Never before has manicure and nail design been so loved and popular as in the XXI century. It’s as if the beautiful half of humanity has finally fully realized the meaning of the phrase that the hands are the face of a woman. Along with the actualization of beautiful fingers, the number of myths about nails and manicure is growing.
Masters of nail industry believe that rumors are spread from ignorance of all the nuances of manicure craft. So we consider it our duty to dispel at least some of the popular fears about well-groomed nails.
Horror story how gel polish ruins your nails
This is the most common fiction, for the appearance of which we can probably thank two categories of people:
- Housebound grandmothers who are used to thinking in terms of stereotypes of the past;
- Dissatisfied clients who were unlucky enough to visit unprofessional manicurists.
The fact that the gel polish and any other coating rather protects the nail from the adverse effects of the environment – or, for example, all kinds of detergents and cleaners, with which women’s hands are constantly faced.
Plus, don’t let your guard down and ignore the labeling on the bottle of nail polish. This can be a detailed description of the composition or labels such as “5 Free” or “3 Free”. The first option means that the nail polish does not contain substances that are toxic to the nails, such as:
- formaldehyde;
- toluene;
- dibutyl phthalate;
- formaldehyde resins;
- camphor.
The inscription with a smaller number implies that the coating does not contain only the first three substances from the list above. And by the way, they have not been used for a long time, or rather banned in the EU countries.
In addition, the mistress of her nails knows like no one else about the degree of their strength and tendency to split.
For naturally weak nails, you can buy nail polishes that contain vitamins, minerals and proteins, as well as regular care with jojoba oil, for example.
However, you need to be prepared for the fact that quality products are in the medium and high price category.
The legend of nail extensions
There is a myth similar to the previous one about false nails. They say that after the procedure, the nails become thin, lifeless and almost peel from the skin.
And in this case, the fiction has its basis. After all, in the 1980s, when the beauty industry was just beginning to expand its capabilities, methyl methacrylate (MMA) acrylics were produced for nail extensions.
However, 40 years have passed since then – today’s artificial nail material consists of ethyl methacrylate (EMA) certified augmentation technology.
Interesting fact. By the way, dental fillings for teeth – that is, for the oral cavity, where there can be no toxic and harmful composition – are also made of a similar substance.
Today, most pharmacological companies produce acrylic for both nails and dentistry.
The Tale of Breathable Nails
The fiction that nails can’t breathe because of acrylic or lacquer coating has made manicurists go to a lot of trouble to find nails have noses or lungs or something like that.
The bad news is that their attempts were in vain, and the good news is that the nails can’t breathe their surface. After all, what is a nail? It’s keratinous cells, that is, skin.
As an integral part of our body, the nails get all their nutrients through the blood. Therefore, the reality is that their weakness or splitting can be a sign of poor nutrition or bad habits.
A big role is undoubtedly played by proper care. For the nail plate to have a beautiful and healthy look after removing the nail polish or acrylic coating, it is enough to carry out a few treatments with beneficial oils.
Regular intake of vitamins will not be superfluous. In addition, experts advise not to perform manicure immediately after the trim manicure, so that the gel-lac or acrylic does not get on the exposed surface of the cuticles. It’s better to remove everything unnecessary a few days before the coating procedure – or some time after it.
Warm baths are a breeding ground for nail fungus
Another one is the myth about gel polish, under which fungus allegedly forms.
It happens, according to folk experts, because of the steaming baths with which the manicure process begins. They say that the nails are soaked with water, like a sponge, and then clogged with lacquer coating. After some time, the base begins to fall off the surface of the nail, and the resulting moist environment contributes to the fungus.
It’s all a fantasy, because you don’t leave your fingers in a tub of warm water for more than 5 minutes. And this is done so that they become soft and cuticle-able. The nail plate can not soak up moisture in such a short period of time, and therefore, nail fungus you should not be afraid of.
Speaking of warm baths, we can not avoid mentioning another misconception, incidentally, the opposite of the previous one.
The moisture absorbed by the nails supposedly disappears after a while, and the lacquer coating cracks or flakes off. As if the baths offered in salons consist of glue, not water. The refutation of this myth is similar – nails do not absorb moisture, and baths have nothing to do with nail polish.
Scary Manic Saw Massacre
With the question of what is dangerous gel polish – no comparison with the horror stories about polishing and sharpening nails.
The first procedure allegedly results in thin, brittle nails, whereas the second results in split nails. However, it only happens when the manicure is performed by an inexperienced professional.
It is recommended to polish the nail plate not more than 2 times a month. It is necessary to polish the nail surface very slightly with a fine-grained nail file or a rubbing block.
The same applies to nail filing. Fine-grained nail files are good for shaping nails, but the wrong tool can split them.
There are many myths of this kind on the World Wide Web. They say, for example, that if you regularly eat jelly, then the nail plate will become as strong as steel. Why should that be?
For that matter, the strength of nails and hair has always been promoted by fermented dairy products. Or tales of how regular use of dark-colored nail polish stains the nail. There are 50 layers of it – to soak in all of it would be to eat away at the nail plate like acid.
And finally, do not listen to those who argue that on short nails looks only coating of pastel colors. This opinion has nothing to do with reality, because a dark varnish on a short length emphasizes your manicure, complements the modern image. While on long nails it can look too defiant.
While the nail design can be chosen by the owner, the manicure is better left to professionals who dispel stereotypes and folktales quickly.
