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Compiled by Kristina J. Fitzhugh
As part of my goal to not only provide my readers with the best spa related travel information I can find, but also to educate and inform you as to the latest and most beneficial spa and spa related treatments, I am often asked for recommendations to spas giving "the best manicure" or spas offering specials on manicure and pedicure treatments. As part of my newsletter's "Spa at Home" feature, I am also regularly asked to profile home manicure treatments. I've only answered a manicure-related question a few times, most recently when a reader asked me to explain the origin of a French manicure and a recommendation for the best at-home French manicure kit. The request corresponded with my focus on French Vichy spa treatments, so I included the manicure information as part of my themed newsletter. I provided the historical information, however, I was reluctant to recommend a home manicure kit because I have never found a home manicure kit I personally would recommend to anyone. My opinion changed recently when I met Donna Taras, co-founder of NAILBUFFS by Taras, was given NAILBUFFS by TARAS to evaluate, and learned from Donna a wealth of information not only about the NAILBUFFS system, but information regarding natural nail care and healthy manicure concepts. The education I received as a result of Donna's vast experience in the field, and my own independent research, makes it easy for me to recommend NAILBUFFS as simply the best manicure you can ask for. Donna Taras, and her sister and partner, Royce Taras, developed NAILBUFFS between 1978 and 1981. Rather than being simply another manicure system designed to present the nails as colorful works of art or to artificially enhance the appearance of nails, NAILBUFFS was created as a system of total nail care. The unique tools and products in the NAILBUFFS system, when used properly, will help your nails outshine nails with polish, naturally, by replacing and maintaining the critical oil/moisture balance within the structure of nails (both layers and fibers), thereby preventing nails from splitting, peeling or layering. Those common complaints are almost always the direct result of manicures and nail treatments which rely on chemical and artificial ingredients, including the worst offenders, nail polish and nail polish remover. Early in the development of NAILBUFFS, Donna and Royce offered and sold their product exclusively in fine department stores, including Bloomingdale's, where it has developed a popular and loyal following, without a single return having been made in nearly twenty years. I admit I am biased against salon manicures and quite reluctant to get them, especially on any kind of regular basis. Personally, I find it difficult to wear nail polish for any length of time because I feel as if my fingernails are suffocating or not getting enough "air." I also happen to find it distracting to look down at 10 spots of brilliant color all day, but the suffocation feeling has always been my chief concern. Call it a quirk, a phobia, or just plain nuttiness, but I once overhead a bank teller explain to a customer with long faux nails that she could never wear them as she'd "feel like her hands were out of oxygen." I knew exactly what she meant and thought there was, at least, one other nutcase in the world besides me. Still, there were special occasions where I wanted more glamorous, beautiful, sculptured nails -- and I got them. However, within days I'd pick, worry, and loosen the faux nail and remove it. If it was just polish, it would be peeled off, nail by nail. "I can breath now," I'd think. Always a waste of money for such a brief period of glamour. In retrospect, the fact I could never leave artificial nails or polish on my nails for any length of time greatly protected the health of my nails, as I came to learn. For those of you, however, that have recently removed faux nails after extended wear, Donna warns that the worst possible thing to do is to apply nail polish to the nail, either to hide the damage or to "strengthen" it. Her recommendation is a warm olive oil soaks for several days and then nothing but NAILBUFFS to restore nail strength and health. The more I learned about nail health, the more I realized my body was simply telling me to avoid what is essentially an unhealthy practice. In researching better and more healthful manicure treatments, I discovered NAILBUFFS, which is a really marvelous manicure system that is natural, healthy, nonabrasive and far superior to any faux nail treatment I've ever received, or ever seen on anyone. Indeed, I took my NAILBUFFS kit into my office one week, and offered to give a manicure to a secretary who was quite fond of her salon nails. "Come in without polish tomorrow" I instructed. She did, and within a few minutes (using first a microsmoother, then a snow stone, followed by application of a buffing compound and then buffing), I'd completely manicured ONE nail on her hand, leaving the others void of any polish or treatment. "Now look at your hands" I instructed her. She was instantly impressed "It's so SHINY" she exclaimed. "Even more than nail polish and there is nothing on my nails." I explained that the NAILBUFFS system completely, naturally, and healthfully, restores the oil / moisture balance in her nail in mere seconds. It felt and looked like a smooth glass mirror. I left the kit with her to do her remaining nails. Within days, the kit had made the rounds of the office before being returned to me, with requests from everyone who tried it, for instructions