I have just realised that, despite the main aim of my blog being to help others who are going through chemotherapy, I haven't put my nail care advice guide, that I wrote just before I started my blog, on the site. Silly me!!!!! So, here it is, and I hope it can help keep someone going through chemotherapy from experiencing what I went through with my nails. Firstly, I'd like to show you the damage done to my nails by the chemotherapy.
Caring For Your Nails Before, During and After Chemotherapy
Before I started
chemotherapy for breast cancer, I was told by my oncologist, and the
breast-care nurse, to paint my nails with dark nail polish to protect my nails
from the sun's UV rays, and to hide any damage that might occur. Despite using nail polish, my nails were
still horribly damaged - they went a horrible brown colour, started to flake
and peel, and even started to come away from the nail bed. I went searching for information to help me
repair my nails, and also ways to care for them once they were looking good
again. No one told me any of this
information before I started chemotherapy, but if they had, I possibly may not
have had any of the problems with my nails that I did.
So, I decided I
wanted to try to help prevent all the beautiful women (and men) going through
chemotherapy from going through the same experience I did. Here are some things I WAS NOT TOLD that you
really need to know BEFORE you start chemotherapy.
1. Prevention
is better than a cure, of course, so be prepared and start early. As soon as
you know that you are going to have chemotherapy, start using the nail and hand
routine below, and do it every day without fail. Hopefully, this may stop you from getting the severe damage I
did. I can't promise it will prevent
all the damage, but it should help a lot, and should definitely help to keep
your nails from drying out.
2. Buy yourself
the best CUTICLE OIL/NOURISHING SERUM you can afford. Revitanail and Sally Hansen make some really great ones that
nourish, strengthen and protect your nails, but there are other brands out
there too. They are readily available
from pharmacies, department stores, beauty shops, Priceline stores and, of
course, online.
I have
recently discovered that PURE JOJOBA OIL is the best thing you can use on your
hands and nails, so I am using that now, too.
It is available at health food shops, Priceline and Chemist Warehouse,
but it is a lot less expensive online, and there are many companies that sell
it. Check out eBay, or just Google it
and you will be amazed by the other uses it has, too. It's also odourless.
AMAZING STUFF!!!
I would
suggest you use both the cuticle oil and Jojoba Oil to give you even more
protection from damage. Massage one of
them into you nails and cuticles every time you wash your hands if you can, but
at least twice a day, morning and night.
3. ALWAYS
use a GOOD QUALITY BASE COAT on your nails before applying your nail polish,
because today's nail polishes are made to adhere to the base coat, not your
nails. It will help stop your nails
from being stained by the nail polishes you use, too. You can also get strengthening and nourishing base coats - even
more protection and nourishment for your nails. Availability is the same as for the cuticle oils.
4. Apply as many
coats of nail polish as you need to get the coverage on your nail you want,
waiting for each coat to dry before applying the next coat. Usually two coats are enough, but some
polishes require three. Apply thin
coats, because the thicker the coat the longer it will take to dry. They are available from the same places as
mentioned above.
5. If you want
your nail polish to last more than just a few days, you should use a good
quality TOP COAT to stop it from chipping and getting damaged. There are some great top coats available,
from the companies I have already mentioned, and of course from the same
places. Reapply your top coat every
other day to make your polish last longer.
6. Finish off by
applying a good quality HAND AND NAIL CREAM.
Massage a generous amount into your hands and nails at least twice a
day, but more often if you are washing your hands a lot, because washing dries
out both your hands and nails.
7. Always try to
use gloves when you are washing the dishes, gardening or cleaning around the
house, because they, too, will help to prevent your nails from getting damaged.
8. Always use an
ACETONE-FREE POLISH REMOVER, because acetone dries your nails out, and is very
harsh on your cuticles. There are some
great conditioning ones for different skin types. They are available from the
same places as the other nail care products.
9. Every time you
remove your nail polish, massage your cuticle oil/nourishing serum into your
nails and cuticles several times, over a couple of hours, before applying your
next nail polish. This gives the
oil/serum a better chance of getting right into your nails and cuticles, and
will really make a difference to how strong and healthy they are.
10. Don't use a
metal nail file or emery board on your nails, because they will only cause even
more damage. Buy a good quality Czech
crystal/glass nail file , which is a lot finer and so much kinder to your
nails. Manicare sell a great one which
I use. Don't be tempted to buy a cheap
Chinese one, because the quality is inferior and could cause damage.
11. There are
ECO-FRIENDLY VERSIONS available for all the products mentioned above if you are
concerned about the environment or have allergies. These are usually advertised as being 3-free or 5-free, which
means they don't contain the nasty chemicals most of the other polishes
do. Just Google for more information
and where to purchase them.
12. Lastly, one of
the most important reasons for putting nail polish on your nails is that it not
only helps to protect your nails, but THEY WILL LOOK GREAT, too, and that will
make you feel better about yourself, and that has to be a good thing. When you see the range of nail polish and
nail art products available, even scented ones, you will be amazed at how
attractive you can make them, it will really lift your spirits, and may even
help to take your mind off what you are going through, which is what happened
with me.
If this
information helps to keep just one person from getting the damage chemotherapy
did to my nails I will be happy. Seeing
my nails the way they were was so depressing, and that was the last thing I
needed, and the last thing YOU will need while you are going through your
chemotherapy treatment, and afterwards, during your recovery period. If you already have damage, it's never too
late to start looking after them. It
really is worth the effort.
Here's a photo taken on 25th February 2015, less than five months after the last photo was taken, showing the improvement which following the above regime has made to my nails and cuticles. There is still some damage, for example the lifting from the nail bed, but I'm hoping that will improve with time, God willing. Most of this improvement has come since starting to use the pure Jojoba Oil mentioned earlier. Please do give this amazing essential oil a try. It's an absolute miracle worker, and makes your hands and nails feel great, too.
I would like to
wish you all the best for your journey through your cancer treatment, and hope
that you reach the other end with a good outcome. Look good and you'll feel better!
© Christine Chipman 2014
My Nail Art Journey - http://chips48nailartjourney.blogspot.com.au/
