Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Are yellowing finger nails an issue for you?


Why do fingernails go yellow?

There are basically three reasons why your nails take on an unnatural yellow shade:

·          After removing nail polish with conventional nail polish removers (containing water among other ingredients) your nail tissue is left very dry, we could even say “thirsty”.  We can compare it to an extremely dry sponge.  If you then apply nail polish to these dried out nails, the nail tissue SOAKS up the pigment deep down into the tissue.  This is one very good reason to always apply a clear base coat, that will keep the pigment of the nail polish away from the nail tissue.

·         Another, perhaps less visible cause of yellowing is due to the bits and pieces of layers of applied clear nail polish that have not been completely removed.  Therefore, it should be strongly emphasized to ensure thorough, complete removal of all layers.  If unsure, take one more cotton pad and go over your nails again!

·         The last, yet not so obvious cause of yellow fingernails is due to a build up of hand lotion.  Most hand creams/lotions on the market today contain waxes and/or silicones that can build up over time.  Imagine this - if you allowed wax to build up on a wooden floor,  it would take on a yellowish tinge after a while.  Another example of this is a person’s hair – waxes and silicones which are commonly found in hair care products used regularly over time will create a very undesirable yellow hue to your hair as well.

This is a picture of my nails after a TIPS Nail Conditioner treatment.  What do your nails look like? 

All comments welcome.  Thanks for reading, Lisa M.


7 comments:

  1. My mother's nails were yellow from cigarette smoking.Fortunately,I am not a smoker.

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    1. @Thalie - Yes, smoking can easily cause yellowing of the finger nails, can't it?

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  2. Great post, very informative. i've had issues with yellowing nails, the best way I find to get rid of the discoloration is to gently buff.

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    1. @Danielle - Thanks for your comments. Yellowing seems to be a huge issue for most bloggers.

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  3. Nice information! I didn't know that if you painted dry nails it would soak up the color deep down that's so interesting and good to know.

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    1. @beauxsmom - Thanks for commenting and yes, that's why it is so important to wear a clear base coat.

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  4. My nails are horribly yellow. I do make sure all polish is removed and use two base coats first. I don't buff because it weakens my nails. Any suggestions?

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