How to Strengthen Your Nails

 Your hands say a lot about you

So keep those nails in good shape with these easy-to-follow tips.

1. Invest in a soft nail file

You may have heard glass files are the way forward but while they're pretty, longer-wearing, and easy to clean, it pays to invest in a 'soft' file. We recommend the Edge White 240 File for a smooth finish and to prevent tearing or splitting your nails.

2. Try a Biotin supplement. Studies show that brittle nails that are prone to peeling and breakage could be a sign of Biotin deficiency. Consult your physician and supplement your diet with an extra dose of the essential B vitamin.

3. Say hello to your nail-growing and strengthening hero, Nail Envy!

Our special formula contains hydrolyzed wheat protein and calcium to encourage growth. We recommend applying two coats to your bare nail, then applying another coat every other day for the best results. After a week, remove it, and start again. These extra layers of protection will also add some bulk to nails that feel thin.

4. Invest in a 4-way buffer. This genius tool smooths the nail plate out to make it more compact, bringing the surface nail layers together to add strength.

5. Nail your filing technique. Back-and-forth see-saw motions will only cause the nail to splinter, so always file in one direction, using long, swift but gentle strokes, we recommend starting from the outside edge and moving to the center. This will help you avoid split nails while filing.

6. Even if you don’t have time for a full manicure, applying a hydrating and strengthening base coat can prevent the nails from peeling and becoming weak. We recommend switching your regular base coat for one coat of Natural Nail Strengthener, which is formulated to help your nails grow stronger.

7. Switch your nail polish remover to Expert Touch Lacquer Remover. It sweeps away even the darkest lacquer shades without the drying effects of harsh removers. The acetone in harsh removers is rough on fragile nails and can dry them out almost instantly - cue peeling, splitting, and those unsightly white, mottled marks.

8. Take a look at your diet, strong nails need plenty of vitamins and minerals. Consult your physician, and consider adding more protein (meat, fish, lentils), biotin (eggs, salmon, peanuts), zinc (green beans, cashews), and iron (spinach, beef) to your diet.

9. Make sure your nails are in the correct shape for your hands as you grow them out. Your nail shape should follow your cuticle shape for easy strength and growth.

10. Moisturize. Moisturize. Moisturize.

Dry hands are a major problem when it comes to maintaining nail strength and health. That’s why we’ve created ProSpa Advanced Softening Gloves and Socks to hydrate and soften the skin. Both contain macadamia oil and shea butter to ensure your hands and feet are pampered and primed for the nail treatment they deserve.

11. Remember this: Healthy cuticles equal healthy nails. Stop picking, trimming, or manipulating your cuticles in any way. Use ProSpa Nail + Cuticle Oil daily to repair, nourish and moisturize. Dry, brittle nails will only lead to splitting and chipping.

12. Say goodbye to dry skin around your nails with the soothing and repairing ProSpa Exfoliating Cuticle Cream. Packed with white tea and essential minerals, it'll transform delicate skin, leaving it ultra-nourished and hydrated.

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Difference Between Hard and Soft Wax

 

Many estheticians have preferences between soft and hard waxes. Normally, it comes down to what you are comfortable with. Don’t let anyone tell you there is a right or wrong wax or technique. It all depends on you and what you are comfortable with. There are pros and cons to everything we do and or try as estheticians.  

Hard wax does take more skill to use but it is not as painful for the client especially in areas of the body that are more sensitive. Hard wax is perfect for Brazilians and facial waxing because it is gentler on the skin. Hard wax adheres to the hairs rather than to the skin, which gives it an advantage in the hair removal process.

Hard wax is applied thicker than soft wax and hardens on the skin. It can be removed with your hands, so there is no need for strips. This makes the process less painful. Hard wax is gentler because it doesn’t adhere to the skin. It shrink wraps around the hairs instead.

PROS:

• Gentler
• Less pain
• No strips needed
• Doesn’t leave sticky residue behind

CONS:

• Requires more skill
• Can slow down service time
• Can require more product for larger body parts

Soft Wax adheres to the skin as well as the hair. Traditionally, soft wax is the go-to for the large body areas in the waxing industry. The soft wax is applied to the skin very thinly and a muslin or paper strip is applied on top of the wax to remove the hair. After the hair is removed, the technician applies an oil or a treatment to remove extra wax from the waxed area, to remove any residue.

