Does Jamberry Damage Nails?

One of my top posts, one that gets hits almost every week, is my Jamberry review post. When I wrote it, I really didn’t expect it to hang around as long as it did, but it has and the top search is the title of this post.

Does Jamberry damage nails?

First, just a reminder, I’m not a consultant. I was for all of five minutes and quickly went back to being a customer because that’s the role I prefer.

Second, this is my personal blog so really, no one’s paying me to write any of this. I just really like Jamberry to a ridiculous extent.

So – do they damage nails?

Well, the honest answer is, they can. It’s a heat activated adhesive that sticks the wrap to your nail. If you’re hoping to just tear that sucker off, then bad news, yes, you’re going to damage your nails.

Have I damaged my nails? Yes. In pretty much every single case, I was impatient. Rather than take the time to carefully remove my wraps (which, on me, last about two weeks), I’d try to get them off quickly. Inevitably I ended up with some rough looking nails, primarily at the tips where my lack of patience showed. When I took my time, I didn’t damage my nails. Amazing how that works, right?

This is my preferred method for removing nails:

1. Heat. I get my mini heater and I heat the wrap I want to remove.
2. Gentle lift. I work the wrap up, just a little, at the base of my nail near the cuticle.
3. Oil. I like lemon essential oil for this step. I put a drop where the wrap is lifted and continue to apply heat while I carefully work the wrap away from the nail. If I feel resistance, I add a drop or two more as needed.
4. More heat. I don’t hold my finger right up on the heater, but close enough that I feel it without burning.

Once I’ve removed all my wraps, I’ll use some acetone to clean off any sticky residue and then maybe massage in some cuticle oil. Using this method I haven’t damaged my nails. You could use acetone instead of oil. I prefer the oil because I have dry skin and it’s a little nicer to me.

Moral of the story: The nails have to stick and in order to last two weeks they have to stick tough. So take your time and it’ll all be okay.