If you're having nail problems, there are three chemicals commonly found in polishes that you should avoid: toluene, dibutyl phthalate (DBP), and formaldehyde. "I have patients come in all the time thinking they have a fungal infection, but it's not -- it's actually damage from commercial polishes," says Spielfogel. "These polishes strip all the moisture from your nails and cause discoloration."
Try swapping out your regular polish for a "healthier" brand like Butter London, Zoya, SpaRitual, or Dr.'s Remedy Enriched Nail Polish, $17, which Spielfogel co-created. "It has vitamins and nutrients to help keep your nails healthy," he says.
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You're getting gel manicures
During my manicure phase, I only tried a gel manicure once. While I loved the long-lasting aspect, I hated how my nails felt after I had the polish removed. They were more brittle than ever. Spielfogel is adamantly opposed to gel: "I can't see how it's a good idea at all," he says. "The polish is so tightly adhered to the nail for a long time, and it's full of chemicals. Even putting your hands under that UV light -- why would you want to expose yourself to that?"
However, Marcy Parco, spa director at Haven Spa in New York City, disagrees -- she loves gel manicures. Of course she works in a spa that offers the service (so I'm not going to pretend that her opinion isn't slightly biased), but she makes a good point: "I have naturally thin nails, and I bite them," she says. "Gel manicures have saved my nails because they don't break and I leave them alone." She says that when she removes the gel, her nails actually look better because they've been growing (without her gnawing on them) for two weeks.
If you do go for a gel mani, be sure the technician uses the proper technique to take off the polish. "There are a lot of salons where they file the polish off," says Parco. "That would be far more damaging than the manicure itself. They should use an acetone-based remover and wrap the nails in foil." If you're not sure whether the service will hurt or help your nails, try it once and carefully monitor the effects.
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You're not moisturizing
I always assumed that slathering hand cream over a manicure was a recipe for chipping. I imagine that it would seep under the polish and make it peel off. However, all the experts told me I was wrong. "If your nails are dry, you need to moisturize -- even when you're wearing polish," says Parco. "It shouldn't affect your manicure at all. If anything, it'll make it last longer." And both Spielfogel and Konarski say you should use cuticle oil at least once a day, every day. "Your cuticles determine the health of your nails, so keep them hydrated," says Konarski.
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You're not giving your nails a break
If you already use a base coat and a healthy nail polish, take good care of your cuticles, avoid gel manicures, and moisturize every day, and you still have damaged nails, they might just need a break. "Take a week off," says Parco. "Even as a spa director I think that's a good idea. After all, we want you to have nails for us to do!" Spielfogel tells patients to wait until their nails look completely healthy before going back to nail polish. And if you weren't using good-for-your-nails products before, switch to them after your mani hiatus.
I was never that into manicures. I know that's a taboo thing to say these days, but I genuinely like the look of bare, clean nails -- and how they match every outfit. When nail art (and manicures in general) started to become wildly popular about two years ago, I was resistant. And it wasn't until earlier this year that I finally caved and started painting my nails regularly. The reason? I felt left out. Other editors were sporting "Hunger Games" flames and ombré effects, and my nails looked sad by comparison.
Once I started wearing polish, I couldn't stop. I felt naked without it. Then, just a few weeks ago while I was doing an at-home mani, I took off the old color and was horrified: My nails didn't even look like my nails. They were dry, brittle, and flaking at the edges.
I'd always been lucky enough to have strong, fast-growing nails, but something had changed -- and the only thing different was my manicure addiction. I immediately put away the polish and rubbed some CND SolarOil, $7.99, into my nails. I haven't gotten another manicure since; after three weeks of no polish, my nails are just beginning to look healthy again.
While I may have fixed the problem, I'm not willing to give up manicures forever. (There are so many great summer colors to try!) Besides, plenty of people wear nail polish constantly and have perfectly healthy nails. So I set out to determine what they're doing right and I'm doing wrong. I talked to a spa director, a manicurist, and a doctor, and I learned the biggest manicure mistakes (I was making most of them) -- as well as how to wear nail polish without completely destroying your nails. If you're a manicure addict too, keep reading.