Soft wax will remove the outer layer of the skin as well as the hair. It is best to treat the skin before and after because this will produce skin irritation and redness afterwards. It is best to not retreat the areas even if the hair is not removed the first time, it will create more irritation. Removing the top layer of the skin is also known as exfoliation, but there is a higher possibility of removing more skin than desired.  

Soft wax is good for larger areas of the body like legs and arms. It can be applied in larger strips and is removed with waxing strips. This is because it uses less product, and can be applied and removed faster than hard wax.

PROS:

• Good for larger areas of the body
• Costs less because you use less product
• Great for speed waxing

CONS:

• Requires an additional item to perform service
• Can be traumatizing to the skin
• leaves a residue behind

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NEW SERVICE ALERT!!

 NEW SERVICE ALERT! 

Need assistance with trimming those hard to reach toenails? 

Book a toe nail or fingernail trim and file with UpKept.

**IMPORTANT**Remember to brush the underside of your fingernails. This is the perfect place for germs, bacteria, and fungus to hangout and grow! Keeping these areas clean promote better health and positive self-consciousness. Our nails are one of the first things people notice, better to keep them clean and presentable.

Ingrown Hairs

 

What is an ingrown hair?

An ingrown hair is a strand of hair that grows back into your skin after shaving, tweezing or waxing. They may be painful or itchy, and they commonly appear around your face, legs, armpits and pubic area.

Ingrown hairs are sometimes called razor bumps, shave bumps or barber bumps.

Who does ingrown hair affect?

Ingrown hair is very common. Anyone who shaves, tweezes or waxes their hair can develop ingrown hairs. If you shave often, you’re more likely to have ingrown hairs.

You’re also more likely to have ingrown hair if you have skin of color or thick, coarse or curly hair.

How does ingrown hair affect my body?

The beard area of your face (neck, cheeks and chin), legs, armpits and pubic area (bikini line and inner thigh) are most likely to develop ingrown hairs. However, they may also appear on other parts of your body, including your scalp, chest, back, abdomen, inside of your nose (nostril), eyebrows and buttocks (butt).

Symptoms and Causes

What are the symptoms of ingrown hair?

The symptoms of ingrown hair include:

• Skin irritation.
• Small bumps with hairs in the middle on your face and neck (papule).
• Pain.
• Discoloration (red, brown or purple).
• Itching.

If an ingrown hair becomes infected, you may notice the bumps getting bigger and more painful. Pustules occur when there’s pus around the follicles. This infection can lead to scarring.

What causes ingrown hair?

Removing hair by shaving, waxing or tweezing can cause ingrown hairs. New hairs grow from hair follicles under your skin. Shaving, waxing and tweezing only remove hair strands — they don’t remove hair follicles.

When new hair grows, it may curl back and enter your skin. This more commonly occurs if your hair is thick, curly or coarse.

How are ingrown hairs treated?

There are several ways to treat ingrown hairs at home, including:

1. Stop shaving and allow the hair to grow.
2. Use an electric shaver. Hold it just above the surface of your skin.
3. Use depilatory products to remove hair without shaving. Depilatory products dissolve the protein structures of your hair.
4. Apply warm compresses to your affected skin for 10 to 15 minutes to open your pores and make it easier for ingrown hairs to release.

If your symptoms don’t improve, your healthcare provider may need to prescribe medications that decrease inflammation and improve infections.

In rare cases, your healthcare provider may use a sterile surgical knife with a thin blade (scalpel) to make a small cut in your affected areas. They’ll squeeze out any pus and use sterile tweezers to remove the ingrown hair.

To prevent scarring or infection, don’t pick at, scratch or pop your ingrown hairs.

How do you remove an ingrown hair?

To remove an ingrown hair, gently exfoliate your skin. Exfoliating your skin removes a dead layer of skin cells and helps release ingrown hairs. Use warm — not hot — water and small, circular motions to wash your affected areas with a washcloth, exfoliating brush or exfoliating gel or scrub.

