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.
