Have you tried olive oil on your nails. I use it often and keeps my cuticles, and nails from splitting

Thanks, I'll try it.

Setting aside illness, part of the brittle/peeling nail problem is menopause, part is heredity and part is environmental.

I use olive oil too- all over myself- or apricot, walnut, avocado…. I buy those at GNC or health food stores. Less expensive than lotions or creams and no chemicals. Particularly good applied after a shower- it soaks right in.

Menopause lessens our ability to retain water- so we have to remember to keep hydrated- that affects our nails too, although we may not realize it.

Many cleaning products, detergents, shampoos, shower gels, have harsher chemicals in them than we may know. They can affect your nail beds.

I have long steered away from ingredients such as Sodium Hydroxide and Sodium Laurel Sulfate/ Sodium Laureth Sulfate.
Do your legs itch the day after shaving? Does your scalp itch? It may well be the product…. there is very little true dandruff- it is more a reaction to what is put on the scalp.

Acetone polish remover is often a culprit- fast working, but too harsh for those with delicate nails. Follow that with an alcohol spray (which many salons do) or a soak in detergent water and you have stripped the mantle of your nail.
I wish they would use witch hazel.

I do my own mani/pedi. I use ONLY non-acetone polish remover and regular polish- not gel. Non-acetone takes a little longer to remove regular polish, but is much safer. I wash it off with olive oil based soap and follow with witch hazel before re-polishing.
As some may know, i had my own salon for many years. That's how I had my manicurists do it.

If the nails are compromised, a good product to seal them while they grow is
Duri Rejuvacote. We carried it in the salon- it is available online.
:wave:

Does anyone know if there is a salon in the area that sells Sebastian hair products. I use Sebastian Volupt shampoo and cream rinse, as well as their Volupt volume building spray before blow drying. I sometimes use Sebastian Mousse Forte and one of their hairsprays called Shaper.

Yes. That's a lot of product. But the sizes are reasonable so they last a long time. Even though the products do have salon prices, I find them to be a bit less expensive than some other salon lines.

Sebastian, I am pretty sure, is a part of Wella which is a part of Procter and Gamble. But not every Wella salon carries Sebastian in their product line.

Sebastian works better for me than anything else I have found when trying to get extra volume.

I can schlep the stuff from back home but it would be nice to find it here.

PS: (In case anybody is wondering) Yes. My hair still moves. That is another reason I really like these products. :)

I love these products too and have not found them in my TV stomping grounds. So I've taken to mail-ordering them. Google "Sebastian free shipping." Is it Sebastian, or Sebastien?

Or maybe someone here will know.

I just looked at the hairspray can. It is Sebastian.

And now I am going to the pool to fry it all. (It is a vicious cycle. But I guess I am doing my part for a segment of the economy.)

Bare, after reading this article, you might want to think twice about it. Yikes!
Tattoo ink poisoning Americans - NaturalNews.com

I knew that some tattoos would cause problems if you needed an MRI, but I didn't know about the ink migrating to your lymph nodes.

A question for those who have had eye brow permanent makeup or tatooed eye brow.
What important information should I have before haveing the procedure.?

Check with your local manicurist. She might know of some product that will work. Embalming fluid is what I used when I was younger (dated a funeral director). Makes them very hard. Oils will soften your nails. I have a bath & beauty product company and have done much research on the subject. BTW, the best oil for your skin is a light one, like jojoba oil, or sweet almond. Stay away from olive oil. Shea butter for your feet.

Stay away from olive oil? Oh my gosh, Why?
It is a natural antioxidant.
In addition, the vitamin E (olive oil has it!) can also absorb the energy from ultraviolet (UV) light. Thus, it plays important roles in photoprotection, preventing UV-induced free radical damage to skin.

I use a water soluble form of Olive oil to cleanse my face. Exclusively. I have used a refined virgin olive oil as my face moisturizer- twice a day- exclusively for over 8 years. I regularly apply my cosmetics (eye makeup, etc.) over the moisturizer- no problem-o.
My skin still looks pretty darn good, being the old Bat that I am.
I buy these products online at DHC. I have mentioned that source here in previous posts. These products have no odor.

I use regular olive oil (the food grade) for the rest of my body- and often use other seed or nut oils as an alternative. They are natural- have no preservatives and very much agree with my skin. Used appropriately, I am not an oily mess. Nor are my clothes, towels or sheets.

