Esthetic Talk~ Weak & Brittle Nails

Weak & Brittle Nails

Causes

 

One of the reoccurring complaints I hear about as an esthetician is about weak and brittle nails. Nails that split, crack, break. I am always asked: Why does this happen to me?

There are actually several reasons why this happens. Here is a list of a few common reasons.
-Constant exposure to water
-Aging
-Malnutrition/lack of vitamins
-Trauma to the nail
-Fungus
-Long Term Nail polish use
-Chemical exposure (Can also cause nail discoloration)
-Over buffing of the natural nail plate

There is also a list of medical reasons why one could have weak and brittle nails. It wouldn't hurt to speak to your doctor to rule out any medical conditions, especially if it's accompanied by discoloration. Aside from the health aspect (as to the cause of this problem) I would be apt to look towards that last point. Over buffing of the natural nail plate. For those of you that like to wear acrylic or gel nails, I hear a lot of things like "Oh don't get them done. They made my nails sooo soft and weak." I think it's very very important to know that improper removal or filling of your nail enhancement is often the cause for this.

Another common question and issue I see is clients that want to know why they have certain markings on their nails. Nails that have pitting all over them is a classic sign of psoriasis of the nail. Leukonychia striata (horizontal white streaks) can be caused by a few things but usually resolve on their own. In fact many types of skin diseases can cause abnormal nail plates. Ridges are often caused by aging & trauma. Possibilities also include vitamin deficiency and underlining medical conditions.

I hope this helps some of you out there. Now I know what you are thinking. How can I fix them? I will talk about that in another post.

Oily skin Conclusion

 The End

This concludes our segment on the oily skin type!!! That was HUGE I know. That sure was a lot of information but you know, it's important. To young adults unto adults there are many things within the blog posts that you might not have known before. Either way it will help you to spend your money more wisely and put it towards things that will benefit you! We all want our money to work for us right? Young adults can go about their lives with more confidence and have the proper tools to battle their acne issues. Now that you understand your skin a bit better and know what is happening to you, you now have the proper knowledge to go about choosing the proper products and makeup for your skin now too!

After the skin care is all complete I will be moving onto makeup. It will be there that I will continue to use the skin care knowledge and transition it into makeup. If you are wondering how they directly relate to one another allow me to give you a small example.

Did you know that some people have oily skin so much to the point where it oxidizes their foundation? This is where they purchase a foundation that is their color and after about an hour or two after wearing it, it turns two shades darker! Not only does the person need to purchase a foundation that is two shades lighter but they constantly have to blot their faces throughout the day.

Did you know that there are wicked face primers out there that prevent these things from happening? Well there is! So there is a lot to look forward to even still. So what section will we be looking at next? Our next segment will be on the Combination skin type. So stay tuned!

I hope you have enjoyed your learning experience and will stick with me until the end.

Sincerely
Pro Vocation

Product Knowledge: Oily/Acneic Skin - Scrubs

Scrubs for the acneic skin types

 A lot of people get lost when it comes to scrubs and I feel it is one of the most misused products. I feel it is because people are unsure of how much is good to use, how often if it should be used, and often purchase a facial scrub that is not the best choice for their skin type. This is why it is important to find out what your skin type is. Purchasing products for yourself, no matter where from, will get easier. There are so many different types of scrubs out there and I think a good majority of people are under the assumption that a scrub ought to be gritty. The truth of the matter is that, that is simply not true.

Types of Exfoliants

 Exfoliators are broken down into two categories. A manual exfoliant and a chemical exfoliant.

 First let us look at the most common of the two. The manual exfoliant. This is simply exfoliators that have that grit feeling to it. Some of the manual exfoliants have smaller, softer micro beads. Those are usually geared towards sensitive skin.

The chemical exfoliants usually contain AHA's (Alpha Hydroxy Acid's). My ultimate favorite exfoliator is Guinot's biological peeling radiance gel. It is a Spa Grade exfoliant. It goes on thick like a honey at first. You keep moving in circular motions until the gel liquifies! It will turn into an oil like slip. The longer it takes in certain area's the more dehydration and dead skin buildup there is. This exfoliator is amazing.

 Below is an example of a OTC brand of chemical exfoliant.  St. Ives Timeless skin with gentle alpha hydroxy acid in it.

 

 So which one is best then?

 But what is the best scrub for someone with acneic skin? That is the question I am sure you asking yourself. Scrubs that contain shells, nuts, and so forth are generally too abrasive (Gritty). The skin is already red and aggravated! So be weary of using anything with a grit. It is in my pro opinion that those with acneic skin ought to try an exfoliant in a foaming or gel form.

Think about it like this: If you had a sore on your body would you scrub at it with anything rough? No. Treat your acne like a sore. You want something smooth and soothing going over that. Be good to your skin.

Here's an example of a foaming scrub that is good for acneic skin. It is gentle on the skin. Remember just because it doesn't feel gritty, doesn't mean that it isn't doing it's job.

Spa Grade Versus Department Store

When it comes to which one to invest in I believe that it is best to go with the spa grade. Sure you could buy something cheaper but you will end up going through more product to achieve your results. In the end you could wind up spending more money.

The spa grade brands are stronger. For example: An exfoliant that contains an AHA is the best type of exfoliator but department store brands are only allowed to offer products that contain up to 10% in it. Since an AHA is essentially a chemical peel, trained estheticians can use AHA's up to 20 & 30% in a spa setting. It's serious stuff.

Spa Grade products can offer products that are stronger in their ingredients. So, what it will boil down to is the right bang for your buck. Is it important to you that you have quicker results to which you will pay to get? Or are you okay taking the longer road and possibly saving yourself some dollars?

The other thing that one has to consider is safety. Yes the AHA's will give you amazing results but if you misuse that product you could harm yourself. (As is with everything you purchase). When using ANY AHA product ( especially if used in the morning ) you MUST apply liberal sun screen!!!! AHA's can make your skin sensitive to the sun so don't jerk around with this stuff. Take your skin care seriously. 

Having said that...most OTC (over the counter) brands wont be very concentrated. It goes back to what I was saying before regarding results. It will take more time to see results with a department store product than something spa grade. It can be a good thing though, a very gentle process of obtaining the same result for a lot less money. It just means that you will have to be diligent. So ultimately that choice will be left to you to make for yourself.

Please note: When using ANY scrub use with a gentle hand! Please don't scrub away at yourself. You don't want to put further harm to your skin.

Until next time, enjoy life, Love, liberty, and always yourself.