Winter can be treacherous on your nails. The dry air, cold temps and lack of sunlight really do a number on our nail beds…which can make your dream mani crumble before the holiday season. Lucky for you though, nail care is something we know all too well. So, we’ll leave the lyrical breakups to our girl Taylor (for now), and instead let you in on all of our secrets to take the best care of your nails this chilly season.
1. Mani Maintenance
We checked in with our founder Kristin, who shed a lot of light on how to keep our nails healthy and strong this season. “Monthly manis are a great way to remove any dead skin from the nail and trim any pesky hang nails. It’s even more important to groom monthly to avoid having any rigid edges catch onto something, causing further breakage.” It’s really a simple and easy way to help your nails grow – plus, heading to the salon monthly is a great excuse for some self-care, alone time.
If you’re not able to come into the salon every month, don’t fret. There is plenty to do at home to keep your nails healthy and strong. Kristin shares, “regular filing can help keep your nails from breaking.” Invest in a good set of nippers, files and buffers and at least weekly trim your nails. Then top it off by applying a nail strengthener, try Rejovacote or Nailtiques either on your nail or on top of some polish. Try it for yourself and see the magic that happens when you invest in you.
2. Moisturize
You can blame your nail tech or mother nature all you want for your mani chipping fast, but its on you, sis. Just like your skin and hair, your nails become brittle and weak, especially as the air gets dry and winter encroaches. You wouldn’t go a month without moisturizing or conditioning, would you? Your nails need the same TLC if you want them to be the best canvas for your nail art dreams.
To make your nails more durable throughout the cooler months, it is really important to apply cuticle oil 2-3 times a day. Applying daily can do wonders and will make your nails not only feel but look better, even with the cold winds whipping outside. So, invest in a nourishing cuticle oil, our favorite is NCLA, and make sure to dab lightly and massage so your nail beds can fully absorb all the rich goodness.
3. Hydrate
Picture it: its mid-July, you have your adorable new kini on, sitting beachside with a large, rather encouraging water bottle. That’s right, its strategically marked “8am, 9am, 10am…keep going…12pm…almost there…6pm.” I’m not sure if it’s the inspiring Circuit labels on the water bottle or the 85 degree temp that makes us chug water like it’s our job, but we rarely forget to hydrate in the summer.
Flash to December. Quite the different vibe. Fuzzy socks, beanie, parka…oh, and Ice. Cold.Winds. As we all know, winter is the season of dead and drying. And that includes our nails. Yet for some reason, likely because our hands don’t want to take off our gloves, we forget to drink from our cute, trendy water bottle. But girl, you need to now more than ever. Drink.your.water. Nails that constantly break or peel could be a major sign of dehydration. Try to drink 8, 8 ounce glasses of water daily – for your nails, for your hair, for your skin and for your health.
4. Style Accordingly
As you work on growing out and strengthening your natural nails, it’s actually a great time to try out our Apres gel extensions. Kristin shares that “so many people are wearing them, which is really fun when it comes to nail art or making your fingers have a more elongated look.” Not only are they fun to style and design, but the extensions actually help protect and nourish your natural nails so they grow in the process.
The extensions also give you some room for play. Each season has its trends and for the holidays, medium length almond or oval shapes are really in. Those shapes give our artists a lot of space to design and also keep your look classy and realistic. You really can’t go wrong with any style, of course, but the extensions are a sure fire way to help you achieve the look you want, while helping your nails strengthen and grow.
Book your monthly maintenance appointment now at paintbucket.com, and be sure to follow our tips above while you wait!
By Catherine Johnson