Beauty

[tedEbear]

@Tinkrbl44------My Mother, Grandmothers,Mother-in-Law swore by it. I never used it. I did not-------tedEbear

[juperier]

@ItsME Have you discussed this with your dermatologist or allergist? I've never seen any mention of nails breaking being a symptom of an actual allergic reaction. Perhaps he or she could help figure out what's going on and whether there are other factors involved that can be remedied. I did find this article, which seems very accurate based on my limited knowledge.

Now regarding "vegan" and "<insert number>-free".....

Vegan - Obviously those living a vegan lifestyle are going to want to choose vegan polishes. However, as far as I know there are only two ingredients that are sometimes used in nail polish that come from animal sources: carmine, a red colorant that comes from beetles and guanine, which gives a pearlescent finish, and comes from fish scales. Both are also used in other cosmetic products and even in some foods. Unless  you are specifically allergic to them, they aren't a problem. And one can be allerigic to many ingredients that are vegan. Just sayin'.

<insert number>-free - Much of the press about the dangers of these ingredients is closer to fearmongering than reality. While there may be a grain of truth, information is often worded in a manner that makes the dangers sound much worse and far more likely to occur than is actually the case. Also, the ingredients that are used to replace them typically have issues of their own. 

Here's a response that Doug provided late last fall when the EWG was promoting the dangers of TPHP. Unfortunately, most of us don't have access to the actual studies (at least without paying a large fee). Even if we did, how many of us have the scientific background to interpret and understand what they are saying and the knowledge of proper research techniques to judge the accuracy of the study?

[ItsME]

Hi @juperier.  I haven't talked to a doctor.  While I have many, many allergies, this is probably more of a sensitivity.  As long as I stayed away from polish, I haven't had a problem.  It was never a big enough deal to be concerned about.  Swimming has added a new dimension.....  For now, I'm using olive and jojoba oils several times a day, and will treat my nails with oils before going into the water.

Thanks again!

[ItsME]

@CalMom ... and it's a great price on their website!  Thanks!

[juperier]

@ItsME Make sure you also wash your hands and apply oil after you get out of the pool. Excessive/lengthy exposure to water wrecks havoc on your nails anyway. My guess is that swimming pool water is even worse due to both the chemicals in the water and the length of time you're exposed. Wear gloves as much as possible at other times when your hands will be exposed to water (doing dishes, cleaning, etc). At one point when I had a minor bit of onycholysis (nail plate lifting from nail bed), I even bought some nitrile disposable gloves to wear when I shampooed my hair.

Keep in mind that it's going to take months before you see the full results of whatever you're doing. It takes that long for the new nail developing in the matrix to grow out to the tip.