on how and where to buy this product. One secretary manicured her nails with NAILBUFFS and attended her college class that night, showing her hands off to another student. "Look, they look polished and they aren't!" I know what some of you are saying to yourselves. Give up your faux nails? Never, you say. Give up beautiful coordinate shades of nail color? Never, you say. My response is simple. Don't say you'll give them up. Just consider adopting NAILBUFFS as your day-to-day nail care system, reserving faux nail and color treatments for rare special occasions, and then only if your nails have been buffed and cared for with NAILBUFFS. Soon you'll come to appreciate your NAILBUFFS nails much more than you ever did your salon nails. But, for the die hard color fanatics, NAILBUFFS will completely protect your nails by buffing a tough, protective shield of shine on nails that will put a natural barrier between the yellowing caused by the pigments in nail polish and the chemical damage caused by the harsh and toxic chemicals in both nail polish and remover. Nail polish removers are detrimental to nail health because any kind of remover, acetone or not, they strip and leech the nail of its healthy oil/moisture balance. The oil/moisture balance within the structure of your nails is what prevents nail layers from separating, thereby splitting, peeling and layering. If you're with me thus far, indulge me while I share some basic fingernail health facts and attempt to persuade those of you addicted to salon or home manicures (particularly those involving faux nails and color treatments), to try NAILBUFFS. This is not an advertisement for a product, it's simply an endorsement for the benefit of our readers, to introduce you one product that does it all, and naturally. An incomparable system that promises, and consistently provides, absolutely beautiful, natural, healthy fingernails to everyone, men and women, young or old, regardless of skin tone. Even (perhaps especially) to those of you who think your nails are hopeless and can only be seen in public if painted or covered to hide their dismal condition. Most men and women probably don't give much thought to nail health. Some people treat their nails as accessories, while others either use them as tools, or bite or chew them. Fingernails are a far more interesting and complex part of the human body than many of us realize. Fingernails are mirrors of the general health of the body and are often checked by medical personnel during both routine and emergency examination. For that reason, you should NEVER attend a physical examination of any kind with faux fingernails or polished nails -- they mask vital clues to your health, including disorders such as asthma, emphysema or heart disease, improper nutrition and stress. Finger and toenails are a part of your skin -- made of the same protein and keratin as your skin and hair. Nails are composed of the hardest keratin, and are one of the body's strongest tissues. If you want attractive and healthy nails, you must treat them as carefully as you treat your skin and hair. Consider how harsh chemicals, dyes, and permanent solutions negatively affect the condition of your hair and skin. So it goes with your nails. Manicure treatments that focus on faux nails and fingernail polish needlessly and harmfully coat your nails with the harshest of substances -- and you have paid for the damage. Consider the following: Healthy fingernails should be smooth, shiny, and a translucent pink tone. Look at the nails of a child and understand your nails should look no differently. Systematic problems in the body will show in the nails as nail disorders or poor nail growth. Nails grow an average of one-tenth of an inch a month. Approximately six months from cuticle to tip. A nail consists of several parts - the nail plate (the visible part of the nail consisting of several layers), the nail bed (the skin beneath the nail plate), the cuticle (the tissue that overlaps the plate and rims the base of the nail), the nail folds (the skin folds that frame and support the nail on three sides), the lunula (the whitish half-moon at the base of the nail) and the matrix (the hidden part of the nail unit under the cuticle). Fingernails grow from the matrix. Nail cells here are soft and gel like, and any trauma to this area will cause a vertical ridge across the nail in the new nail growth. As new cells grow in the matrix, the older cells are pushed out, compacted and take on the familiar flattened, hardened form of the fingernail. Nails are permeable, which means they absorb liquids on contact. Nails typically grow faster on your dominant hand. Nails typically grow faster in the summer than in winter. Green Lifestyler's (those who choose a healthy eco-conscious lifestyle) care a lot about what they put on their body, and hence, they choose healthy, organic cosmetics and soaps. Researchers say our skin is an organ that absorbs 60 percent of what’s put on it, so that’s reason enough to choose nutritious skin products. You may consider yourself quite selective about what you eat and what you wear, and yet apply toxic fingernail polish for vanity reasons. Faux nails, polish, removers and other substances are toxic substances applied directly to a porous surface, and absorbed by the body. Gelatin, often hailed to strengthen nails, is ineffectual as it does not actually contain the proper mixture of amino acids, protein, or vitamins and minerals essential for nail growth. You're wasting your time and money on what is arguably very slow, if any, progress. A vicious cycle is created when you receive or give