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How to avoid staining your nails (and fix them when you do)

08 November 2019 | Leigh van den Berg

Unintentionally yellow nails are anything but cute. We’re rounding up the best products for preventing stains and sharing tips for removing ones you already have.

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We’ve all been there. You’re in a rush to get out of the house so you slick on a coat of red nail polish without a base coat. The next thing you know, you’re sitting with stained nails. Annoyingly, wearing dark nail polish isn’t the only way to stain your fingernails. 

Prevention is best 

When it comes to stain prevention, a good base coat is your first line of defence. It helps create a barrier between your nails and the coloured polish and, as it gives your colour something to cling to, will help extend the life of your manicure. To be doubly safe, always apply two slicks of a base coat and wait for it to dry before applying your colour. If you paint on your colour before the base is dry, the former can wipe away the latter.

You’d think that the darker the nail polish, the more likely it is to cause staining, but this isn’t always the case. Formulations of any colour that contain formaldehyde, a common nail polish ingredient, can interact with your nail’s keratin, turning it yellow and brittle. For this reason, make a point of choosing formaldehyde-free brands such as all of those you’ll find at Clicks.

A fast fix 

If you’ve stained your nails, all is not lost. Your first step is to whip out a buffing block and gently buff each nail to remove the uppermost layers that are holding on to the most colour. This should lighten up your nails considerably but if your stain runs deep, it might not remove it fully. In this case, do not keep buffing or you’ll damage your nail beds. 

Your next move to lighten up involves creating a stain-blitzing paste consisting of one teaspoon of hydrogen peroxide with two and a half tablespoons of baking soda. Use a soft-bristled toothbrush to give each nail a gentle scrub and you’ll see them lighten up before your eyes. While this home remedy works wonders, it can dry out your nails, so be sure to apply a generous layer of cuticle oil to your entire nail bed when you’re done. Et voilà!  

 

IMAGE CREDIT: 123rf.com

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