The Office Galz Blog

Introducing An-Gel -- organic soak off gel

2009-03-23T15:07:00.004+08:00

An-Gel is the latest organic soak off gel from Korea, which only a few manicurists (at least those who graduated from Pink Room International) are using.

By "organic", I mean that no petrochemicals are used in the formulation of the product. Most soak off and traditional gel in the market uses petrochemicals, which will cause some clients' skin to peel/ become very dry especially if they suffer from sensitive skin condition or eczema.

An-Gel can be "soaked off" (literally, you soak your fingers in a solution called "acetone") and need not be "buffed off" (buffed off means using a rough file to patiently file down to remove the gel). Gels that need to be buffed off are "traditional gels". The BIGGEST (and most likely will happen) risk of buffing off by inexperienced manicurists is that your natural nail under the gel may be filed off as well (and in some very bad cases, will bleed.) Even experienced manicurists will end up thinning your natural nails. Soaking off is a MUCH gentler option. Only complaint is that the solution will dry the skin (easily remedied with hand creams/ cuticle oils).

Like all gel, An-Gel can also be used to make gradiated nails (think 1 or more nail colours blended seamlessly on your nail). Extensions are possible, but because it's a soak off, your extensions cannot be too long (likely to snap, cos soak off gels are softer than traditional hard gels). Clients prefer to use An-Gel as a overlay on their natural nails (meaning, apply it over like nail polish on natural nail).

Currently, An-Gel has a selection of gradiated colours (specially formulated for gradiated mix), pearl colours (also very beautiful for gradiated overlays), glitter colours and matt colors.

Choosing between acrylic and gel extensions

2009-03-23T11:12:00.005+08:00

Who should do acrylic extensions:

People who are very rough with their nails (gel extensions will BREAK very easily), people who don't mind sitting for longer period to have the manicurist file their extensions, and people who likes to change their extension designs like oh, every few days?

Who should do gel extensions:

People who like SHINY finished product (i.e. shiny without much buffing like acrylic), people who takes REALLY good care of their extensions, people who are sensitive to the stink of monomer, and people who cannot sit still for their manicurist to file the extensions. BUT, most importantly, people who don't mind the SAME extension designs for a VERY long while (think 6 months and beyond).

Nail disorders

2008-05-01T13:43:00.002+08:00

The manicurist is not a doctor, thus she will do/ not do your nails in the following conditions:

1) Beau's line (horizontal ridges)
- Possible causes:
* too much buffing (with white block esp) * illness
* health conditions (pregnant)
- Can still do mani/pedi, but manicurist will give u ridge fillers/ acrylic extensions

Blue nails (nails bluish at lunala)
- Possible causes:
* Lack of oxygen in blood stream (weak heart/ poor circulation)
- Mani proceed as normal, but with darker nail polish

Injured nails/ Bruised nails (dark purplish clots underneath nail plate)
- Possible causes:
* injury
- Can still do mani, but with darker colors

Eggshell nails (weak whitish nails, that curve downwards)
- Possible causes:
* Illness/ lack of nutrients
- Will do acrylic nails

Longitudinal furrows (vertical ridges across nails)
- Possible causes:
* cogenital, or illness such as psoriasis, arthritis
* can end up in onychorrhexis nails if not taken care of
- Use ridge fillers/ acrylic

Hang nail (cuticle split)
- Possible causes:
* Dryness
* Frequent soak/dry/soak in water
* May become paronychia nails if not taken care of
- Use paraffin soak to treat, but if it's bleeding, don't go for mani

Spoon nails (thin, soft, spoon shaped nails)
- Possible causes
* iron deficiency
- use acrylic

Lamella Dystrophy (flaking/peeling of nail layers)
- Possible causes:
* Chemical damage
* Too dry
- Will use hardener

Leukonychia (white lines/ spots underneath nail plate)
- Possible causes:
* Don't know....(maybe by injury)
- Manicure as per normal

Onychauxis (overthickening of nail plate)
- Possible causes:
* past trauma
* Fungal infection
- if it's a fungal infection (got smell, turns black...) we won't do the manicure

Onychocryptosis (ingrown nails)
- Possible causes:
* Tight shoes
* Incorrect shaping of nails
- If there is no infection, we will trim out the ingrown areas.

