The post Nails Magazine Competition 2016 first appeared on Nail Spa Haven.

The post Nails Magazine Competition 2015 first appeared on Nail Spa Haven.

Pedicure services are hot, but so is the controversy surrounding the use of whirlpool pedicure spas. Between April and October 2000, more than 100 clients of Fancy Nails, a Watsonville, Calif. salon, developed large, painful boils on their legs. An investigation revealed that the boils were caused by a bacterial infection (mycobacterium fortuitum) whose source was the accumulated debris (skin, hair, etc.) trapped behind the screens of the salon’s whirlpool pedicure spas. The intense national media attention that followed alerted consumers, beauty professionals and equipment manufacturers to the potential dangers of pedicures. To protect the consumers of California, the Board of Barbering and Cosmetology responded in Spring 2001 with new regulations for cleaning whirlpool pedicure spas, and even stricter regulations have been implemented more recently which also spread to many different states around the country including Georgia.

To protect their business interests, equipment manufacturers developed new technology that eliminates the circulation of water through pipes. For example, European Touch, the industry’s leading manufacturer of pedicure spas, introduced a pipe-less system in 2003 that circulates water with an impeller inside the basin. Innovations such as these were designed to provide clients with a safer and more sanitary pedicure experience. Thus far, however, even the most advanced and expensive pedicure spa ($13,000!) has not overcome the challenge of time-consuming and labor-intensive cleaning. More recent and widespread cases of pedicure-related infections indicate that efforts to educate consumers, improve pedicure equipment and further regulate nail technicians have not been effective. Therefore, pedicure safety remains a top priority of the California legislature, the Department of Consumer Affairs and the Board of Barbering and Cosmetology. Georgia law is also as strict as California, with the same sanitation policy. (Research Article by Jamie S. of Precision Nail Salon)

The post Why Waterless Manicure & Pedicure? first appeared on Nail Spa Haven.

If you are a client that may be rough on your nails—if you are a picker, I suggest getting in the habit of rubbing MINX into the nail versus rubbing away from the nail which will make it lift. I recommend wearing gloves when gardening or other activates that involves abrasive products. If you do experience lifting at the edge you can scrub with a nail brush under warm water than apply pressure to re-adhere MINX to the nail.

The wear if you are rough on your nails. Please note, you may wear the very top edge (about 1/16th inch). Once the contact area is worn it does not wear further. Minx can be worn from two to twelve days or more on your hands and one to three weeks or more on the your feet, depending on how you use your hands and feet.

The removal of the Minx. You’re going to need a heat source, like a blow dryer. While applying, begin peeling the Minx up from the side of the nails, not the free edges.

The post Maintaining Your Minx first appeared on Nail Spa Haven.

Listen to your Haven Care Professional. Carefully follow the recommendations for at-home care. If you have weak, brittle nails and a nail strengthener is recommended for at home use, follow the instructions. If your nails have ridges use the recommended ridge filler.

Treat your nails with care; Wear gloves when gardening or exposing your hands to water for extended periods of time. Do not use your nails as tools. Use a soda can opener for pop-tops, for example.

Use topcoat to help nail polish last; Chipping nail polish seems to be chronic problems for my clients. Solve the dilemma by applying a layer of topcoat 24 hours after your service and to the free edge every couple of days. That should double the duration of your manicure and keep your nails looking shiny and new.

Mend a chipped nail: So you’ve applied topcoat, but you still managed to chip a nail. What to do? Using your fingertip, dab a small amount of polish remover on the affected area and lightly smooth it over. Re-coat with polish and topcoat.

Keep your hands well hydrated. It’s important to keep your nails looking great; your hands are important, too. Use a cream or lotion daily to keep them hydrated and smooth. If you’re often outdoors, use a lotion with an SPF of at least 15.

Remember to nourish the cuticles; Use cuticle oil or treatment religiously. It keeps cuticles supple and moisturize and helps keep pesky hangnails and dry skin at bay. Gently push back cuticles with an orange wood stick, washcloth, or the ball of your finger, not with the free edge of your nail.

File your nails with care. What do you do if you snag or break a nail? Carefully file away. Always use a fine-grit file, which can range from 240-400 grit, and gently file in one direction. Never file nails in a back-and-forth motion, as this can cause your nails to fray and split. I can even provide you with a home repair kit if one is needed.

Leave it to Haven. A slightly chipped or snagged nail can easily be mended by filing the nail. But if you have a bigger problem such as a split nail, don’t attempt to fix it yourself. Call me and schedule an appointment to get it fixed.

Allergic reactions to nail products, though not very common, can occur. It’s important to be able to detect if you have one. Allergic reactions are characterized by redness, itching, swelling around the nails, or irritation around the eyes and mouth. Call me if you develop any of these symptoms, and be sure to get checked out by a medical professional.

The post Manicure Treatment Aftercare Advice first appeared on Nail Spa Haven.

On Vacation. Just a reminder that when you’re heading off to somewhere warm where you’ll be taking long, romantic walks on the beach, don’t forget to pack your Top Coat! Beach sand, although a good exfoliator for the bottoms of your feet, also works away at your top coat and/or any nail art you may be wearing. After your shower when your tootsies are dry, apply a fresh coat of Top Coat to keep them looking fabulous.

Mend a chipped nail. So you’ve applied topcoat, but you still managed to chip a nail. What to do? Using your fingertip, dab a small amount of polish remover on the affected area and lightly smooth it over. Re-coat with polish and Top Coat.

Keep your feet well hydrated. It’s important to keep your feet looking great, but your soles are important, too. Use a cream or lotion daily to keep them hydrated and smooth. If you’re often outdoors, use a lotion with an SPF of at least 15. Shea or Cocoa Butter cream is the best as it melts right in to the pores of the feet and by wearing 100% cotton socks, it’ll help to keep your feet hydrated and soft.

Remember to nourish your cuticles. Use cuticle oil or treatment religiously. It keeps your cuticles supple and moisturize and helps keep pesky hangnails and dry skin from occurring.  Gently push back cuticles with an orange wood stick, washcloth, or the ball of your finger, not with the free edge of your nail.

Buff the soles of the feet with a medium to fine foot file or pumice stone, at least two to three times a week to help keep calluses down and your skin on the soles soft.

The post Pedicure Treatment Aftercare Advice first appeared on Nail Spa Haven.

BEFORE TREATMENT

1. Shower or bathe 3 hours before your wax treatment.
2. Trim hair for bikini or Brazilian wax- it should be the length of an eye lash.
3. Exfoliate 24 hours before your treatment with exfoliating glove.

AFTER TREATMENT

1. DO NOT TOUCH freshly wax area with hands. The nails are a bed of bacteria. This could cause the skin to break out after the waxing service.
2. Soaps, perfumes, or make-up should not be applied for at 12 hours after a waxing service. Use only Satin Cool or Satin Hydrate, you may use AD ointment or pure aloe gel if skin is irritated.
3. NO tanning beds or natural sun for 24 hours before waxing and 24 hour after waxing.
4. You may apply ice to any area that has been waxed if inflammation has occurred.
5. Avoid hot compress or hot showers for 24 hours after any facial /body waxing.
6. Wait 24 hours before using other hair removal products on skin.
7. NO scrubbing of the waxed area for 24 hours.
8. Moisturize your skin daily.
9. May exfoliate 48 hours after waxing sugar scrub.
10. Use a soft loofa sponge 1 to 2 times a week to exfoliate dead skin cells.
11. Drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water daily.

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