Shea butter for feet? Better put socks on afterward or you will leave footprints everywhere in your house- I found that the REAL stuff is lumpy, greasy, does NOT penetrate and has a distinctive odor that is, to me, musty. I found it more trouble than it was worth- and the pure stuff is not inexpensive.

Embalming fluid for Nails? Back when I was a teenager, there was a liquid, brush on product sold for nails that did indeed contain formaldehyde. Embalming fluid. That was some scary stuff, in my opinion. Pickled nails may be hard, but can't be healthy. If you had some cracks or splits in your cuticle, that liquid penetrated into your body. With repeated use the surface skin of the cuticle died.

Well, I was young and stupid. I no longer use embalming fluid. Olive oil is a heavier oil, ideal for soap making, but not the best oil to apply directly to your skin. It doesn't allow your skin to breathe as well as, say, Hazelnut oil, which is what I use in my facial moisturizer. I never use shea butter straight either, but people who don't want to buy extra ingredients do--and use socks. I whip shea butter with other products to cut down on the grease and it makes a great body butter. And many quality oils contain vitamin E, or you can buy vitamin E and add it to your concoctions, so you don't have to buy olive oil. Probably the best oil available just at a grocery store would be extra virgin coconut oil. Check out my website, Home | timeout4me, where I blog about ingredients. I also send out a monthly newsletter with DIY recipes. And I'm sure your skin looks great. Half the battle is not ignoring your skin.

Uptown Girl and Druann ...

You both sound very knowledgeable. Do you have any suggestions for a good non comedogenic moisturer?

Here is the link to the one I make, with a choice of preservative or no preservative. It makes your face feel baby smooth. I tried many recipes before I tweaked this one to my satisfaction. My customers love it.

Aloe Vera & Green Tea Moisturizer | timeout4me

Bare,
I don't have any products to sell- so I have no horse in this race. I am sure Druann has wonderful products she has formulated, is proud of and has had great success with.

Here's what I do with the DHC olive oil: (DHC is a Japanese company, by the way- I have no affiliation)

I use one squirt of the cleanser on my fingers, rub it all over my face and neck, then rinse with warm water and follow with a light scrub of warm, wet washcloth. This olive oil is water-soluble, meaning it WILL rinse off with no problem.
If I am going into the shower, I put the cleanser on and wash it off once I am in there. Just stick my face under the shower head, rub with my hands, then follow with the washcloth.

I pat my face with a towel ( just a bit) then apply one squirt of the olive oil moisturizer, while my face is still dewey- moist. I put it everywhere but my forehead and nose- that does well left alone. This means I put it around my eyes too.

I let it soak in, and when my face is air dry, ( a few moments) I apply my makeup.
I have not had a clogged pore since I began using these two products.

For me- the key is the warm, wet washcloth. I keep a stack of white ones (purchased in a bundle at Costco) and use a fresh one each time I cleanse my face. I have two dozen tucked in my bath cabinet. After use, I wring them out hang them over the edge of my utility laundry tub until dry, then toss them in the laundry.
Yep, I have a little extra laundry because of it- but they give me gentle exfoliation, and using them assures that all traces of makeup and cleanser are gone.

The products are not the cheapest, but each bottle lasts a long time- months. Two bottles under my sink- not a whole slew of things. :)
I can only say I get great results- and I am not easily persuaded.

One more thing- the DHC olive oil moisturizer has improved my eyelashes. :coolsmiley:

I was doing an internet search for info on starting yoga at this point in life when I found a website that kept me reading on not just yoga, but also lots of other topics of interest to women. It was nice to find articles geared to women my age.

The site is sixtyandme.com and it is worth taking a look.

I just looked at the website and I REALLY like it. Finally, a website for golden girls.

I had the worst nails. Worst! They were always breaking and splitting.
So I used nail hardeners. I have them in every color, even plain with sparklies.
Then I read on several medical websites that nails were starving for moisture if they split.
And that the worst thing to do was wear nail hardeners, remove them with nail polish remover and reapply.

They suggested a simple solution - every time you wash your hands, you MUST also cream them. Every time.
So I did this for a couple of weeks, no change.
I did it for a month, my nails started to improve.

I've now been doing it for three months.
Wow, what a difference. My nails are long and strong and luscious.
Try it, you will NOT be disappointed!

My nails are thin and brittle and except for when I was taking prenatal vitamins a million years ago, have always been like this. I wash my hands a zillion times a day it seems. Maybe I will have to start keeping a bottle of lotion next to each sink and trying this. If not only for the cosmetics of it all, then because it makes me crazy that they chip and I am always having to reach for a file, and I mean ALWAYS. Very annoying. Thanks for the tip.

