I have paper thin, horrible nails--they crack, peel and have ridges. I also bit them to the quick. My cuticles are mostly chewed, split and ragged. I am a big fan of the manicure.

Once in a great while, I can give myself a nice one--with a clear topcoat. But it takes me two months, minimum of trying to grow them out with out biting them, while pushing the cuticles back to a managable spot. If I treat them with cuticle oil TWICE a day and push them back at night, along with many applications of a quality hand cream and maybe, maybe I can get them looking decent.

For obvious reasons (diaper changes followed by hand washing, dishes, toddler chasing, the chafing, Wisconsin cold, etc.) I had best put my hands in the hands of the professionals.

Alas, I hardly ever have the time to do this.

I also love pedis because my feet are in nearly as bad a shape as my hands.

Someone was talking about compulsive hair pulling and wrote "I have pulled out nearly all my pubic hair lol and then I pick the scabs!"

So much of this sentence disturbs me on so many levels.

It's the 'lol' that's most disturbing.

my fingernail beds are too large for those kits. feh.

When I've gone into Sally's to buy a jug of acetone (which reminds me, that time again,) I used to see you could buy individual nails in a whole range of sizes. But that's only if you want to do it yourself, and not pre-painted, I don't think. I lucked out with the pre-packaged stuff working. And so I get to avoid the peoples.

I have Cash's nails and I've always been afraid fake nails would make them worse. I don't do manicures on myself; my method of nail care is to keep cutting off the broken parts.

I'm so uncoordinated my home-done pedicures look like a crazed kindergartener did it lefthanded. So I get my toes done professionally. I don't do my fingernails: they're flat & hangnailed and I just can't be bothered. Manicures are a level of girlyness I can't handle, somehow.

I do my own nails, but I rely on those correction pens because I always manage to get polish all over my cuticles.

I do my own nails, but I rely on those correction pens because I always manage to get polish all over my cuticles.

Peoples! Have I not taught you the trick to this? Paint your nails, let them dry thoroughly, and then take a bath or shower. The extra polish slopped over on your cuticles will separate from the polish on your nails, thus allowing it to be scuffed/scrubbed off.

Juliana tried to convince me I could do my own nails, if I practiced more.

That still makes me laugh.

Paint your nails, let them dry thoroughly, and then take a bath or shower. The extra polish slopped over on your cuticles will separate from the polish on your nails, thus allowing it to be scuffed/scrubbed off.

That's my trick, too! Especially on my toes.

Paint your nails, let them dry thoroughly, and then take a bath or shower.

You never told me that! That's a good idea.