Put It To The Test: Nailtiques

Normally my nails are strong and healthy.  I’m not one to keep them very long, but I do like a bit of a white tip on them. 

I have an on-again, off-again affair with nail polish.  If time and
money were no object, I’d get regular manicures and have painted nails
all the time.

But time and money?  They’re an object.

So I save professional manicures for big events and go bare the rest
of the time.  I could polish them at home, but whenever I try to polish
my own nails, I always manage to mess them up before they dry
completely. 

This past holiday season, I had several events that were
manicure-worthy, and I enjoyed having painted nails so much that I kept
them polished for about six weeks, non-stop.

When I finally took off the polish and had a good look at my nails,
I was horrified to see that they were soft, weak, and peeling.  I have
no idea if it was the constant nail polish or the regular and improper
filing/buffing.  (I frequent the cheap-o manicure joints that saw both
ways with that nail file.  I swear, they could cut down a tree they way
they go at it.)  Whatever the cause, my nails were wrecked.

I promptly took a trip to CVS to pick up some nailtiques.

I
used this product a few years ago when my nails were brittle and
breaking, and I recall that it worked pretty well.  Supposedly the
nailtiques products contain proteins found in healthy nails.  They make
several different formulas; I chose Formula 2 for soft, peeling,
bitten, weak or thin nails.

After two weeks of daily nailtiques applications, my nails are much
stronger and healthier.  They are still short, as I’ve kept them filed
down to keep them from breaking, but the peeling has all but stopped,
and they feel stronger to the touch.

Another thing I like about the nailtiques — when I polish with
regular clear polish, it never seems to stay put.  I end up peeling it
off before 24 hours is up.  But nailtiques doesn’t do that.  So not
only is it strengthening my nails, but it looks nice too.

Lesson learned.  Fingernails need a break from polish and filing.  And when they need some TLC, it’s nailtiques to the rescue!

Originally posted 2-18-08.