You can also remove an ingrown hair that has looped or curled back into your skin by gently pulling it out with a sterile needle, pin or tweezers. Apply rubbing alcohol to your surrounding skin to prevent an infection. Then, carefully thread the sterile needle, pin or tweezers through the exposed hair loop. Gently lift the hair loop until one end releases from your skin. Article Source

What is Paraffin Wax? What are its Benefits?

Paraffin wax is a colorless, soft wax that can provide therapeutic heat therapy for the hands and feet. It also has softening and moisturizing effects on the skin.

As with other waxes, paraffin wax melts when it is heated. It has a low melting point, so it is safe to touch in its liquid form. This means that people can submerge their hands or feet in the wax for potential therapeutic benefits.

What is Paraffin Wax?

Paraffin wax is a by-product of heating or distilling petroleum, also known as crude oil. It is a solid waxy substance that companies often use to make candles. Paraffin wax also has other uses, such as a stiffening agent in ointments or an anti-inflammatory cream for the skin. People often use it to relieve the symptoms of arthritis, and some spas use it as a therapeutic treatment. Paraffin wax is also a mineral oil and an ingredient in many skin creams, lotions, and gels.

Benefits of using paraffin wax 

Paraffin wax has some potential therapeutic uses. Some salons and spas use it as a skin-softening treatment or pain relief for sore joints and muscles. There are Therapeutic, Cosmetic, Moisturizing & Heat Therapy benefits.

Therapeutic Benefits 

The paraffin wax treatment can provide you with numerous therapeutic benefits. Here are some of the benefits you may enjoy:

• Increased blood flow
• Relaxed muscles
• Decreased joint stiffness
• Reduced muscle spasms and inflammation
• Faster recovery from sprains

The Paraffin wax treatment is also recommended for these conditions:

• Osteoarthritis
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Fibromyalgia
• And other joint mobility problems

Cosmetic Benefits 

In addition to pain relief, you can also enjoy paraffin wax’s cosmetic benefits, such as:

• Increasing your skin’s elasticity
• Softening your skin and treating hard calluses due to wear and tear and
• Pore cleansing

Moisturizing

Spas and salons often use paraffin wax in skin-softening treatments to moisturize the hands, feet, and cuticles. Paraffin is an occlusive moisturizerTrusted Source, which means it forms a physical barrier on the skin to prevent water loss. This can make a person’s skin feel supple and soft.

Occlusive agents such as paraffin wax can also help relieveTrusted Source symptoms of dry skin conditions such as atopic dermatitis. However, occlusive moisturizers may cause the skin to feel greasy. The thick barrier on the skin could also lead to clogged pores and acne.

Heat therapy

A person can use paraffin wax as a form of heat therapy for their hands or feet.

To use it for heat therapy, a person can melt the wax, test the temperature, and dip their hands or feet in it. This may help relieve stiff muscles and joints by improving circulation and increasing blood flow to the area. People with different forms of arthritis may find that this form of heat therapy helps alleviate pain, stiffness, and swelling, as well as helping to improve mobility and flexibility.

How to use paraffin wax

Salons and spas may offer paraffin wax treatments, but people can also use the treatment at home.

The treatments at home and in a spa are likely very similar. When using wax at home, a person should use caution when heating the wax and follow all instructions on the kit.

To perform a paraffin wax treatment at home, a person should follow these steps:

1. Wash hands with soap and water.
2. Apply a lotion or moisturizer to the hands.
3. Test the temperature of the wax by dipping a fingertip in gently.
4. Spread the fingers and dip the hand into the wax. Remove when coated.
5. Repeat this, dipping and drying the hand about 6–8 times.
6. Cover the hand with a towel or plastic bag immediately. Keep it covered for 15–20 minutes.
7. Remove the towel.
8. Carefully peel the cooled wax from the hand.
9. Repeat steps with the other hand.

Article Source

Call UpKept today for any questions regarding paraffin wax treatments! We offer this as an add on to our manicure and pedicure services.

5 Reasons Why You Keep Getting Callus on Your Feet

 How to Prevent Calluses on Feet

Why do calluses happen, and what can we do to prevent it? Here are five reasons they can happen, along with foot care instructions on how to prevent calluses from forming in the first place.

1. Your Feet Are Too Dry, And They Need Moisture

Let’s start off by describing what a callus actually is in order to better understand how they form. 

