Myth or Fact: I need to let my nails breathe? Does gel make my nails weaker?

I have often heard people saying they can't have gels or they need to take a break from having their nails done because they 'need to breathe' so let's take a look at this...

There are 2 parts to the nail - the part we see and the part underneath. Take a look here:

Our nails start to grow long before we actually see them. As the cells grow they push the old cells up and out of the skin. These cells are mainly protein called keratin, also found in our hair. These cells when pushed out are dead, like our hair. They do not have any feelings, however under the nail is the nail bed, an epidermis layer that has sensory nerve endings, which is what hurts when we break a nail low down. The actual nail itself does not contain any nerve endings like our hair - if we cut it, it does not hurt but if we pull it, we will feel it due to nerve endings in our skin, which both hair and nails and attached too.

Our nails are all one colour but when it grows against the nail bed, it appears pink because its against our skin, where we have blood flow etc, hence the colour.

Just like our hair, our nails are dead hardened cells with no feelings or blood flow - they do not need to breathe - they can't. The cells have been made, under the skin, (in the diagram above its called the root - the end of that where the cells are grown is called the nail matrix). The nail matrix needs blood and nutrients/oxygen to create the cells. Once they are pushed out by new cell growth they hit the air - the part we see on the nail bed, they are no longer fed by blood/oxygen/nutrients etc. The cells are many layers creating the hardened nail plate. Our nails do not need air/oxygen.

So why do my nails appear weaker?

Genetically some of us will have strong nails and some of us will not. Some of us may have deficiencies in our body which can affect how our nails grow. Sometimes an injury to our fingers will affect the way our nails grow. Also as we get older, like the rest of our body, it ages and this can affect our nails. We can get wrinkles - on our nails, these are ridges! They become thinner, just like hair, they can become brittle and split - like our hair. When we have a nail enhancement, it strengthens our nails - they grow past where they might naturally snap/split, and when it's removed we forget what condition they were in before the enhancement. The genetics of your nails will not change. If you have builder gel - this will help them grow out but once removed they will be back to how they originally were. Gel and builder gel enhancements will both strengthen your nails but builder gel will strengthen your nails more. It's important not to use nails as tools because without the added strength provided by the application, they will break/split/snap and now they are at a longer length they will do so straight away. If you do not get your nails done regularly, the weight of the nail application will cause stress within the nail matrix and can affect how your cells grow, which will affect the health of your nails. Typically nail applications should last 2-3 weeks, if you keep them on past 4 weeks you can risk damaging the nail matrix, where your nails grow. Once damage has occurred in the nail matrix it is not likely to resolved.

The removal process, is the key to preserving your nail health - it takes time to do it correctly. This is why its a chargeable service. If you are too harsh when removing gel application you can remove some layers of the cells, which will thin and weaken the nails. If you pick/peel off the gel polish, you will take some of the cells making up your nail bed, which thins the nails and makes them weaker. It typically take 6-12months for your nail bed to renew, so if you do damage your nails in removal this is the amount to time it will take to grow out. I have a video on Instagram showing you how to remove gel nails at home if you do not wish to have them done in salon.

If you want to have a break from gel nails, then I would suggest getting them removed professionally, trimming and filing the a little shorter, applying a nail polish treatment with daily cuticle oil/hand cream. As you and your nails, get used to not having the additional strength, that the gel application provided.

I hope this post helps you understand the process better, any questions please feel free to ask me