Onychophagy (nail biting)
- Possible causes:
* Ask the nail biters....
- Acrylic extensions

Onychorrhexis (vertical split in nails)
- Possible causes:
* End result of badly taken care furrows
- Acrylic

Paronychia (swelling and bleeding of flesh around nails)
- Possible causes:
* Poorly taken care of hang nails
* Fungal infection
- pls. see doctor

Pterygium overgrowth (excess cuticles)
- Possible causes:
* neglect and never go mani
- Trim out the dead skin

What to consider when shaping nails? And common nail shapes

2008-05-01T13:29:00.003+08:00

When deciding on a nail shape, consider your lifestyle, your occupation and of course, your preference.

3 general shapes and nail structure
(1) Normal
- A gentle C-curve
(2) Flat nail
- flat and thin nail plate, prone to breakage
(3) Claw nail
- Very thick (looks super sturdy, but is not)
- Tends to grow and hooks down. (The part which hooks down likely to snap)

5 types of nail shapes
A) SQUARE
- used mainly in competition
- straight side walls, sharp corners
- strong structure, due to the sidewalls
- not suitable to short nails/ clients' with stubby fingers (cos square shaped nails look heavy)

B) SQUARE ROUND
- similar to square, except rounded corners
- also a very strong shape
- suitable for long nails

C) ROUND
- has side walls but instead of square free edge, free edge is rounded
- suitable for all types of nails/ fingers

D) OVAL
- side walls filed in, with rounded free edge
- suitable for shorter nails, cos not much support at side walls
- also suitable for clients' with fan shaped nails
- gives a more delicate and elongated look

E) POINTED
- weakest of all the 5 shapes
- side walls are filed in and free edge is filed to a point
- only suitable for short nails

Sterilization, Disinfection, Sanitisation and Hygiene

2008-05-01T13:22:00.004+08:00

Important steps prior to ALL manicures/ pedicures/ nail services.

LEVEL 1: STERILISATION
- What does it do?
* Hospital grade sterilisation for all metal implements
* Kills all bacteria, fungus, virus, and fungus spores
- For?
* Cuticle pushers, cuticle nippers
- What you ca use
* Autoclaves (121 deg heat for 15mins or 134 deg heat for 3 mins)
* Chemical Sterilisation (Barbicide solution in water - ratio of 1:10) for 10 mins (soak)
- Warning
* very drying and damaging to skin, cannot use the implements directly onto customers' skin.

LEVEL 2: Disinfection
- What does it do?
* Similar to sterilisation, except spores are not killed easily
* Use for non-metal items that cannot be soaked
- For?
* Files, Cuticle sticks, Nail brushes
- What you can use
* Alcohol (minimally 70% alcohol content)
* Heat in UV Box (but may not be useful for irregularly shaped objects)
* Bleach (but smelly)
* Iodine (not smelly, but stains)
- Warning
* also very drying on skin

LEVEL 3: Sanitation
- What does it do?
* Prevents spread of diseases from clients' and/or manicurists' hands/feet
- For?
* Skin
* Also include emptying of biological wastes after every treatment
- What you can use
* Sanitising spray/ foot soak

LEVEL 4: Hygiene
- General cleanliness of manicurist (hair, nails, skin, etc)

Extensions - what are they?

2007-09-14T15:33:00.000+08:00

Noticed in Singapore that acrylic extensions is catching on, as some of the bigger salons are doing it -- like Dashing Diva in Suntec. The prices they charge usually range from $100 to $180 (depending on how posh your nail salon is, and also, the SKILLS of the nail technician).

For me, I choose to offer my acrylic extensions at $75, not cos my skills are bad (any manicurists who graduated from a $4k Japanese recognised diploma course in The Pink Room Int'l Nail Academy are very good...and I'm not blowing my own trumpet).

The reason why I price it low is cos I'm operating a home salon, and I don't have overheads. Moreover, I frankly think the pricings for extensions is over-priced in Singapore, cos not many manicurists know how to do it well.

