Nail Extend....does it really extend?

I learned how to paint my nails when I was eleven years old. I started biting my nails when I was in high school. I spent $60 on an acrylic manicure the day before my wedding when I broke my right index finger just so I would have pretty pictures in my cake cutting pictures. To date, I own 1,167 bottles of nail color (note that does not include top coat, base coat, cuticle oil, matte top coats, silk top coats or any of the other specialty enamels that I have in my arsenal). 

So yea, I'm a nail freak. Just a little. After I broke my foot and was pretty much laid up in bed for ten months, I didn't have much TO do but manicure my nails and my right foot

When SeneGence released this mysterious new product called NailExtend, I have to admit that I didn't even order it for like, six months. $45 is a lot to pay for a product that claims just to help your nails grow.

But. What is it really? It's a cuticle oil. No lie. I admit, I was intrigued. My cuticles require a LOT of maintenance so anything that can cut that down? Let's do it. Take a look at my before pictures....yup, they need a lot of work.

 
I finally traded a SeneSister for one so I could try it out and got another one so I had it in stock. As soon as I got it. I decided to crack it open, stick a TESTER sticker on it and give it a try. The directions: Apply to base of nails by brushing directly into cuticles twice daily until desired results are achieved. To maintain nail strength, apply 3-4 times weekly.

Maybe I'm obtuse, but these directions could NOT be more vague. To me, that's a preparation that you put on your bare nails, so that's what I did. 

I started out by doing this twice a day. However, guess what happens when you put it on BEFORE you paint your nails? 

Yup. Your nail polish peels off in SHEETS. So, don't do that. It ain't a base coat. 

And it's not a top coat either. It doesn't do anything to help your nails dry, keep from chipping or strengthen them, but the good news is that it doesn't mess around with your matte top coat either. Yay.

What it does do? IT STRENGTHENS YOUR CUTICLE AND EPONYCHIUM AREA. And that is where your new nail growth originates from amongst other anatomical names for the nail structure including the matrix, the eponychium, and the nail plate, but for the purposes of this review, I'm going to keep it simple. If you would like to read more about the nail anatomy, I'm going to direct you to this very educational and informative blogger's article that can explain a lot of what I am talking about, and you can find it here. 

Now, I will not pretend that I used this as directed. I only used it once a day because quite frankly, I'm not thinking about my nails when I first wake up. Evenings? Sure. But mornings, all I'm thinking about is dragging my ass out of bed and getting that first cup of coffee. If you would like to read a blog from a blogger that DID use this as directed, I will direct you here. She got great results and very much in common with my results. 

And did I use this by itself? No. Once I realized I couldn't use it as a base or top coat, I used it as a cuticle oil and applied it to my nail beds after I had finished polishing and drying. I use a variety of base coats, namely Quimica Alemana, Seche Clear Base Coat, and CND Stickey. My go-to top coat is Seche Vita Dry Fast Top Coat. I also admit that I popped some prenatal vitamins a few times a week over the last month. I mean, look at my nails. They needed some help. They were breaking easily, peeling and my cuticles were taking over almost a third of my nail bed. 

So the good part:

• I have yet to crack, snap or fracture a nail in the thirty days that I have been using this product.
• My nails are hard as diamonds. I can't even get them to bend. Considering how soft they were at Christmas? This is a miracle. And I check roofs for hail damage for a living!
• I have only had to push back my cuticle area once in the last month. This again is a miracle considering that this was formerly part of my daily routine with manicuring my nails. 

The bad part:

• I was not thrilled that the instructions did not make it clear that you should not apply this prior to painting. Seeing my entire nail polish come off in a single sheet without any residue left on my nail bed was not thrilling. 
• Nail Extend (the name) is a tad misleading. This name makes it seem like this helps your nails grow longer. Yes and no. Nothing really makes your nails grow faster than nutrition, proper cuticle care and daily maintenance. However, I do think that this product is very healthy for your cuticle area which is where your nails ultimately start their growing. For really quick nail growth (and hair growth), the best thing is to take either prenatal vitamins or Biotin supplements with approval of your doctor. 

However, I did start using this product on December 28, and one month later my nails are much healthier and growing in stronger, longer and more durable. And my nail polish is lasting a lot longer on my nails with no peeling or chipping. 

Bottom line, I think this is a good product and I will continue to use it. My nails improved greatly in condition in just thirty days and showed clear visible growth (and audible, I can hear my nail tips tapping on the keyboard), durability (I haven't chipped, cracked, peeled or broken a nail since I started using this), and the health of my cuticle areas both in appearance and hydration is much, much improved.

Two thumbs up from the nail queen!

Happy Valentine's Day! New Colors!

I'll be back to post reviews of these when I get them, but if you can't wait and MUST have these ASAP, please go to my SeneSite to order Sweetheart Pink, Be Mine and Rose Gold Shimmer ShadowSense!