Giving Up On My Nails

VegasGeorge

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OK, I've officially given up on my lousy fingernails. Six coats of nail strengthener, and they still cracked before they even grew out to the ends of my fingers! Just like always. So, I'm planning my first ever trip to a nail salon. I've been checking online reviews, trying to learn about any differences, etc. But I can't find any meaningful information. I feel like an ignorant doofus. At this point all I could do is go in there and say "Gimme nails!" There must be more to it than that? Can anyone tell me what to ask for, or what to avoid? Is there a difference in products or processes used by different salons? If so, which would be best for our fingerpicking/strumming application? I just feel totally stupid about the whole subject, :wallbash: and I'm not comfortable with that. Help! :anyone:
 
my ex-girlfriend used to massage vaseline into her nails daily, try that, also a good super moisturizing hand lotion might work too. Vegas is really dry, just like Phoenix...
 
I'm in the same boat nail wise, work outside with hands, not really possible to get nails to stay around. When I'm fingerpicking uke with a guitar player using metal strings I use Banjo picks for volume.
 
My Brother plays guitar and has his nails done at a Vietnamese salon. What they do is mix up a polyester or something, paint it on your natural nail, cure it rock hard under a light, then file and shape, and buff them. When your natural nail grows, go back for a tune up where they apply more to the cuticle area. Eventually your nail will grow out to the length you want but with this coating, they will be extremely hard and won't crack.

Before he did the salon treatment, he had to wear picks on his fingers, since his real nails would be ground down to nothing after one night of playing. He is fairly aggressive on the guitar, sort of Tommy Emanual style.
 
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Yes, I was gonna suggest those picks. I saw someone else picking with them, and, I guess one could strum with his thumb. :eek:ld:
 
Whatever you do. Please do not get fake nails they will destroy your real nails

Just be patient, and a we more careful with your right hand, like learn to zip up or reach for the mail with the left hand etc.

I'm a classical guitarist and plan to do an article on this very subject, but what works for me after 6 years is

To keep jusr long enough to. Be over the fingertip and no longer, I also use nailtiques 2 to put a coat on half the nail for protection the bottom half is not coated so it can get oxygen and grow healthy. Every week or so I remove the nailtiques cover it comes off like plastic and start a new one.

If a nail cracks or breaks, use a nail file (I use micro mesh nail files from strings by mail ) to fix what's left into a smooth non snagging angle. In most cases I have enough nail left to continue to play with a slight adjustment cycle.

I was going to publish this but got side tracked with cancer...

Tell you what I'm attaching a link to a draft of my article which I plan to post.

I've started a link about my methods for nail care here feel free to join that discussion

http://forum.ukuleleunderground.com/showthread.php?100169-My-Nail-Care-article-(draft)
 
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I once had a classical guitar teacher who had to glue pieces from ping-pong balls to his nails. (This was back in the dark ages when telephones still had cords.)

Can't help you with advice about nail salons or processes, but ask for recommendations from classical guitar teachers (who, if anyone, would know) or barbers. I remember a video clip on YouTube where James Taylor discussed what he did with his nails—layering fiberglass or something. He sometimes does it himself.

Please read my response above. As a classical guitarists and having met many of the top classical players, I'm glad to share what I know

http://forum.ukuleleunderground.com/showthread.php?100169-My-Nail-Care-article-(draft)
 
Whatever you do. Please do not get fake nails they will destroy your real nails

Just be patient, and a we more careful with your right hand, like learn to zip up or reach for the mail with the left hand etc.

I'm a classical guitarist and plan to do an article on this very subject, but what works for me after 6 years is

To keep jusr long enough to. Be over the fingertip and no longer, I also use nailtiques 2 to put a coat on half the nail for protection the bottom half is not coated so it can get oxygen and grow healthy. Every week or so I remove the nailtiques cover it comes off like plastic and start a new one.

If a nail cracks or breaks, use a nail file (I use micro mesh nail files from strings by mail ) to fix what's left into a smooth non snagging angle. In most cases I have enough nail left to continue to play with a slight adjustment cycle.

I was going to publish this but got side tracked with cancer...

Tell you what I'm attaching a link to a draft of my article which I plan to post.

I've started a link about my methods for nail care here feel free to join that discussion

http://forum.ukuleleunderground.com/showthread.php?100169-My-Nail-Care-article-(draft)

Thanks for your post and the pdf. Really interesting. Care and patience are the keys when improving nails in my experience too.
 