So, what are extensions?

Currently in the market, we have Acrylic, UV Gel and Fiberglass/Silkwrap extensions.

There are 2 main approaches to creating acrylic extensions. They are:

Extension tips
Acrylic forms

Extension tips: they are made of lightweight plastic, shaped in the form of a nail tip. These tips are glued onto nails, then acrylic is applied over the remaining nail plate to "fix" and hold the tip in place. Usually nail tips (cos they are so soft) snaps easily, and if you are not careful, it won't last a week.) Example of extension tips application

Acrylic forms: the forms are fitted under the fingers/nails and acrylic is applied over and beyond the length of the natural nail. After 30-40 secs, the acrylic hardens and the form is removed from the fingers. Example of acrylic extensions using forms

Another type of extensions is Gel Extension. The approach is similar to acrylic forms extension. Instead of acrylic powder, a UV Gel is used. Previously, gel extensions cannot be removed by soaking, but now, we have gel soak-offs. (Prior to gel soak offs, gel extensions would have to be "grown out" from the nail or filed off, the latter is pretty damaging to the nail).

The last two types of extensions are Fibreglass Wraps or Silk Wraps. A piece of fibreglass/ silk fabric is cut out to fit the surface of the nail then held in place with resin/ glue.

Fibreglass/ silk wraps are the most impermanent. But, they are suitable for those who are allergic to Acrylic/ UV Gel.

Mani/ pedi and pregnancy

2007-09-09T11:49:00.000+08:00

Recently, I've received quite a number of moms and moms-to-be requesting for mani/pedi services.

Well, you may like to read these articles before considering whether you want your nails done...

Toxic Nail Polish
Toxic Nail Polish Removers
and a very insightful discussion (with pro-mani-for-moms and against-mani-for moms article)

The bottom line is: although most nail polish companies have replaced the deemed "toxic ingredients" with safer ingredients, we haven't really tested how "safe" these replacements are.

Interesting Foot Facts

2007-08-30T18:00:00.001+08:00

More than 70% of people in the world will experience painful foot problems during their lifetime. (However, foot pain is NOT normal)
An average person engaging in a non-strenuous activity will walk about 115,000 miles in his whole lifetime
On any typical day, your poor feet actually bear a cumulative force of several hundred tonnes
Out of the body's 206 bones, 26 of them are located in 1 foot (which is close to 13% for one foot, and 25% (or a quarter) for both feet)
Leonardo Di Vinci once proclaimed the human feet to be "a masterpiece of engineering and a work of art"

If your feet are so important, isn't it high time you take good care of them?

The Origins of Foot Problems

2007-08-30T16:00:00.000+08:00

80% of foot problems occur in women. And no prizes for guessing why. Yes, the problems are usually caused by high heels. In fact, the modern high heels damage the feet as much as the tiny bound feet of women in ancient China!

However, men are not spared from foot problems as well. Obese guys, beware! The extra pounds you put on will put extra pressure on your feet. Guys who choose improper shoes will also end up having foot problems.

Some common foot problems:

Ankle sprains - caused by ankles that "rolled over", causing swelling and pain. Mild sprains can be treated with RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation). Most atheletes and dancers are well familiar with this easy, yet effective, treatment.
Bunions - you sometimes see this women (and men), who loves to wear narrow pointy toes shoes when their feet are broad. The improper footwear will cause the bones in the toes to tilt outwards, creating a hard bump (also painful). Can be treated with cold compresses and most importantly, the proper footwear
Corns and Calluses - both are hardened skin layers. Corns appear at the toes, and calluses at the bottom of feet. Usually caused by improper footwear. Can be removed corns/calluses removers and daily foot scrub
Ingrown toenail and nail fungus - Ingrowns occur most commonly in the big toe, where daily pressure causes nail to grow into flesh. When you have thickened and discoloured toe nails, it may be a symptom of nail fungus, which can be treated with over the counter anti-fungal cream. For ingrown, proper trimming of nails and soaking of feet before trimming toe nails may help.

2007-08-23T23:03:00.000+08:00

My new name card (with a discount behind) and my new Office Galz stamp!

