Nail Rehab (Warning: contains graphic ratchet nail content)

Hi fellow nomads,

The time has come to face facts. My nails are in a serious state of disrepair and something needs to be done ASAP. I took off my nail polish recently to discover that hiding under this thin veneer of respectability was a festering mess of discord. They’re peeling, dry and discoloured – thanks to a “manicurist” who assured me that her polishes didn’t need base coats (!).

The situation was so bad that intervention was necessary immediately. I decided to go on a month long polish ban – which I'm now half way through. This may not seem like such a big deal to you, but I am a hardened polish junkie. I wear it every day and my nails feel just plain wrong without it. Maybe that's how they ended up like this...

#nofilter ...

And that’s actually half the reason I'm doing this. I mean, aside from the shocker you see above (sorry about that. I do hope you weren't eating), I really need to get used to not wearing polish every day. It’s not necessary and apparently it’s not healthy. And then there's the fact that I need to let my nails grow out a bit, and see if they stop splitting.

I've looked for explanations as to why my nails are splitting so much and I've encountered conflicting advice. Some say they split due to lack of oxygen passing through the polish to the cuticle – however other sources say that a coat of clear polish will help. Some say that the chemicals in nail polish are the main culprits, others say that it is most likely to be a nutrient deficiency, or frequent submersion of hands in water, or any one of about 17 other reasons.

Well, as a long term sufferer of anaemia and a coeliac with a healing gut, I'm aware it’s fairly likely that I'm deficient in one nutrient or another. But before I march on down to the doctor, I'm going to see if they get better without being lacquered to kingdom come. I'm also going to keep an eye on my diet, and apply hand and cuticle cream religiously.

Who’s with me…?!?

-Rachel