yourselves manicures utilizing faux nails, polish and nail polish remover. Chemical damage and moisture stripping, caused specifically by nail polish remover, occurs to a degree with even a single application. Your nails will weaken and continue to deteriorate with each use, and as they do, you are less and less pleased with both the overall health and the appearance of your nails. So you go back to the salon, and continue to damage and weaken your nails, or decide that you now need so- called hardeners or strengtheners, which only further perpetuate decline in nail health. As Donna points out, the color of your nail tips is a wonderful barometer of nail polish, remover, strengthener and hardener or other chemical damage. "The whiter and more opaque your nail tips are," she explained, "the less oil and moisture remain within the structure of your nails. White, opaque nail tips are an indication off severely dry, damaged nails. Healthy nails exhibit strength, resiliency and transparency." NAILBUFFS receives countless letters, many of which I've seen and read myself, from satisfied customers exclaiming that their nails were in such a state of disrepair as to be embarrassing to look at in their natural state. The very self-esteem and feeling of attractiveness, which prompts us to manicure our nails with faux and color treatments, ends up damaging our nails, often leaving us feeling LESS attractive or unnecessarily self-conscious. Attractive, well-groomed nails are an integral part of our overall appearance. In fact, the sign of a well-groomed man throughout the early part of the century was his well-buffed fingernails, a practice that has fallen out of popularity due to the shifting focus of the nail care industry to the then new, and burgeoning, highly profitable product called nail polish that was emerging on the fashion scene and more recently, especially in the eighties and nineties, of the nail care industry, once again, focusing on the highly profitable acrylic nails, accessories, products, and other artificial nail processes for women. More recently, however, there has been a shift to a clean, well-groomed, natural, healthy and even shorter nail. One quarter inch short, to be exact. Birdlike talons and bright color are no longer considered fashionable and more and more models, actresses and entertainers are choosing to let their nails go "au natural." This new "fashionable nail" can be observed in any current fashion magazine since 2000. In fact, the nail cosmetics is a booming industry with more than $6 billion spent annually on nail cosmetic salon services in the United States alone. While most nail cosmetics are generally safe, there are some instances where nail cosmetics can cause problems and be harmful to nails if left untreated. In fact, consider the medical personnel are governed by strict guidelines which prohibit them from wearing these products when treating us: The Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology recommends that nails be kept short and that the hands, including the nails and surrounding tissue, be free of inflammation. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that nails be kept short and that surgical team members not wear artificial nails. A draft of the CDC’s new guideline on hand hygiene says healthcare workers should not wear artificial fingernails. The guideline states that healthcare workers should not wear artificial nails or nail extenders when providing patient care. The Association of Operating Room Nurses recommends that surgical personnel not wear artificial nails. An investigation into the deaths of 16 infants in the neonatal intensive care unit of an Oklahoma City hospital revealed that the bacteria found under the artificial nails and specifically chipped nail polish worn by nurses might have contributed to their deaths. Nurses with artificial nails have more harmful bacteria and yeast on their hands than nurses with natural nails. This is true even after washing with soap and water or antibacterial gel, according to researchers at he University of Michigan and Veterans Affairs Health Center in Ann Arbor. Most healthy people can be exposed to these bacteria without getting sick, but the germs could cause serious health problems for hospital patients with open wounds, intravenous lines, or compromised immune systems (Better Homes and Gardens, July 2000). Speaking at Academy 2000, the American Academy of Dermatology’s Summer scientific meeting in Nashville, dermatologist Phoebe Rich, M.D, Clinical Associate Professor of Dermatology, Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland, Ore., discussed the common problems associated with nail cosmetics and tips to treat them. "Basically, problems from nail cosmetics can be divided into four general categories - allergic reactions to nail cosmetic ingredients, irritant reactions, traumatic factors, and infectious conditions," explained Dr. Rich. "In many cases, once the problem is identified it can be easily treated." Ms. Taras ads that, " in many cases, problems such as bacterial or fungal infections, are not easily treated. Treatments often take months, are expensive and not always effective." She further advises. "It's just not worth the risk." Allergic reactions are the most common complication from nail cosmetics. These reactions occur when the skin becomes allergic to an ingredient in the product and subsequently the consumer develops symptoms of itching, burning and tenderness of the nail bed, cuticle area, and areas of the face and neck. The most common allergens in nail cosmetics are methacrylate (MMA) compounds in