My name card:

My stamp:

Facial and Spa services with every purchase of mani or pedi!

2007-08-20T10:19:00.000+08:00

Hello!

I have linked up with Splendior, a facial/spa centre at The Body Clinic, Malacca Centre (Raffles Pl) to offer discounted facial/ spa services for customers who purchase any mani/ pedi services from me.

Ms. Wendy Low, the Director of Splendior and an ex-SIA stewardess, has more than 20 years experience doing facial/ spa as well as makeup services. She also conducts regular beauty workshops at organisations such as NUH.

The facial/ spa e-voucher will be emailed to my clients.

Enjoy!

FashBash and Killerheels

2007-08-18T01:23:00.000+08:00

Something irrelevant to nails...

NAFA (Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts) will be hosting FashBash again this year. Details as follow:

WHEN: 18 - 19 August 07
WHERE: Curiocity Gallery, NAFA Campus II (10 mins on foot either from City Hall/ Bugis/ Dhoby Ghaut MRT Stations)
WHAT: FashBash is an annual event held by NAFA that celebrates, markets and showcases local designers and their products

The official site of FashBash.

My Killerheels will also be participating in this year's Fashbash. You will be able to purchase hand made and unique trinkets and jewellery at good discounts.

If you enjoy owning bracelets or necklaces that are not your run of the mill designs, Killerheels' products are what you'd like. :) Killerheels will be located at STALL 12.

Do come and support them!

New colours to my OPI range!

2007-08-15T17:29:00.000+08:00

Exciting new shades added this week...

DIY hand massage

2007-08-08T17:32:00.000+08:00

Office galz have to battle keyboards daily with their fingers (and nails). Carpal tunnel syndrome (temporary paralysis of hand/ fingers from wrist up) is one of the most common problems. Here's a simple hand massage technique which you can do on your hands anytime, anywhere. Remember to take deep breaths to relax and flush out the toxins when you are massaging your hands!

Start by applying either massage oil (or hand cream) over both hands. Use smoothing/stroking motions (pic 1)
Stretch your fingers on one hand by pulling them using the other hand (pic 2)
Squeeze and rub the fingers in small circular motions (pic 3)
Use your thumb to gently press and hold the lymphatic point below your thumb (pic 4)
Gently squeeze the small fold of skin (the "web") between each fingers (pic 5)
With palms facing up, grasp hold of fingers and gently pull them down (pic 6)
Ball your fist and cup the other hand over it (pic 7)
End by gently squeezing your arm (pic 8)

How to preserve your manicure

2007-08-08T14:31:00.000+08:00

Scraped your newly polished nails? Made a bad dent on one of them? Went to sleep and woke up with imprints of your bedsheet all over your nails? These are common complaints from customers. And usually, these are what deter them from paying for a manicure/pedicure in the first place -- why bother to spend so much to only damage it half an hour later? (right?) Here's some tips on "preserving" that polished look:

Unless you are able to sleep without tossing/turning around, do NOT paint 2h before bed time. (2h is the time needed for polish to dry from base to top coat)
Apply a dab of cuticle oil (or any type of body oil -- olive oil, baby oil, etc) to the cuticle after applying the top coat (wait for 2-3 mins for top coat to dry a bit). Massage the oil gently over entire nail -- the oil will help to prevent most scrapes
Apply thin coats of polish. The thicker the coats, the more easier it is to dent it -- even after a few DAYS...
Dry the polish under cool air/ soak nails in ice water. Warm air will cause bubbles to surface from polish (so never ever use a hair dryer)
Let each layer of polish dry for 1-2 mins after application

Have fun applying the nail polishes!

Nail polish ingredients

2007-08-08T11:11:00.000+08:00

As I've said in my website, I only use OPI colours, because they do not have the following toxic ingredients:

Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP): a plasticizer found in most nail polish/ paint. Can cause birth defects and impotency (in males).
Toulene: commonly found in paint thinners. Inhalation can cause nauseau and confusion (much like sniffing glue). Constant high level of inhalation of toulene can cause damage to kidneys.
Formaldehyde: used in embalming/ preservation of tissues. Inhalation of fumes will cause headache, difficulties in breathing. Formaldehyde is also a probable carcinogen.

