Conference turris::womannotes-v2

    Speaking as a male:  I've always been kind of turned off by long
    nails, anyway.  I've always perceived really long nails as a way
    of saying "I'm cute and dainty, I don't do any work with my hands."
    (Yes, I know that's a prejudice;  please don't rathole me for it).
    If you "don't ever have the time to really mess with them"... that's
    great!  I'm tired of dealing with women who never seem to have anything
    else to do but "do their nails" -- and I CAN'T STAND IT when a woman
    says "I can't do THAT -- I might break a nail!"  Arghh!  If you
    want a manicure than by all means get one, but... my opinion would
    be, this world needs more women with short nails!

    Keith,
    
    What a note!!  I really like that attitude, but I would like to
    have them a little longer.  I'm talking about nubs for nails and
    I'm sometimes embarrassed for people to see my hands.  Believe me,
    I'll probably still never have time to really mess with them, I
    think they'll always be the last thing on my list of priorities,
    but maybe this way it will give my self esteem a boost and make
    me a little more aware of not pulling on a hang nail, etc.
    
    Thanks,
    
    Virginia

    Virginia,
    
    I have my nails done once a week.  They would never grow on their
    own without breaking.  I began with having tips put on and then
    once my own grew up under the tip, the tip would be removed and
    a silk wrap was applied to my own nail.  It took about two months
    before they were all my own nails, but it was worth it.  My own
    nails are just too soft to survive on their on that's why I have
    to have them silked.  It makes them much stronger.  I have had my
    own nails for about two years now and I think they are more attractive
    when they are kept up.  Best of all, going once per week, I never
    ever have to do they myself.
    
    Hope this helps.
    

    I just went through this 2 weeks ago - my nails were picked and
    my cuticles were a mess.
    
    I *knew* how to do a manicure, but didn't bother.  Besides, I'd
    never have long nails (I can't *imagine* typing with long nails
    - although I know some people do it).  A friend *insisted* on giving
    me a manicure - soak, cuticle trim, file, clear polish.
    
    From there, they started looking so good (lotion on the cuticles,
    really rub it in daily) - that I keep it up.  They no longer look
    unpleasant, and I keep 'em filed so I'll never have to worry about
    "breaking a nail"....my nails are very weak so they'd probably chip
    or peel before they got long enough to break.
    
    Get a manicure professionally if you don't know how - or read a
    book about cosmetology - just hop over to the library and learn.
    It's a great 10-minute mindless thing to do while watching TV -
    just to maintain 'em.
    
    -Jody
    

    Hi Virginia,
    
    I do manicures and sculptured nail tips professionally.  I recommend
    hot oil manicures as the best thing for brittle, hard-to-grow nails.
    These should be done once a week for best results.  If you live near
    Chelmsford, I will tell you the name of the shop that I work in. 
    Otherwise, even rubbing oil into your cuticles every night will help
    the nail to grow.
    
    Have you ever considered tips?
    
    -Dotti.

    Thanks for all the replies.
    
    re .5-
    
    Dottie,
    
    Thanks for the suggestion, but no, I don't live near Chelmsford.
    Actually I live in Tennessee, but I could call and find some place
    that gives hot oil manicures.
    
    Thanks,
    
    Virginia

    
    Keep them polished (makes them stronger), keep them moisterized,
    keep them filed, and KEEP THEM OUT OF YOUR MOUTH.  Nothing weakens
    your nails worse than having them in your mouth.  I used to be a
    nail biter but now they are really great.  I have only a a professional
    manicure done once.  I never fuss with them.  I file them when they
    look uneven and change my polish once a week.  They're fine, uless
    I'm playing basketball then its "good-bye".
    
    Katrina

    
      Hi Virginia,
    
         Up until a few months ago, I had stubs for nails....  It had
    gotten to the point where I was picking and biting the skin where
    nails were suppose to be.  I started taking Zinc tablets {50 mg.}
    every other day.  I had read an article on poor growing nails and
    in the article they stated that nails are made up of proteins that
    the body actually has no more use for.  The article stated that
    in a lot of people, they have a zinc deficiency which is the number
    one element in producing stronger, more flexible and longer nails.
    I have never had a manicure done, just for the simple fact, I believe
    you have to start helping your body with the small things and I
    don't see how a manicure does that.  After I started taking the
    Zinc tablets, I noticed a large difference in about 2 weeks time!!!
     I am one of those women that love to work with my hands and up
    until recently it never bother me to get "my hands dirty"!!
    I'm still one of those women but I am also the Proud owner of
     fingernails with the shortest one being just shy of 1/2"long!!! 
    Once in a while, I do notice that normal activities have to be 
    conducted in a different way but I wouldn't think about cutting
    them for anything!!!
    
                               Best of Luck 'growing' those nails,
    
                                   Penny  {now nicknamed : Claws!!}
      

	I had chewed my nails up until a couple months ago.  I started
	going for bi-weekly maniucures (my nails were nubs when I started
	going).  I haven't chewed them since.  

