Beauty & Fashion
It never fails. Right around late October, my nail tech will recommend that I take a polish break — and it’s actually due to a couple of the things that you are about to read about below. Her logic is that since it’s cooler outdoors and I’m publicly showing my feet less, why not give my nails a moment to be polish-free?
Do I listen to her? I mean, I try to be as transparent in my content as possible, and so, more times than not, the answer is “no.” Although it’s been pretty much since lockdown that I’ve basically gotten no more than a manicure for my hands, at least once a month, I am going to get a pedicure that has at least one polish color on it — whether it’s June or it’s December.
That doesn’t mean that I don’t get the importance of why taking a break is beneficial, so while I’m literally preaching to the choir in this here content, pray for a sistah.
In the meantime, check out eight telling signs that you yourself might need to give your nails a bit of a salon vacation (if you want your natural nails to remain as strong and healthy as possible, that is).
1. Your Nails Are Discolored
If you notice that your nails have a bit of a yellowish hue to them, it could be due to a few different things — a nail fungus of some sort, a vitamin deficiency or, what happened to me: the result of wearing polish (especially a dark color) for too long without taking any breaks. Apparently, dark nail polish has something in them known as iron oxides that can temporarily turn your nails yellow, if you’re not careful.
Again, what my nail tech tells me is to take a break from polish for a few weeks whether it’s during the fall or winter season, so that my nails can breathe (not literally because nails are made up of dead keratin; that’s just a figure of speech). The rare times that I do actually listen, the yellow goes away and my nails end up looking healthier (well, looka there).
2. Your Nails Are Thin and/or Brittle
Before lockdown, you couldn’t tell me nothing about how long and strong my natural nails could get. And because of this, I was good for using gel polish on the regular. The challenge with that option is, when it’s time to remove it, sometimes the electric files and other harsh tools are used can thin out my natural nails — yours too. So, if you are noticing that your own nails are weak, thin or peeling, at the very least, take a gel polish mini-vacation; that way, your natural nails can build up their strength (dip powder or press-on nails are solid alternatives in the meantime).
3. Your Nails Are Dull
Do your nails look dry and dull? Do your cuticles seem to be thick and dry too? That could be because your nails are dehydrated or some of the chemicals in the nail products that your nail tech is using are starting to take a bit of a toll. Although applying paraffin wax on your nails during your salon visits can certainly help, make sure to use cuticle oil on your nails (and nail beds) in between visits and that you consume more protein (like meat, eggs and whole grains and vitamin C (like citrus fruit, berries and leafy greens); they are building blocks for keratin, so that your nails can get/remain healthy.
4. Your Nails Are Constantly Breaking
Aging, underlying health issues (like eczema or psoriasis), a lack of moisture, being low in iron and even texting and typing too damn much can cause your nails to break. Know what else can do it? Leaving nail polish on too long. That’s because certain brands contain toxins that can weaken your nails. Again, it can’t be said enough that, as a proactive measure, sometimes your nails should go polish-free. However, if you simply can’t see your life going that way, at least require polishes that are as toxin-less as possible. Or you can always bring your own. Some semi-popular brands are located here, here and here.
5. Your Nails Have White Smudges on Them
There are pros and cons to Googling everything. A potential con is if you notice something abnormal about yourself, you freak out and Google and then become paranoid if something like “it could be cancer” (or something just as serious) comes up.
That said, when it comes to your nails, you might get nervous if you start to notice something else that happens to my own nails from time to time — white dots or patches. More times than not, it’s probably what is known as keratin granulation which is what can happen when the combination of nail polish and nail polish remover end up creating small clumps of keratin protein build-up.
Since it does sometimes look a lot like nail fungus, you might want to confirm that this is indeed the issue (via your nail tech, doctor or dermatologist); however, if it is nothing more than a keratin issue, a break from the polish and remover should resolve the issue after a few weeks.
6. Your Nail Bed Is Infected
The technical term for a nail infection is paronychia. It’s what can happen if you’ve got hangnails or ingrown nails, if some sort of trauma happens to your nails (or nail beds) or your nails become irritated due to dirty water or harsh chemicals — and yes, unfortunately, all of this has the potential for happening if you go to a nail salon (especially one that doesn’t come highly-reviewed and/or recommended). So, if you happen to notice that one or some of your nails are swollen, your nail beds feel warm to the touch or there is pus anywhere around your nails — make an appointment to see your doctor asap. And definitely steer clear of returning to that particular salon again.
7. Your Nail or Nail Bed Feels Sore and Sensitive
If your nails or nail beds feel sore or ultra-sensitive and you know that you haven’t recently injured it, it could mean that you have some sort of infection going on — and yes, it may have come from your salon too. I actually read an article not too long ago that said that if it’s your first time trying out a spot, you should check out its bathroom; if it’s nasty (eww), chances are their cleaning practices are as well. This is definitely the case if the specific tools that are used on your nails (like clippers and cuticle trimmers) don’t come out of their own sealed package. Pumice stones, orange sticks and emery boards should be fresh and the basin that your feet are going to soak in should be thoroughly sanitized.
If none of those are the case and/or you end up with a sore or sensitive nail (or set of nails), never return to that salon and see your physician, so that it can be properly treated.
8. Your Nail Texture Is Changing
Final one. Your nails can reveal quite a bit about your health. That said, if you happen to notice drastic changes like dark streaks or deep curves (you can see some pictures of what I’m talking about here), you should see a doctor or dermatologist as soon as possible to rule out the possibility of an underlying health issue. However, if your nails feel really soft all of a sudden, your natural nails don’t seem to be consistently growing or your nails are splitting — definitely take a break from your salon visits. 8/10 it’s not a big deal; it's just your nails’ way of telling you that the chemicals and nail equipment that are being used are a bit much and they would like a bit of a vacation. Understood.
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So, what if one or more of these are the case? Are you supposed to just be out here looking crazy? Absolutely not. When you get a chance, check out “Uh, About That Salon Manicure. How To Treat Your Nails While You're Stuck At Home.” Hmph. Funny how it was penned during the peak of the pandemic and yet it can still come in handy now.
The circle of life, sis. The circle of freakin’ life.
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