How to protect yourself:

When applying polishes, you can wear mask (it helps. That's why most manicurists wear mask while applying polish).
Do NOT go for manicure/ pedicure (especially if the session involves nail polish) if you are pregnant or lactacting.

My Namecard!!

2007-08-07T21:58:00.001+08:00

New NEWS!

2007-08-06T11:22:00.000+08:00

Hello! Some updates on my services...I will be tying up with a facial/spa salon located in The Body Clinic, Malacca Centre (near Raffles Place interchange) for discounted facials/ massages with every purchase of a mani/pedi service or package. Do look out for more info in The Office Galz homepage!

How to stop biting my nails...

2007-08-03T12:17:00.000+08:00

Onycho (Greek: for finger/toe nail) phagia (Greek: to eat)...put together, onychophagia (or nail biting) literally means "to eat your finger/toe nails".

Why do I bite my nails?

There are many explanations, ranging from stress, boredom, low self-esteem or even genetics. However, no one knows for sure why nail biters like to consume their nails.

In medical terms, nail biting belongs to a class of disorder termed as "stereotypic movement disorder" -- a set of repetitive movements that cause physical harm or interfere with normal activities (some scientists see nail biting as a form of self-mutilation).

Freud would see nail biters as someone who has an "oral fixation".

Some scientific researches done on onychophagia show that:

Kids are most susceptible (admit it, we all bit our nails sometime in the past.)
Commonly seen in intellectuals
More common in males

What are the damages from nail biting?

Obviously, ugly ragged nails and sometimes, bleeding cuticles. Also, nail biters expose themselves to all sorts of nail infections. Lastly, the front teeth of nail biters will also be affected due to the constant friction against the hard nail plate.

How do I stop biting my nails?

Two methods: by medication or behavioural therapy.

Medication:

Certain bitter nail solutions that are painted over nails will deter biters from putting their fingers into their mouth (e.g. Mavala's "Stop", Orly's "No Bite")
Anti-psychotic medication -- for those who bite due to neurological/ psychological stresses

Behavioural therapy:

Habit Reversal Training (a 4-step process which seeks to make you recognise the habit, to relax yourself, perform an opposing habit that replaces nail biting with another activity)
Stimulus control (identification of stressors and controlling these stressors so that the nail biting habit is removed)
Hypnotherapy

Some tips

Keep nails short
Occupy your hands
See a doctor
Wait and hope that your efforts will pay off :P

Some fun stuff after all the heavy info...=)

2007-08-02T17:54:00.000+08:00

Hello!
After all the heavy (and gory) stuff on nails and nail diseases, here's a short quiz for you.
Wanna find out what nail colour best fits your personality?
Take this test now!

My results:
"Your nail polish color is Red. How you're unique: You have an incredible eye for style and art.
Why your style rocks: You are classic and classy - and that's hot!
What this color says about you: "I'm smart, sassy, and sexy. And I know it."

True? That's for you to judge.
=^.^=

Nail problems - the commonly seen types

2007-08-02T10:02:00.000+08:00

Hello there!

Today's topic will be gory - commonly seen nail problems. As I've said, the condition of your nails will usually give some insight to your current state of health.

The nail problems highlighted in this post are pretty common and thankfully, recoverable, in most cases.

Inflammation of flesh around nail (onychia) resulting in pus and possible nail loss. This is usually caused by bacteria infecting a wound on the fingers (see picture bottom 1st row, left)
Ingrown nails (unguis incarnatus) are more commonly found on toe nails (though there are rare cases of ingrown finger nails due to improper trimming). They are caused by constant pressure on toe and/or improper trimming of toe nails
Ram's horn nail (onychogryposis) happens because previous trauma or constant neglect to the nail caused it to thicker and curve unnaturally. Usually accompanied with deep grooves on nail (see picture bottom 1st row, right)
Bruising/ collection of blood under the nail (subungal hematoma) is caused due to severe trauma on the nail (i.e. you dropped something heavy on it or slammed a finger between your drawers or are wearing shoes with too tight fit). Usually painful, but fortunately, the collected blood will be pushed out together with nail growth (see picture bottom 2nd row left).
Nail biting (chronic onychophagia) - VERY common and unfortunately, hard to break and will result in ugly and short nails (in some cases, biters will chew off the whole nail, leaving only a blackened skin to cover the nailbed). I will probably dedicate one post to this bad habit and the current treatments (medical and psychological) used to break this habit (see picture bottom 2nd row right).

