Our hair and nails are both made of keratin, Dr Stern explains. In the same way our hair can be “over-processed” — dry, damaged, or brittle from colour, heat or chemical treatments — so can our nails. How do our nails become over-processed? According to Dr Stern, stripping chemicals (like acetone, which we’ll get to) and harsh gel polish and removal services can all cause our nails to become over-processed. Like hair, over-processed nails are dry, brittle, breaking and splitting. You’ll probably be able to see and feel it in your nails. “That’s why the ‘burn’ of a UV lamp [known as ‘heat spikes’] happens because the nail has been over-processed, and then it’s more sensitive to light and heat exposure,” explains Dr Stern.