	Just because you go for manicures doesn't mean you have to have
	claws.  Just tell your manicuist what lenght you would like them
	kept.

	Plus, its a good time out of the normal routine to just sit
	and relax.


	/Robin

    If you do the oil treatment yourself, what's the oil that you need
    to use daily?
    
    
    Thanks,
    Judy

    I use lotion daily, rub it into my cuticles and around the nail
    there.  Jergen's (I think) makes a lotion that's good for hands
    and cuticles (comes in a pink bottle?).  It just keeps the cuticles
    healthy and keeps them from fraying and drying.
    
    And as for length, I'll never be a dragon lady ;)...my nails will
    never be longer than 1/8" or they'll interfere with my typing/piano
    playing.
    
    -Jody
    

    Re: .10
    
    Judy,
    
    In the shop we sell Solar Oil, (that's a brand name) that comes in a
    bottle and is very easy to use, it has a brush in the bottle, just like
    nail polish.  Also, believe it or not, but pure olive oil, warmed up, is
    the best, but you must soak your fingernails in it for a few minutes
    3-4 times a week, preferably just before bedtime.
    
    -Dotti.

	My manicurist uses Mineral Oil.
	/Robin

    I think that I will have to give this a try.  1/8" nails sounds like
    heaven.  I don't bite my nails, but when a nail gets to about 1/8" long
    itbreaks WAY below the quick and I have to trim way down and wait a
    week to become comfortable again.  I do not remember the last time I
    had 10 nails.  I will get to about 7 and then 3 will tear ....
    
    I can't figure out if it is because they are brittle or what.  I don't
    do anything I know of to cause them to tear, but they sure do.  Or I
    will get one gown out and if I slip opening the car door or something
    snap - its gone!
    
    I thought I was the only one.
    
    Cathy

    	RE: .11  Jody
    
    	> as for length...my nails will never be longer than 1/8" or 
    	> they'll interfere with my typing/piano playing.
    
    	Mine, too (and for precisely the same reasons!)  :^)
    
    	I've been having my nails done every two weeks for the past
    	4 years (since I came to the Customer Support Center from
    	Field Service.)
    
    	When I was still in the Field, my hands were completely torn up
    	from fixing computers all day.  I always had chipped and broken
    	nails, and my hands always had cuts and scratches (from when some
    	unhappy computer would "bite" me while my hands were poking around
    	inside, trying to fix something.)
    
    	I vowed that if I ever left the Field, I would do something about
    	my nails.  (I ended up going to have my nails done on the second
    	day I was here in Colorado Springs.)  It's been a nice change.
    
    	1/8th inch nails feel comfortable (and convenient) for me.  And
    	having someone else do the nails FOR me is kind of luxurious.
    	It's so relaxing, in fact, that it almost puts me to sleep.

    
    
    Perhaps this deserves a note of it's own, but here goes...
    
    On the subject of manicures,  could someone explain the different
    kinds of artificial nails and their advantages and disadvantages?
    
    I have stubs for nails, and I am getting married in 5 weeks.  I
    plan on getting "fakes" put on but I want to be sure that they
    won't fall off before the end of the day.  I would like something
    that would stay on for at least a few days, and look fairly natural,
    while still allowing me to perform normal tasks, (ie. putting on
    nylons.)   If you could comment on the approximate costs of the
    various types of nails, that would be great too.   I'll also take
    recommendations for nail salons in the Hudson, Ma. area.
    
    Thanks!
    
    Darlene
    

    	RE: .16
    
    	Actually, if you have your nails done professionally, they will
    	put on "tips" (or a substance that dries and looks like a tip)
    	wherever your own nails are too short (or if ALL your nails are
    	too short.)
    
    	They look absolutely real.  
    
    	All my nails are my own underneath right now, but when I manage
    	to break one, they put a "tip" on my nail that is absolutely
    	indistinguishable from the rest of my nails (when viewed from
    	the surface, with polish on.)
    
    	From the other side, there is a slight difference in how the
    	underside of the nail looks, but it's not what most people see
    	when they look at your hands.
    
    	The first time I had mine done, I walked in with short, broken,
    	disasterous nails (and walked out with a perfect set of nails
    	that looked and FELT like my own nails!)  They didn't fall off
    	or break for the next two weeks (even though dish-washing, etc.)
    
    	When people asked me if the nails were mine, I used to say,
    	"Why, yes!!  I paid for them, so they are mine!"  :-)
    
    	There are two product types I can recall seeing -- Solar nails,
    	and another one whose name escapes me.
    
    	Call and ask a beauty parlor.  I think you'll be surprised and 
    	pleased with what they have to offer.

    Artificial nails, or sculptured nails, or acrylic nails are put on by a
    nail technician and do not fall off in a few days, (if done right). 
    If the natural nail is distorted, bitten, won't grow or brittle, these
    procedures are great.  First the nail is treated with an antiseptic and
    then the nail tips are fitted on.  After that the acrylic liquid and
    powder are applied, which forms a bond similar to artificial teeth! 
    Then all is filed and shaped and smoothed with a drill using a diamond
    tip.  The hands and nails look absolutely gorgeous. 
    
