Acrylic nails are the in thing and a number of women wear them for different reasons. William Ssekyanzi, a pedicurist and manicurist shares how to take care of your nails right from removing the extensions.

Professional removal

A friend of mine had a habit of biting off the artificial nails causing them to hurt the natural nail because the process was somewhat rough. That is not the right way to remove acrylics and seeking the services of a manicurist is important so that you do not damage your nails.

Additionally, keep your natural nails short for a week or so after removing the acrylics because they leave the natural nail dehydrated and weak hence susceptible to breaking. “Special glue is used to stick the artificial nail to the natural one and this does not allow for moisture to reach the natural nail. As such, the natural nail becomes brittle and needs to recover once the artificial nail is removed.”

Massage your hands 

Massage with treatments such as coconut oil, Vitamin E, and olive oil to feed your cuticles with nutrients needed for healthy nail growth while leaving your hands soft. Other treatments include uses of garlic and calcium.

Soak your nails

There are many soaking methods that will give your nails and hands, in general, what they need to grow healthy and strong. For example, you can dip your nails in olive oil, garlic oil, milk, or orange juice for between 10 to 15 minutes a few days every week.

Get yourself nail treatment

Most drug and beauty stores have a wide range of polish treatments such as nail hardener you could use to strengthen your nails and help them grow back to normal.

While learning and mastering how to take care of yourself in the comfort of your home is great, going to a manicurist has its benefits as well. For example, the manicure process will stimulate nail growth. Moreover, the manicurist will advise you on the best nail treatment to use even when at home.

It is not advisable to continuously use acrylic nails as you risk damaging your natural nails. “Giving your natural nails some time to mend allows for healing and rejuvenation. The process of restoring your natural nails to normal is not speedy and calls for patience.”