acrylic nails, toluene sulfonamide formaldehyde resin in nail lacquers, and formaldehyde in some nail hardeners. "Although the liquid form of MMA that is used in acrylic nails has been banned by 23 states and the FDA has issued warnings about its hazards, the substance is still being used in some discount salons because it costs so much less than the safer acrylate alternatives such as ethylmethacrylate," warned Dr. Rich. "MMA is a highly allergenic substance that can cause an allergic reaction so severe that the entire nail can be lost. In addition, nail enhancements containing MMA are much harder, making them more difficult to file and remove." An irritant reaction from nail cosmetics occurs when the hands and nails are exposed to irritating substances such as chemical solvents. While nail polish remover is the most common cause of irritant reactions, detergents and even water can cause chapped skin and dry, peeling nails. Irritant reactions include loss of the cuticle - allowing bacteria and fungus to invade the space around the nails - and brittle nails that break, peel and chip. Donna also advised me that antibacterial soaps and related products containing the chemical called Triclosan are also to be avoided, as they can be very irritating and drying to both nails and skin, sometimes even causing loss of feeling in fingertips. Triclosan is categorized by the FDA, as a pesticide with high risk to human and environmental health, and suspect in the creation of antibiotic resistant bacteria. The use of sharp instruments during a manicure can result in traumatic nail problems, as the cuticle is often clipped or removed with small nippers or metal scrapers. The cuticle serves an important function in protecting the nail from organisms, and when it is removed there is a space where bacteria and fungus can enter. "Electric drills that are often used to remove acrylic nails can be quite dangerous to the nail," cautioned Dr. Rich. "I have seen some cases where these drills actually thin the nail plate or accidentally drill right through the nail plate, resulting in injury to the underlying nail bed." Perhaps the most serious health risk related to nail cosmetics is the threat of contracting an infection from manicure tools and instruments that have not been properly sterilized. Viral infections such as HIV, hepatitis B and C and warts can be transmitted to unsuspecting consumers from improperly sterilized instruments. Dr. Rich recommends the following tips to all consumers who are using nail cosmetics: Keep nail enhancements short; long nails act like a lever and can transmit force to the nail bed. Don’t let your nail technician cut your cuticle. Purchase your own nail instruments, especially files that are not easily sterilized. If you have any burning, stinging or itching after a nail treatment, it may signal an allergic reaction to one of the products used on your nails see your dermatologist. If you suspect that MMA is being using in your salon, report it to the state board. Some clues that MMA is in your product are a very strong odor, nail enhancements that are particularly hard and difficult to file, and enhancements that don’t soak off easily. So now that we've shared this dismal but compelling information, how does a manicure, the NAILBUFFS way, work? Each time you indulge in a manicure of faux nails, or apply layers of nail polish to the living cells in your fingernails, you are killing vital nail cells and robbing those cells of essential oils and moisture that result in splitting, peeling, layering, weak and brittle nails which can take weeks and months to strengthen and regenerate themselves. Every time you use a traditional emery board or steel file to shape and file your nails, you are fraying delicate layers and fibers. One reason I am personally sold on NAILBUFFS is simple -- the NAILBUFFS System gives everyone I demonstrated the product on, no matter what stage of nail health they exhibit, instant, dramatic, results that brought about exclamations of amazement. The astonishing improvement you will see will only encourage you to continue to buff your nails and naturally nurse them back to maximum health and well being. NAILBUFFS will ultimately provide you with the most attractive and well-groomed nails you've ever had -- Spa/Salon perfect! Keep in mind too that because NAILBUFFS is so simple to use, it can be used anytime, anywhere. NAILBUFFS is the only nail buffing system available that uniquely restores the natural and essential oil and moisture balance within the structure of abused and chemically damaged nails. NAILBUFFS guarantees that your nails will stop peeling; splitting and layering forever, no matter what condition they are in when you begin. The natural, non-abrasive buffing formula results in a glow that both outshines and outlives ordinary fingernail polish -- and looks superb on both women and men, young or old, regardless of skin tone. The unique combination of the finest ingredients, moisturizers, conditioners, essential oils, vitamins, antioxidants, protein and keratin, to name a few, restores and protects your nails, and counteracts damage inflicted by toxic nail polish, removers, faux nails, base coats, top coats, so-called strengtheners and hardeners or just simple every day abuse, naturally! You will be nothing less than amazed by the transformation resulting from using NAILBUFFS. After having several delightful and informative discussions with Donna Taras, co-developer of NAILBUFFS, I was walked through this simple nail buffing process utilizing their remarkable system. Donna graciously provided me with a NAILBUFFS