Do Nails Need To Breathe?
Have you ever had your nails done at a salon before? Have you ever had someone tell you that you should give them a break to “breathe”? I get a lot of questions about this and I’m here to help you understand this confusing topic.
The truth is, our nails actually don’t need to breathe. Why? It’s because oxygen and nutrients are delivered from our bloodstream, as opposed to the air. If you’ve been having your nails done for years and they feel fine, then carry on girl. Sounds like you found yourself a great nail tech!
However, a break may be necessary if you’re starting to notice a softer feeling nail over time. This may be caused by improper prep and application of your service. But there are also several factors that can cause our natural nails to feel weak; aging, hormones, medication, stress (just to name a few).
Our finger nails can take up to 4-6 months to grow out and during this time it would be a good idea to apply a strengthener (like Nail Envy linked below) to help the grow out process. Products containing Vitamin E will deliver antioxidants and protect the existing keratin to ensure a speedy recovery. Try adding a nourishing cuticle oil in addition to strengthener.
Remember: a hydrated nail is always better than a dehydrated one! I linked a few great oils to try below.
Regardless of the type of service you’re receiving (gel-polish, acrylic, gel or regular polish) no harm should be introduced to a healthy nail. Only you will truly know how your nails feel so make sure you’re listening to them if they say it’s time to take a break.
P.S If you’re wondering what the hell I used on my nails to make them look holographic, click here!
Jazmin
This is great Chia! I always believed that we needed to give a break to our nails. But I do have a question about yellowness on our nails. What could that be caused by and what should I do if I take off my nail polish and see my nails are a yellowish color?
chia
Hello! Thank you for your comment and for reading my latest post! I hope you were able to learn a little something something= ). To answer your question, sometimes our nails can yellow from the color of polish we use. Darker colors, pinks, and reds can leave our nails with a yellowy tinge because of the dyes or pigments in the polish themselves. The best way to avoid yellowing is to wear a base coat to protect the natural nail from absorbing the color from the polish. Hopefully that can help ya out=)!
Xo,
Chia
Em
Hi Chia, thanks for clearing this up! 🙂 Quick question: what’s the proper acetone strength to use when taking off gel polish? I tried regular acetone strength, soaked a cotton ball with it, then wrapped my nail with foil and left it on for 30min. However, the gel polish still didn’t come off. I saw pure acetone at my local supply store but it also said, in fine print, “for artificial and acrylic nails”. I only use gel polish with my natural nails, so considering the pure acetone bottle specified its use for artificial and acrylic only…would it still have been okay to try pure acetone?
Ashlynn Gary
I love the info!! I never knew this! I have really delicate and flimsy nails. I had started getting them done at a local nail shop this past year and I gave them a break to recover and grow again. I would do dip powder every 3 weeks to a month depending on how long they would last. I was wondering if I could be directed to a post or given tips on what to do? I started taking just daily vitamins lately but I’m not sure, they’ve been like this since I was a kid though or at least since I can remember but I want really strong and firm nails. I feel so lost.
chia
Ashlynn,
The best thing you can do is find a length and shape that works for you! Shorter, rounder, will be stronger than longer. I, too, have weaker nails so understanding shape and length is important if you’re planning on staying natural! Of course you can get into adding a strengthening coat during your gel polish/dip application (which I also do!). And don’t forget to apply cuticle oil to keep the nail hydrated!
Feel free to browse around my “Nails” category! I have tips here and there embedded into each post =)
Much love,
Chia
Christina Vilayvanh
Hi Chia, you and your family are so beautiful!!I just wanted to start of with that. I only do gel polish now. I use to do false nail with acrylic .However,no matter what I have done in the salon makes my hand and feet really itchy. Does that mean I can’t get my nails done ? It also makes my palms itchy on both my hands and feet. Their isn’t any obvious reason for the itching. I use to think it was the powder when I got acrylic nails done but now ever with just gel polish it happens.
chia
Hi babe!
Thank you for your kind words, you are so sweet! This definitely sounds like some type of allergic reaction. Have you tried several brands of gel polish and you get the same reaction? Perhaps it’s only one brand that could be doing this? I hope you find something that works for you! If not, maybe consider switching to a regular polish.
Best of luck,
Chia