I gave up on real nails awhile ago. My right thumb nail splits down the middle and nothing can be done about it. So....I switched to acrylic nails and have never been happier. I like not having to worry about my nails getting soft, cracking, breaking...yada, yada. I am not terribly good about them looking beautiful. I maybe get them "filled" every 8 to 10 weeks. Yes, the down-side is underneath the fake nails my real nails are a mess.. But since I want the nails on I find it's really not a big deal.
I can see they aren't for everybody, but I really like them. My salon is used to me getting just a few nails done. I don't let them do the final shaping either. But they are used to me now and I wouldn't do it any other way.
 
Yes, I'm familiar with that thread. It talks about nail strengthener, and diet/supplements for nails. I've tried all that. Like I said, I have given up on my natural nails. I want nail salon advice.

If you haven't tried the stuff I mentioned here - give that a chance first! Drug-store cheap and convenient.

Nobody has worse nails than I do - NOBODY. All of the conventional advice (Nailtiques, Nail Envy, dietary supplements) failed. Nail strengtheners only made things WORSE for me - the remover that I used to take it off before reapplying just destroyed my nails. They were thin and flaky and rippled and got caught on everything and would just rip right off.

I have a known Vitamin A deficiency (among other medical oddities); Vitamin A is key for nail growth and strength. So I was going to just buy Vitamin A capsules and break them open and rub that on my nails, when I stumbled on the Sally Hansen stuff I linked in the other thread. It contains Vitamins A, E, and C. And it actually WORKS, without any annoying shiny fake coating - it's just a gel that gets absorbed by the nails.

I was right where you are, about to commit to a salon. I'm glad I gave this stuff a try first - I hate beauty treatments of all kinds, hate the salon culture in general, and above all, hate permanent commitments. And salon nails are a permanent commitment.
 
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Gel nail polish. Dang, it makes my nails impervious!!!! I can do dishes, have my hands in water all day, work in the garden, mow the lawn, and strum like a banshee, and the polish is rock solid through it all.

I don't like people using tools on my nails that have touched other hands, so I bought a kit at Wal Mart - it came with polish and an LED light to cure the polish. I was skeptical, but tried it. Rock solid. You can do the clear, without any color. I'm pretty sure this stuff is tougher than the clear coat on my van.

I only take it off when my nail has grown out enough that it needs to be redone, but the tips never chip. It is amazing.

Those are the pros, now for the cons - it probably isn't healthy for your natural nails. Last time I took my polish off, my nails weren't any weaker, but they looked a little dull. Some reviews say you should put sun screen on the skin of your fingers before sticking them in the LED light to keep them from soaking up the rays. I don't do that.

Edited to add: I've also filed and shaped them several days after applying the polish and they still stay strong. I like to keep my nails fairly short (left hand especially) and filing the tips doesn't seem to mess with the finish.
 
Could also try the Fred Kelly "Freedom Finger Picks" http://fredkellypicks.com/

http://elderly.com/accessories/names/fred-kelly-freedom-finger-pick--PKFP.htm

http://youtu.be/QEaUzbavLM4

They are a plastic type picks that wrap around your finger. Probably the closest you will get to a real nail/salon treatment.


I agree those Fred Kelly finger picks are as good as they get, without being a nail.

James Taylor has a video on how he makes/treats his nails for playing. It seems to work for him.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BqISqpMRo8&sns=em
 
"Hard as Hoof" nail cream has been the saviour of my nails since starting using it early this year, after trying numerous nail hardeners and giving up on them. Occasionally I still damage one (outdoor pursuits), I keep alaska piks in the uke case until the nail grows back (which, call me crazy, seems to come back faster with the Hard as Hoof)
 
"Hard as Hoof" nail cream has been the saviour of my nails since starting using it early this year, after trying numerous nail hardeners and giving up on them. Occasionally I still damage one (outdoor pursuits), I keep alaska piks in the uke case until the nail grows back (which, call me crazy, seems to come back faster with the Hard as Hoof)

Looks like a similar idea to the Sally Hansen stuff I mentioned a couple posts back, which has had a similar effect for me. I think there may be something to the idea of applying vitamins directly to the nail rather than coating the nail with a harsh chemical (as in a polish) that needs a harsh chemical to remove it! Makes sense to me, anyway.
 
Looks like a similar idea to the Sally Hansen stuff I mentioned a couple posts back, which has had a similar effect for me. I think there may be something to the idea of applying vitamins directly to the nail rather than coating the nail with a harsh chemical (as in a polish) that needs a harsh chemical to remove it! Makes sense to me, anyway.
Makes total sense.

I still do the fake nail thing, though. It took me a long time to succumb. Then I realised I wasn't going to quit playing ukulele, so I went for it. I do admit I am now pretty much stuck keeping them on. But it is a minimal price for me to have nails I can count on.

Whatever works.
 
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