HAPPY 2016 FROM LASER NAIL THERAPY CLINIC!

Cuticle Care and You

(800) 672-0625

http://www.LaserNailTherapy.com

We all want healthy long luxurious nails, most people will do anything to get them too! Either by getting fake nails or using supplements or nail lacquers. But where do healthy nails start? And how do we even begin trying for them? First things first, cuticle care! Your cuticles aren’t there just to look pretty, they play a purpose! They sit on top of your nail matrix and act like a protective barrier. If you want long healthy nails, taking care of your cuticles is a good start. And here’s a few ways to do it.

As a rule of thumb, never cut your cuticles. Cutting them puts you more at risk then helping them. You put yourself at risk to infection, irritation, and stress. If you remove the cuticle completely you leave your nails completely vulnerable and exposed, anything can get in. Getting a bacterial infection would be all too easy and it’s just not worth the risk.

Moisturize! Cuticles have the tendency of getting dry, they can crack and peel and flake off if left unmoisturized. Any skin moisturizer will do, but most dermatologists recommend thicker ones including ointments or creams. Apply a generous amount to your hands and use whatever is leftover to massage into your cuticles. Hot wax treatments are another good way of caring for your cuticles. This treatment is usually found at most salons. A special type of oil is heated until it’s completely melted, patrons then dips their hands into the wax and then put on plastic gloves and a mitt which help seal in the heat. These are worn for about 10 to 15 minutes. Once removed, your nails, hands, and cuticles should feel immediately softer and moisturized. This is a wonderful treatment with amazing benefits. The more you lubricate your hands and nails, the better they will be!

Wear gloves! When washing the dishes or removing nail polish with acetone you must wear gloves! Drying agents are a death sentence for not only your cuticles and nails, but for your hands and skin! Even too much water, especially hot water will just dry your hands out allowing severe stress and breakage along the nails and cuticle. Protect your hands and the rest of your body with thank you.

One more important thing to remember when caring for your cuticles. Keep your hands and fingers out of your mouth! Your mouth is dirty, and saliva breaks down your skin. If you’ve compromised your cuticles or nails developing an infection is too easy. If you have a bad habit of biting your nails you have to kick that to the curb. Stress, damage, and infections are the only thing you will see as a result from that nasty habit.

Why Do We Bite Our Nails?

(800) 672-0625

http://www.LaserNailTherapy.com

We’ve all been guilty of it, at least once in our lives we’ve nibbled at least on one of our nails. But why? To clean off a broken nail, or is there more to it than that? Is there more of a deep compulsory habit we’re unaware of, if so how does it form? And is it possible to stop it?

Biting your fingernails is a habit that often times starts in your childhood. Studies have shown that about 60% of children and around 45% of teenagers are nail biters. Nail biting becomes less and less common after the age of 18, but if the habit is already deeply ingrained in the individual, it can continue into adulthood.

But why do we do it? What drives us to bite our nails exactly? Stress and boredom play a huge role as for the reason. The habit can often be linked to anxiety or to keep the the body and mind occupied when the mind lacks interest. Anxiety, loneliness, or any other types of emotional triggers can also lead to nail biting. Biting fingernails can also be a sign of OCD also known as obsessive-compulsive disorder. Regular nail biting can cause severe damage to the nail and the surrounding skin which can be considered a form of self mutilation and harm!

If you bite your nails on the regular, your nails and cuticles suffer, the area around your nails can become infected since it’s easy for bacteria to travel from your fingers to your mouth and face. Nail biting can also affect your teeth! It can severely weaken them or push their alignment out of place.

If you are a consistent nail biter try adding a bitter polish to your nails, it will discourage you from biting after leaving a sour taste in your mouth. If you find stress and anxiety is what causes you to nibble on your nails try alternatives when relaxing like yoga or meditation. Even something as simple as deep breathing and squeezing a stress ball would be a game changer!