Here it is. The miracle that has saved my nails and restored my pride and my sanity.
For approximately 10 months of 2011 my nails were peeling. I'd disguised this by painting them all the colours of the rainbow and using thick layers of ridge filling base coat to fill in the uneven nail base.
I'd also tried various nail treatments, including OPI Nail Envy for soft, weak nails, and a Sally Hansen one in a purple bottle which I bought from the USA. I massaged cuticle oil into my nails 2-3 times a day, I used hand cream regularly, and I even tried giving my nails a complete break from polish altogether, but to no avail. My nails were a horrendous mess and just wouldn't stop peeling, flaking and breaking.
In desperation I did some searching online and heard lots of people raving about Nailtiques Formula 2 protein treatment. I picked mine up from lookfantastic.com for about £7.95 or thereabouts. It comes in two sizes, 7ml and 15ml. I went for the small bottle.
I began the treatment a week before Christmas, religiously (well, almost...) applying a thin coat on my poor shredded nails every day avoiding the cuticle area.
It's not an instant fix, but this clear shiny protective layer makes nails look much better than with nothing. It's not a growth accelerator either, like some of the famous Sally Hansen bottles. I was expecting to see more nail growth than I did.
What it does do is gradually thicken and strengthen the nail bed and it halts further splitting. My nails have completely stopped spitting and flaking, and the the 3 nails that still have a 'peeled' layer are right towards the end of the nail, to be cut away once the nail grows a bit more. And that's the thing, once the nail has peeled, there is nought you can do but wait for it to grow out. The huge problem is that in the waiting time further peeling usually occurs. Nailtiques 2 stops this completely but it's crucial to use it every day for the first two weeks at least to give your nails a good chance to recover.
It's been roughly a month now and I'm still using Formula 2 on a reduced basis, once every 2-3 days. I've had no further peeling and I'm not ashamed to be sans polish. My nails for the most part look so much healthier and are a lot stronger, they are no longer soft and bendy. I couldn't be happier.
Nailtiques recommend that you do not wear polish while using the treatment and that after treatment you use their own polish which contains the same nail protein. I'm tempted to invest in one or two colours although I'm also very aware that this could be a marketing swizz too. Still, their polishes retail at about £10.95 so they are still cheaper than a lot of brands, so it might be worth a shot.
Thanks to Formula 2, I can bring colour back onto my nails, into my life and onto my blog :)
NB: If you haven't done so already, please vote here for which colour you'd like to see next!
Score 10/10
Oh my beloved Pandora, I think I am ordering some of this divine right away! So glad it worked for you! My nails are an abomination at the moment, too much cleaning, detergents and all the dry indoor climate has destroyed my nails. So praise be, sweetest thing! Thank you!!
ReplyDeleteI will order some (wait, impatiently for it to arrive in friggin snowland) and try it and tell you how it works (if you want, of course). :)))) Have a delicious daaay!
LOL, you're very welcome, I really hope it helps you. You must be consistent with it though and not use any nail polish whilst you use it. Read the instruction leaflet! Please let me know how you get on with it, I'd love to know :)
ReplyDeleteYou have a good day too x
The girl I saw recommend this originally said she uses it as a base coat. After the initial treatment I think that would work as well as buying their brand of nail polish.
ReplyDelete