I didn't realize at all that my nails were starving for moisture.
I hardly ever used hand cream .. Just couldn't be bothered.
Now I keep hand cream everywhere .. By each sink, in my car, in my bag, I am always moisturizing.
I would not have believed the difference it makes!
I cannot remember my nails ever being strong and healthy.
Good luck, I hope it works for you.

Okay, I have a question. Since you're having to moisturize constantly, does that mean you cannot use polish on your nails? I am confused, because using polish on your nails means you have to use nail polish remover. So if I want my nails to become stronger and not split, does that mean they will never have nail polish on them?

I had the same question as CFrance. I assume you use the cream on bare nails?

Yes. If you want strong nails, polish and nail polish remover are NOT your friends.
Because you are moisturizing the whole nail bed, not just the top of the nail.
It did take me two or three months to get from weak, splitting nails to strong healthy nails. Patience is required!
I honestly thought I was just genetically programmed to go through life with weak nails.
Occasionally, if I want my nails to look pretty, I take an old toothbrush and scrub my nails with lemon juice mixed with salt.
It makes the white parts really white. And then I make sure to moisturize again.
It makes my nails look like "pink and whites" that I used to get with gel nails.
If I wanted to wear nail polish, I probably could, if I made sure I removed it and then kept moisturizing.
But I find now I want things in my life to be simple.

Does anyone know a hairstylist in TV who can do a shag haircut, short version? (the cut that has been evolving since the 70's) It is still called "the shag" but might have another name, too, now. The secret to getting it right seems to be precision layering. Anybody?

You might want to try Urban Hair in Oxford, over by Bargains and Treasures.
Just south of CR 466. I had really good results from downstairs Whitney.
She is honest and if you give her a call, she'll tell you if she knows how to cut a shag.

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Now I have a hair question......
I bet Uptown Girl or someone out there knows the answer.
I have developed severe allergies to all kinds of hair color. So I've decided to grow out my natural color.
If it were all gray, I would go blonde and let it grow out gradually. But it is about 60% dark and 40% grey. Really awful.
Right now I have it streaked, but you can still notice the grey/dark roots growing out and I hate it.
I don't want to cut it short, which is what a lot of friends have done to aid in the "going grey" process.
Is there any way to tastefully grow out my natural hair color, or am I doomed to look like a bag lady for the next year or two?

Hi Bare-
I faced the same situation. The options aren't great.
There are a few products (I found online) that can help blend the demarcation line, but they are temporary cosmetics- and wash off. One is like a mascara wand- basically for around your face/hairline- one is a shaker of colored fibers- more for the top of your head. If you follow it with a shot of hairspray, it stays put.
I used these when I was still working and had to be in the public eye. It was a pain, but got me through for a time.

When bopping around casually, I wore a low ponytail and a baseball hat.
I wanted to get a wig, but friends and family talked me out of it.

Eventually, I decided to cut my hair into a pixie to get rid of the majority of color. My hair was originally below my shoulders. The pixie was a shock- to myself and to others- and I still had to deal with dark tips, which now looked awful. No way to camouflage the ends.
It took well over a year before I liked my hair again. My hair is now silver-white and I have embraced the look. My husband says he likes it a lot. (My avatar is how I USED to look- a hundred years ago!)


In retrospect- I would get a great looking wig while transitioning to your new natural color. Better yet, I'd get two, to always have a fresh one handy. And I'd keep it my secret.

The secret to a proper shag is not precision layering, but being expert at doing a razor cut.
However, razor cutting is random and can never be repeated exactly. So, the first haircut may be brilliant- but when you go a second time, the stylist is working with 'leftovers'. THAT is where the talent comes in. Unless the stylist can navigate well and circumvent the irregularities, the next shag will fall short of being spectacular.

I would suggest instead, a precision haircut throughout, using a razor cut at the perimeter only- around the neck and face. That will give you the wispy edges (which can easily be reproduced) that you desire. :)
Sorry, I do not have stylist recommendations. I cut my own hair.

I never knew why the second cut always fell short. Thanks for the info.

Barefoot, thank you for the suggestion.

Uptown Girl, thank you for the information. I was not thinking about it being a razor cut. That makes perfect sense.