Nails and your health

2007-08-01T16:00:00.000+08:00

The Chinese believes that the nails, like the tongue, can give clues to a person's state of health. Commonly seen nail conditions include:

Brittle nails: iron deficiency, thyroid problems, poor circulation
Nails that split and fray at edges/ come off in layers: deficiency in Vitamin C, folic acid and protein
Extremely thick nails: poor circulation

The shape and texture of your nail can also point to certain health problems, such as:

Clubbing nails (er, not THAT type of clubbing, but nails that grow downwards with a bulge at nailbed) can imply heart/liver/lung diseases due to oxygen deprivation (most commonly caused by smoking)
Spooning nails (don't think dirty...these are nails that curve upwards) imply an iron deficiency
Nails that are too flat against the nail bed may mean you lack Vit B12
Horizontal ridges on nails can mean previous trauma/ illness

Lastly, the colours and markings of your nail also determine your health, for example:

Redness on the nail bed: heart diseases
Yellowing of the nail: smoker or improper use of nail polish
White patches on nail: localised injury or zinc/ calcium deficiency
Receding half moons (lunalae): poor blood circulation, shallow breathing
Large half moons (which cover more than 1/4 of the nail): high blood pressure

Physiology of nails

2007-08-01T12:33:00.000+08:00

Ok, so what ARE nails? The answer is they are hairs at the end of your fingertips. Serious. Nails and hair are basically made up of the same protein structure called "keratin" (albeit the keratin in nails are tougher than hair). The nail is made up of the following parts:

The nail plate -- aka the "nail" -- is the hard covering made up of keratin
The whitish part that grows out of the finger - we call it the "free edge"
The nail groove (or paronychium) is the flesh edges at the sides of the nail
The hyponychium is the layer of skin under the nail which can be seen if you look down the underside of the free edge
The cuticle (or eponychium) is the fold of the skin at base of nail
Lunala (or what we commonly call the "half moon") is a cresent shaped whitish area at the base of the nail
Nail bed is the flesh or connective tissues underneath the nail (MANY nerve endings are here. So it will hurt -- and bleed -- if your manicurist cuts too deep or pokes too deep)

So how fast do nails grow? Well, they only grow 1cm every 100 days (or 1mm everyday). For those unlucky fellas who lost their fingernails...expect full regrowth only after 4-6 months. Toenails take longer: about 1-1.5 YEAR. (So try not to lose them, ya?)

Why should you bother to do a mani(pedi)-cure?

2007-08-01T11:37:00.000+08:00

Morning! First post today shall explain (or persuade) why you should have a manicure/ pedicure done. Well, most gals (and guys) want beautiful, well groomed nails. They can enhance your overall appearance (think how would dirty and grime filled nails look with your power suit). Of course, having a well done nail colour (with nail art maybe) will jazz up your outlook during that special occasion. Although trimming of nails is a simple task which most of us can complete at home, many of us do not take care of our cuticles (or are totally unaware of what it is). Having regular mani and pedi sessions will help your nails grow faster and stronger. In the following posts, I will be touching on the physiology of a nail, common nail problems and basic hand and feet care.

Hello!

2007-07-31T12:31:00.000+08:00

Hi there! Welcome to The Office Galz' blog, sister-site to The Office Galz site. In this blog, I will share some useful tips for manicure and pedicure, as well as common extensions/enhancements such as acrylic and gel enhancements.

And why do I call the site "The Office Galz"? Cos it's dedicated to all of us out there who battle keyboards with our nails daily! =)

Do visit this blog more often for updated tips! =^.^=

~ Sab