Cuticle oil is THEE number one thing you can do to maintain your manicure. Cuticle oil introduces moisture back into the nail and surrounding skin, helping nails remain flexible and less prone to breakage and lifting.
We have refillable cuticle oil pens available in the studio. Jojoba or argan oil are great alternatives!
Instead of using your nails to open soda cans, key rings, scrape labels, open mail or packages, use tools made for the job like the edge of a spoon, a butter knife, razor blade or box cutter. Or ask a friend/family member for a helping hand!
Soaking in hot water causes gel to soften and breaks down the adhesion between your manicure and your natural nail.
Soaps and common household cleaners can dry out your natural nails and cause the gel to peel away from the dry natural nail.
Using a nail clipper to shorten your nails can crack the gel or cause lifting where bacteria can take hold. Instead, use a nail file to shorten your manicure in between services!
I'm happy to give you your file at the end of each appointment (it gets thrown away anyway!) so you always have one available at home! Just ask :)
Wear gloves when hand washing dishes, and keep hands out of baths, hot tubs and saunas.
Soaking in hot water and the humidity of saunas cause the gel to soften and breaks down the adhesion between your manicure and your natural nail leading to lifting and pre-mature degredation of the manicure.
Use your knuckles to push buttons, your finger pads to type, protect nail tips while cleaning to not bump into backsplashes, etc.
I'm not here to shame anyone—especially after the last couple of years we've had—so consider it a gentle reminder.
When you pick/bite/peel your gels off, they remove the top layers of keratin off your natural nails. Damaged nails are less likely to retain product as well with each subsequent bit of damage.
Cracks, breaks, and lifting can all create places where moisture can get trapped between your manicure and your natural nail and cause "greenies" or chloronychia — a nail infection caused by the common bacteria called pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Nails that have experienced lifting and nails where gel manicures have been peeled off are FAR less likely to retain manicures well in the future.
