Yes, it is great to have food conveniently ready to eat in our pantries, but it also sometimes means that we lack the intake of vital nutrients that we used to get from our everyday diet. Gone are the days when we hunted our food on the plains and lived in caves – and good riddance I say! I am certainly not one for these new diets that say we should all eat like cavemen, but I do understand that our diet has changed immensely since the days of gathering our own food.

Shop some of our favorite base coats to disguise the damage and strengthen your nails post-gel ahead.If you have ever had weak fingernails that break, bend or crack easily, or are a regular sufferer of hair breakage, split ends and general lack of shine? You may be lacking regular gelatin in your diet. “Every time you peel the gel off without breaking the bond, then a layer (or more) of your nail plate is removed.” Flaky nails can also be a sign that you made another rookie mistake: peeling off the gel. “Do a cream at night to keep hands moisturized, putting cotton gloves over it to enhance penetration,” says Palm. If the nail is super dry it can become brittle, and if the nail is too hydrated it can become soft-both situations make nails more prone to damage. “ extremes of very dry or very hydrated,” says Palm. Bigelow chapped hands remedy ($15, ), especially after washing your hands. Rehydrate them by using cuticle oil like Essie Apricot cuticle oil ($9, ) and hand cream like C.O. According to Palm, nails also lose moisture faster than the rest of the skin. “ can become dry and brittle (just like hair after too much color or styling),” says Saunders. Nails are made up of dead skin, particularly a protein called keratin (which is the same thing that makes up hair). Post-Gel Problem #3: Your nails are peeling and flaking away. If your nails are snapping at every little tap and touch, consider cutting them down to a short, manageable length. “Your nails have become used to that protective coating of gel (which keeps nails from breaking), so your everyday lifestyle could cause breakage,” says Saunders. Post-Gel Problem #2: Your nails are constantly breaking once the gels come off. For her patients who are prone to weak nails, dermatologist Melanie Palm, M.D., prescribes Genadur, a lacquer that strengthens nails with field horsetail. You can smooth and harden the nail during the process with a base coat that has a gelatin matrix. Give your nails a break from gel to allow the nail plate time to recover.

It takes about three to six months for nails to grow out completely, erasing these white spots. Related: How to Actually Remove Gel Nail Polish Without Destroying Your Nails The acetone soak softens the nail plate and even gentle scraping can push cells creating divots or white spots. Avoid scraping with a metal cuticle pusher for this step. After 10 minutes (or more), the gel should flake off with the help of a nail file. Then secure the cotton in place with foil. Here's the right way: First you should break the seal of the gel with a nail file before applying a cotton ball soaked in pure acetone to the nails. Using the wrong tools and technique can leave tips with microtrauma. Post-gel damage is typically caused by the removal process. Post-Gel Problem #1: There are white spots or lines on your natural nail, and/or the nail plate feels uneven. We've compiled a list of the most common gel manicure issues-and the simple solutions-ahead. “The good news is that replenish and grow (just like hair) no matter what you do to them.” So after a couple of back-to-back gel appointments, treat your nails to rehab. “Having damage from gel is a reality, just like a bad haircut or color,” says Essie celebrity manicurist Michelle Saunders. Dermatologists also have concerns about the use of UV lights to harden the polishes-but no research has yet been done on long-term exposure to UV light through gel manicures. But on the flip side, gel can leave your natural nails brittle and breaking, especially if they're removed the wrong way. The thick coat of lacquer also keeps fragile nails from breaking, allowing nails to grow to unexpected lengths. The cured polishes make it so easy to go about life without worrying about chipped tips. When gel manicures and shellac arrived on the scene, they were total game changers.

Clear gelatin good for nails