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When your manicure starts to chip, resisting the temptation to pick at it can be next to impossible. Satisfying as it may feel, peeling off your polish is likely to cause damage your nails, especially if you’ve had a gel polish manicure, a salon-only service where the polish is hardened by UV rays. “When you do this, you peel off part of the nail. That’s the worst because the nails become weak and they’re not even. Then, it takes months to get them back to normal,” says Elka Galova, a manicurist at One 2 One Studio in Toronto. “It’s just horrible. Don’t do this – ever.”

The best thing to do is to properly remove your polish as soon as you see signs of wear and tear or take a nail file to where you’ve had a chip or a broken corner to control damage. To help extend the life of your manicure, Galova recommends applying cuticle oil throughout the day, which can be massaged into cuticles and nails themselves. Not only will this promote healthy nail growth, it will keep polish hydrated and flexible, meaning it will be less prone to lifting or chipping. “You need well-maintained and nourished cuticles because when you feel dryness, you start looking there.”

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Tenoverten The Rose Oil.Handout

Tenoverten The Rose Oil, $34 at One 2 One Studio (one2oneonline.com).

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