Even though the shag is alive and well in various forms in pictures I have seen, I don't see it much in real life. I have to think razor cutting takes a lot of experience and artistry in order to do it right. That is interesting about cutting a shag after the first one.

The shag is my favorite haircut ever.

Norma at Cal's Colony store uses a razor. I have a shag and she gives me a great cut. I keep the ears trimmed and go to her about every 4-5 weeks.

LW888

Bare, after having brain surgery and then subsequently having a severe allergic reaction to the drugs they gave me, I was very frightened to put color on my hair but I found a vegetable based color at Whole Foods Market that I used and it seemed to work as far as not increasing the allergic reaction. You may want to look into this while your working through this problem.

I am a bottle redhead. I was also born auburn. No one here seems to know how to cover the white roots without them coming out pink! Oh well, if anyone in the villages sees an old woman running about town with pink and red hair, just say hi.

Have you crossed over from needing only semi-permanent color to needing permanent color?

Semi-permanent color is when they put it all over at the same time and the color gradually fades until next time.

Permanent color is a stronger process. It is a retouch of the roots only, as they grow in.

We can get by with semi-permanent for a long time but one day the white just gets to be too much and will turn pink.

Sometimes, even with a permanent color process, white hair can be particularly resistant to grabbing color. But there are salon products that should work. Wella is one of the best. It has been around for a long time and can work on even the most stubborn white roots. I think it has more pigment than some of the other salon brands.

Please consult with a professional though because I am not one. But I know what you mean. We do not go gently, do we. A good colorist also has to be a good chemist. It's all about the process. Good luck. :)

I agree, Wella is one of the best. In order to cover my gray, they must use a double pigment die, and Wella's is best for me. Urban Hair Salon across from Walmart on Wedgewood uses Wella. A single pigment only mildly covers my gray roots, after which I look two-toned.

(snipped)Uptown Girl, I went here to see about Duri Rejuvacote, and there are many different varieties. Amazon.com: duri nail rejuvacote

Can you tell me what to use?
Thanks!

During the day, I often wear a baseball hat. It's a great solution, but not for going out at night.
Because my hair isn't silver, it's "salt and pepper", I wrongly thought I could grow it out with just a lot of highlights. But the roots are very obvious.
I actually have a wig that I really like a lot. But pinning up my real (shoulder length) hair under a wig with bobby pins and then a "net" is hot and itchy and uncomfortable.
I think the solution is getting my hair cut in a pixie. Did you grow your hair long again after it turned silver?

If I use a lip plumper I get a fever blister. Always.
I think not going gently, not going grey or white, is the best image enhancing practice for us. I don't care how beautiful the natural hair is...dyed is better for us.:spoken:

I agree. Going gray isn't something I want to do at all. But I suddenly developed an extreme allergy to hair color, and I've tried at least five different types at hair salons.
I am so allergic that I want to tear my scalp off when they put on the color, and for three weeks after.
Plus I've always thought it wasn't a really good thing to color hair right next to your brain because some of the bad stuff must be absorbed? (Although it hasn't stopped me in the past).

I've never heard of getting a fever blister from lip plumpers. But then I've never found a lip plumper that actually works either.

sorry
 

Right after I wrote that I had to leave and felt so bad about the know-it-all tone of my post. Of course, all those chemicals we use so close to the brain cannot be good for us. And truthfully, I really do like long, mixed, or grey or white hair....it's kind of whimsical....a little youth, earthy...
Yes, the lip plumper gives me a blister and also those long-lasting lipsticks if I use them several days in a row.

Any chance your lip plumper has been contaminated? Or there is a chemical in it that your body can't tolerate. Try an all-natural product. I make lip stains that have no chemicals or preservatives. If you are interested, check out my website: Home | timeout4me. I hope to get a brick and mortar store when we move to TV, or at bare minimum sell at the Farmer's Markets.

No, I now keep it short - kind of like a tousled boy cut with choppy bangs…. It works best in layers for me (my silver is not uniform) fits my face, and is easy to manage.
I can make it look sophisticated ( for special occasions- like weddings) but mostly do a random piece-y thing for everyday. A little gel or hairspray helps to hold the fullness at the roots…. I use that sometimes.

Since menopause, my hair is less abundant, especially at the temples and crown. So, shorter hair looks like more on me.
I take water aerobics 3 days a week and we ride in our golf car a lot, so with these factors a short haircut, for me, is now the way to go.
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Jeesh- gotta learn how to make these photos smaller! Hope I didn't scare anyone…. HA!