I Just Tried This Internet-Famous Nail Trend—Here's What I Thought

As someone who writes about beauty for a living, I'm always searching for new treatments that actually work. It can be hard to weed out the viral treatments that are worth it from those that aren’t, so when I first saw rumblings online about a nail facial—which, just like how a traditional facial deeply nourishes your skin, works to enhance the health of your nails and provides an SPF-like barrier—I knew I had to give it a go and share the process, my thoughts and the results with you. 

So what actually is a nail facial? Although administered by a nail technician rather than an esthetician, the premise of the treatment is basically the same. Expect a deep wipe-down of the nail before the technician applies a combination of ultra-hydrating and nourishing skincare products that leave you with dewy, glowing and healthy nails. Sounds pretty good, right? The now internet-famous nail facial is said to be perfect for dry, dehydrated nails, especially if you find that you struggle to have nails that stay strong enough to grow long or that polish often chips. 

To put the viral treatment to the test, I headed down to the expert hands of nail expert and nailcare brand founder Leighton Denny in order to see if nail facials are more than just hype. Scroll on to discover my thoughts…

Follow Me as I Get a Nail Facial

Step 1: The Buff

To start, Denny—who has over 20 years of experience with all things nailcare—'sealed' my nails by swiping the file across the tip of the nails to eliminate any edges and help them grow stronger. "It's a gentler technique than filing and works to seal the edge of the nails so that any treatment you do next is going to stay inside of the nail," says Denny.

After this, it was time to buff. "This step [a gentle buff of surface] is crucial for prepping the nail to absorb the rest of the hydrating ingredient," explains the nail expert. During the appointment, I came to find out that buffing is also essential "for removing dead skin cells and leaving your nails with a naturally shiny gloss," details Denny. Think of it in the same way you'd exfoliate your skin. 

All of these steps help leave the nails nice and smooth for the next step.

Step 2: The Treatment

Once the nails were buffed, Denny wiped down each nail to remove any excess dirt, before applying a layer of Renovate Shield Base Coat for Dry, Peeling Nails (£14). Then came the star of the show: The Renovate Nail Repair Cream (£14), 

The cream, which is packed with Vitamin E and Avocado Oil in order to revive and restore worse-for-wear nails, was then massaged into the nail and cuticle until fully absorbed. 

"In order to seal this moisture into the nails," explains Denny, "it's important to go in again using the shine side of the buffer lightly, going from side to side in order to help the cream sink into the nail, boosting its natural shine."

Then, just like you would expect from a traditional manicure, the nail expert applied a tiny bit of cuticle oil to my nails, leaving it to soak in. According to Denny, "you can never over-moisturize!" The whole process took around 25 minutes and left my nails and cuticles both hydrated and shiny.

My Final Thoughts on the Nail Facial

Overall, especially as someone that loves to experiment with gel nails and nail art often, a nail facial feels like a great quick fix for parched and brittle nails. 

For best results, Denny advised that I "repeat the process once a month, focusing on sufficient nourishing via oils." I can see myself booking another appointment for a nail facial pre-gel application and using the at-home kit in order to keep my nails healthy. 

Additionally, the shine left by the treatment was even convincing enough to make me, a seasoned nail colour advocate, wear my nails without any polish on at all, which makes it a more than winner in my books. 

For a salon appointment, a nail facial will set you back around £30 to £40, and currently, a full at-home kit from Leighton Denny stands at around £28—both of which (after testing for more than 3 months so far) are more than a reasonable investment in my opinion.

Scroll for Everything You May Need to Upkeep Your Nail Facial at Home

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