Harvard Health states that “a callus is a yellowish, flat, hard layer of dead skin,” which can cause “pain, difficulty grasping an object,” or discomfort while walking.

Calluses form naturally from dead layers of skin that have been subjected to lots of friction or pressure. 

Under normal circumstances, outer layers of skin shed naturally. Our bodies shed between 0.03 grams and 0.09 grams of skin every hour, according to one study. 

With a callus, the body’s normal mechanisms for shedding skin are interfered with. This is because the cells formed under a callus adapt to friction and grow in a more compact formation. The small size and compactness of the cells make them tougher, to the point where normal friction and air exposure won’t rub them away. The resulting buildup of dead skin cells can feel hard, like dried leather or plastic. 

Providing feet with moisture — meaning lotion, oil, or some other type of water entrapped within a barrier lipid — allows your body to shed skin cells like normally. With extra moisture, the small skin cells within a callus loosen up. Then, the friction that helped build the callus can actually allow it to be gradually stripped away — but exfoliating and soaking definitely helps!

2. You Wear Sandals All the Time

When it comes to why calluses form, “the number one culprit is sandals,” writes Atlanta area provider Piedmont Healthcare. “Open-toed shoes and flip flops allow the feet to slide around, creating friction that leads to dead skin buildup.”

Another issue with sandals is that they expose your feet to the open air, which dries them out. While having sweaty feet can result in problems of its own, wearing shoes and socks can, in most circumstances, allow the body enough moisture to prevent calluses caused by normal walking. There are, of course, exceptions since shoes that move around too much or that constrict too much can also cause calluses.

While there’s nothing wrong with letting your feet get some sunshine in your favorite pair of sandals, remember to treat them kindly at the end of the day. Moisturize them, and give them a good scrubbing with a clean loofah, pumice stone, or another exfoliant. 

Also, give your feet a break from sandals occasionally and put them in a good pair of cotton socks, especially if you’re going to be walking or hiking a lot that day.

3. Your Shoes Don’t Fit Right

Tight shoes constrict your feet, causing pressure and friction that can lead them to develop calluses. Loose shoes can do the same thing, provided they move around enough to generate friction.

Make sure your shoes are sized correctly and take a break from heels if the pressure causes your toes to pinch. Have a pair of nice, comfortable, and supportive tennis shoes or ankled boots ready to give your feet the ample support they need to avoid developing skin conditions.

4. You Aren’t Regularly Exfoliating

Some skin needs a little help to shed naturally, especially in areas of our body like our feet that see lots of wear-and-tear. A simple way to help the body out is to have a gently abrasive scrubber, loofah, or stone available in the shower. However, lots of people have trouble keeping these things clean, so make sure to let yours dry out and to regularly sanitize them. You should also replace them every 1 – 2 months.

If you’ve got a serious case of calluses, a good soak may be in order. You can fill a basin with warm water mixed with Epsom salts, ¼ cup of vinegar, and a teaspoon of any hydrating oil of your choice, such as coconut or avocado oil. It also doesn’t hurt to add a few drops of essential oil!

5. You Have a Routine That’s Rough on Your Feet

There are lots of situations that can lead to calluses, from being forced to walk at your job too much to sitting too much in a way that puts pressure on your feet. Other people have to make repetitive foot motions, such as if you drive for miles on end every day.

If your regular routine seems destined to give your feet a layer of calluses, they may need special attention beyond the above care recommendations. Consult with a podiatrist to see if there’s special footwear, socks, inserts, or lotions for your unique situation. These can help you keep your feet hydrated while avoiding conditions that allow calluses to form. Article Source

UpKept can help assist you with your foot callus...

Book a pedicure with us today to try out our special callus solution add on

Why Upkept?

My name is Megan Tallerico. I’m the owner of your next favorite nail spa, UpKept. 

UpKept does not stand for “dressing to the nines” all day, every day. Instead, UpKept is a way of life to be determined by each and every individual. Focusing on the importance of self-care, relaxation, and having a positive mindset. Life can be challenging all by itself and sometimes we just need a moment of peace and relaxation. Find your confidence with UpKept!

Caring for the natural nail bed through relaxing manicures and pedicures. Also offering brow laminations and tinting services, and waxing.

Book your appointment with us today!!! 

Call us with any questions or concerns regarding our services.