I bet as you’re reading this, your hair is up in a messy bun, your roots are showing, and your acrylics are lifting (if they haven’t fallen off already). This is the official look of the Quarantine Club! Welcome, we’re glad to have you. It’s also time to take your leave. The state is slowly working its way to allowing businesses to open up. As soon as the salons are open, stylists are going to have a waiting list a mile long for people to get a much-needed spa treatment. However, just because you can’t get to the salon, right away, doesn’t mean you can’t take care of yourself. Here’s your guide to getting your hair and nails back in order at home!
Your Nail Care Treatment:
Keep Nails Strong: Acrylic or gel nails help strengthen your nails that are constantly breaking, but sometimes it’s good to let the nails beds relax. Be gentle on the nails. Act as if you still have artificial nails. Clip the nails regularly to keep the strength. As the tips grow out, they begin to weaken, which can strain or damage the rest of the nail bed. If you get a snag or a chip, file it down, preferably with a glass (sometimes called a crystal) file. Glass files are much gentler on your nails for everyday use.
Safely Remove Your Acrylics or Gels: First and foremost, do not peel off your acrylics or gel nail polish on their own. You can do severe damage to the nail bed that could weaken it. Lifting means they’ll soak off faster, not that you should pop them off. Removing acrylic nails and gel polish is a very similar process. The top layer of each application needs to be filed to let the acetone do its job. With acrylics, you’ll need to soak the nails in the acetone until they’re soft enough to scrape off gently. Gel nails can be soaked like acrylic, but they do better when each nail is wrapped with cotton and aluminum foil. Don’t forget the cuticle oil after your nails are cleaned up!
Check Out At Home Kits: We get it, nothing beats a visit to the salon. However, there’s nothing wrong with doing your own nails. These kits are affordable, so if you mess up, you can try again without any worry. There are so many kits to choose from too! You can try the traditional glue-on nails, gel nail polish, a dip acrylic powder, and even a hybrid gel formed to your nail shape! Take this time to play around with various lengths and shapes too. When you can finally get back to the salon, you’ll have a better idea of what’s more comfortable for you.
Your Hair Treatment:
Cutting Your Own Hair: That’s probably a scary phrase to see. If you have no experience, why would you cut your own hair? The first thing to remember is you don’t have to go drastic. Trimming your hair only takes an inch or so off. You’ll barely notice it’s gone, but you’ll feel that your hair is much healthier. Invest in a good pair of shears. You can’t just use a pair of scissors because they could cause even more split ends. Start small with the trimming. It’ll take longer to do, but you’ll have more control over how much is getting cut off overall.
At Home Dye Jobs: Are your roots loud and proud at this point? Recently boxed dyes have started getting more and more healthy for your hair. We don’t recommend long-term use because you can’t get the same color control as a stylist can get. However, using a boxed dye now and then will not ruin your hair. Look for dyes that are ammonia and paraben-free. These are less abrasive on the hair during the process. Also, avoid bleaching your hair. Even at a salon, bleaching it is a technical process that needs to be handled carefully.
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