    I must have at least 25 customers who have artificial nails.  Everyone
    is ecstatic with the way they look.
    
    I put them on myself, and you can hardly tell the real from the
    plastic.  I usually have colored nail polish on mine, but there are
    times that I let them go bare and they really look natural.   
    
    If you want more info send me Mail or come into our nail salon.
    
    -Dotti.
    

	Try Joni or Patti (sisters) at Individual Designs in
	Marlboro - 485-5927.

	They also do nail-designs - Have one done on your ring
	finger - Its nice touch since alot of people will ask
	to see your wedding band.  They have samples of the
	designs they do (many) Just ask!

	/robin

    
    
    Will the more-experienced please offer suggestions for the 
    less-experienced?  How does one judge a 'good' manicure as
    opposed to a 'bad' manicure?
    
    Several weeks ago I had my first manicure in over a decade.
    I was very pleased with the results, especially in the area
    of my cuticles...however-my nails are strong and fast growing.
    In fact, it's rather a nusance to keep them filed back to a
    reasonable length.  Within a week of the manicure, I had split
    or broken the ends of 4 nails.  It seemed, when he was filing
    my nails, that he was filing at an angle, from underneath. I'm
    wondering if this made the edges thinner and more prone to
    breakage.
    
    Since I plan to have regular manicures, what do I look for, to
    judge quality?
    
    Deborah
    

    One thing I haven't see in this note is the most recent information
    I've heard about manicure precautions.
    
    It seems that nail fungus, infections and believe it or not AIDS
    transmission has become a risk through manicures.  Most salons only
    soak their equipment in what they call a disinfecting solution that
    has been found ineffective in killing several viruses.
    
    The article I read and I'm sorry that I don't remember where, said that
    if you frequently have manicures done, invest in your own manicure kit
    and take it with you. If you are unwilling to buy one, then you should
    ask BEFORE you make an appointment, whether their equipment is
    disinfected in solution or sterilized in a medical sterilizer.
    
    Thought you'd want to know!
    
    
    Debra
    

    Debra,
    
    You are absolutely right!  However, we do not give manicures to anyone
    who has a fungus or a nail/finger infection.  I have been trained to
    spot an infection or fungus on sight, and we are instructed to inform
    the customer to see a physician.  Unfortunately with AIDS, one cannot
    tell just by looking at the hands/fingers/nails.  Extreme caution and
    care is used in giving manicures for the client as well as the nail
    technician.
    
    So even though we only use disinfecting/antiseptic solutions, we are
    only dealing with minor bacteria that will be killed by these
    solutions.  We do not treat any "infections or fungus".
    
    Thanks for sharing your info with us.
    
    -Dotti.
    

    Has anyone heard of a technique called "Lume Nail Bonding System"?
    
    You can have a nail technician do it or you can buy the system for
    home use.  Here is an excerpt from their literature:
    
      "Lume offers women what they thought they'd never find - a self
      care product that protects, strengthens, and beautifies their nails
      in a matter of minutes.  By combining a specialized gel formulation
      with the sophistication of it's bonding lamp, Lume presents the
      ultimate solution to cracking, splitting, problem nails.  The gel
      formulation contains no harsh glues or chemicals which air-dry and
      "stick" to the nail.  Rather, it "bonds" to the nail when exposed
      to the specially made, low-wattage, ultra-violet light in the bonding
      lamp.  The result is a hard, protective, bonded coating which resists
      chipping, cracking, or peeling, and will not discolor or wear away
      like other nail products."
  
    Anyone here ever used this system?  The system cost is about $100
    including tax and shipping.
    
    Jodi-
    

    My first reaction is that it "sounds too good to be true"...if you
    don't get a reply here, I'd ask in a nail salon if THEY know the
    scoop......$100 is an AWFUL lot of money, particularly if you need
    to continue to buy supplies of the "gel"...
    
    As mom said, "let the buyer beware".

    -Jody

    RE: .24
    
    Actually, I found out about the system from a nail/hair salon. 
    They offer a free demo, which I may take them up on.  The kit
    cost is $89.00 plus tax and shipping from Utah, that equates to
    roughly $100.00 (I live in Calif.).
    
    If anyone wants a copy of the manufacturers brochure, I'd be happy
    to sent you a copy via mail. 
    
    Jodi-

    dare i ask? for us hopelessly ignorant types, what are sculptured
    nails? i've never seen anyone walk around with a miniature statue
    of liberty growing out of their hands, so i imagine it's not that...
    
    musing in marlboro...

    Re:  27..
    
    Liz,
    
    If you check out .18 of this topic, I explained what "sculptured" nails
    are and how to get them....but believe it or not, I've seen some nail
    art that might surpass the statue of liberty's....unbelievable!
    
    -Dotti.