Essential Kit in order to test drive her product and profile it to my readers. My kit included: NAILBUFFS Natural Buffing Formula. A gentle, non-abrasive buffing formula that restores the natural essential oils and moisture balance to the nail, conditioning the nail, restoring the nail, and counteracting damage done to the nails by nail polish, removers, so-called strengtheners and hardeners, glue, and faux nails. All this for less than the price of ONE faux nail treatment. A light stroke of the buffing formula is applied to each nail, and then briskly buffed into your nails by the chamois buffer. NAILBUFFS Chamois Buffer. A professional, easy to hold, handled buffer, with a cushioned inner core to absorb friction, stimulate circulation and make buffing effortless. The final touch to your manicure is to apply even, steady pressure against your nails, keeping the chamois buffer in constant contact with your nail and not lifting buffer from nail surfaces, buff briskly back and forth. As you finish each nail, you will see a gleaming, newly healthy nail that outshines any clear fingernail polish. NAILBUFFS Micro-Smoother Designed to remove nail ridges, yellowing, surface scratches, and imperfections. Used twice a month or if a nail should become scratched, the Micro-Smoother acts as a gentle nail scrub, smoothing away damaged, dead, and soiled nail cells from all nail surfaces (including my toes!). The smoother quickly and painlessly exposes a clean, fresh layer of nail without weakening the nail. NAILBUFFS Snow-Stone. A smooth and cool to the touch high quality stone file for filing and shaping the ends of your nail to the desired shape, and sealing peeling, fraying, damaged nail fibers. The Snow-Stone is unlike any emery board or nail file you will ever use. Microscopic examination of your nail tip after use of an emery board will show torn nail fibers that will only damage and weaken the nail. Use as needed to file and shape nails. The Snow-Stone leaves a smooth, sealed edge that prevents further chipping, splitting, peeling or layering. The side of the Snow-Stone is of a pumice grade and will smooth dry skin on the sides of your nails preventing painful splits and cracks in your skin. In addition to the employees at my office, I also tried NAILBUFFS on my two brothers. They marveled at the natural, brilliant shine of a clean, healthy looking nail with a surface like a mirror. NAILBUFFS not only makes nails look impeccably clean and well groomed, but will reduce bacteria colony counts on nail surfaces making it an invaluable nail buffing system for anyone in the medical profession. For those of you who, after consultation with Donna Taras via telephone or email (as an aside, the customer service which accompanies this product is excellent), feel a more intensive treatment is required, NAILBUFFS also offers Deep Therapy Cuticle and Nail Formula, and Deep Damage Formula Nail Oil, which penetrates all severely damaged nail layers, delivering immediate, results to moisture starved nails. Having previously tried the nail buffing tools sold in drugstores and salons (i.e., a three sided tool, including a file and two stages of a buffer), I can say that the difference between these simple tools and the NAILBUFFS system is dramatic -- the drugstore tools do NOT restore moisture or essential oils as the NAILBUFFS system does, they are too abrasive (removing too much of the nail's surface), and require much more exertion to produce a shine than does the NAILBUFFS system. Throw it out, and try NAILBUFFS instead. Although the NAILBUFFS shine lasts for days, the Natural Buffing Formula must be applied a minimum of twice a week to achieve maximum nail health, strength and well-being. However, because NAILBUFFS is nonabrasive, and gentle to your nails, you may buff as often as you wish. The more you buff, the more you shine, and no matter what shape your nails are in to start with. If you are not a polish wearer and prefer a natural look you will love NAILBUFFS, as it will simply improve and enhance dull nails. NAILBUFFS is as natural as it gets, only better. For those of you, however, who enjoy the pampering of a salon manicure, you can simply introduce your nail tech to the NAILBUFFS system and request that they offer this healthy, natural approach to nail care to their clientele. In fact, the NAILBUFFS System is growing in its popularity with Spas, who until NAILBUFFS, did not have the best, natural alternative to traditional nail care, which is being asked for more and more. NAILBUFFS is presently offered at the Canyon Ranch In The Berkshires Spa in Lenox, MA, A Victorian Sentiment in Somers, CT, and Panache Nail & Co. Day Spa in Phoenix, Arizona, and will be offered soon at more Spas worldwide. If you are fortunate enough to live close by to one of these three facilities, we encourage you to book an appointment at one of them to request a NAILBUFFS manicure. If you are a Spa facility and you wish to offer the NAILBUFFS System, wholesale spa pricing is available on the SPA NAILBUFFS page, on the NAILBUFFS web site. NAILBUFFS is also available retail and wholesale online directly from NAILBUFFS by visiting www.nailbuffs.com, or by emailing Donna Taras at Donna@nailbuffs.com. The NAILBUFFS website has shopping cart capability, or Donna will be happy to assist you with your order, personally answering any of your questions about your nail problems and about her wonderful products.
Portions of this article regarding nail health in the medical profession were reprinted from Better Homes and Gardens, July 2000
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