then Pseudomonas infection sets in. This is not a dangerous infection, but it will stain your nail green and this cannot be removed and will have to grow out.

3. The entire Shellac nail will "pop off". This happens when the hardened Shellac has been repeatedly pulled away from the flexible nail. Each time the nail is knocked the Shellac lifts more and more until it appears to just ‘pop off’. The danger of this is that each time a nail 'pops off', it pulls away nail layers leaving it weaker each time.

"I don't have time to apply Solar Oil each day"

I really do sympathise and I totally agree - we do live very busy lives and sometimes it really can seem like there isn't time to breathe, let alone add an extra task to our day! Even though I consider myself a total Solar Oil addict, I will sometimes forget to apply it....

Here are some tips for making it easier to fit Solar Oil into your day!

Carry a mini bottle of Solar Oil in your handbag and apply it during your lunch hour.

When watching your favourite TV program, take some time to massage Solar Oil into your nails.

Keep the Solar Oil bottle next to your bed as a reminder to apply last thing at night

Keep an extra bottle by the sink to remind you to use it after washing your hands if your nails need it.

Have the Solar Oil pen with you - it is perfect for travel. Take it with you for car journeys – Easy, quick and no spills. You can make something positive out of a traffic jam and use that annoying waste of time to take a few minutes oiling your nails!

For bus or train journeys it is the brilliant spill free option for you to use during that travel time

Next time you are having a coffee break, pick up the Solar Oil and see for yourself how little time it actually takes you to take care of your nails.

Try to see it less as a chore and more as just taking four minutes a day to take care of the beautiful manicure you invested in. And you will see beautiful long lasting results and amazingly healthy nails!