To the rescue!

How to repair a cracked nail

There is nothing worse than having a broke, split or cracked nail. Especially after you've spent time and energy to grow long nails, following our Nail tips and tricks to the word. But, as Murphy would put it, doors, handles and cans are just waiting for an opportunity to break a nice long nail, so what to do?

First thing first, if you break a nail completely off, the only thing to do is to cut all the others to the same length, or to install an artificial tip. For the artificial tip you have to visit a salon, because I haven't yet found a do at home kit that is foolproof.

But, if your nail cracked at the tip, or somewhere else, but did not break all the way through, you can make wonders. How? Everything you need is nail glue (get the one with the brush, rather than the one in squeeze out tube), one layer of tissue (you can use thin silk, but I warn you that it's much trickier) and a buffer.

Cut the tissue layer in a piece big enough to cover the crack and place it on your nail. Apply glue to it; making sure the tissue does not slip away. Wait for it to dry and then apply another thin layer of glue. Let the glue dry.

Now, the repaired area should be thicker than the rest of your nail, so it's time o use the buffer. Get the one with fine grid, so you don't damage the rest of your nail. Buff the repaired area until you're pleased with the looks of it.

You can now coat your nails in base coat and follow with colour polish. Finish with top coat and no one will ever know you had a chipped nail!
Just be aware that some kinds of glue are soluble in polish remover, so be careful when removing polish and be prepared to do the repairing again if needed.

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Oily hair remedies

Since we've written a lot about dry hair and caring for it, it's high time we paid some attention to the other side of the spectrum: oily hair.

You know the drill: wake up early, wash your oily, limp hair, style it and by the evening you can do it all over again if you want to look decent! It seems that nothing you can do can make your hair normal. Well, try our tips and ease your suffering, be proud of your great new hair!

First of all, wash your hair every day, and use a mild, pH-balanced shampoo. Baby shampoos are great, while those designed for oily hair can be too aggressive for every day use. If your oily hair had side-affected dandruff, get valuable tips and tricks in our Get Rid of Dandruff post.

Put conditioner only on your hair ends, not on the roots. Think about cutting your hair shorter, it will save you time when washing and styling. You should also try to eat less fat, because excess fat can be stored in our hips, as well as be expelled out of our body through hair sebaceous glands.

Avoid all hair styling products containing silicone, oils or lanolin, as well as two-in-one products - these can be too heavy and make your hair produce even more oil. Here are some home made tips and tricks that can help you:

Powder
If you're on a tight schedule, baby powder can be your saviour. Just powder your hair, let it on for 5 minutes and then comb it out. The baby powder will suck up oil from your hair.

Lemon and aloe vera
You'll need 1/2 teaspoon aloe vera gel and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Blend this ingredients well and add a little of your regular shampoo. Wash your hair as usual, but let the shampoo on for a few minutes.

Mint leaves
Boil two handful of mint leaves in one and a half glass of water for 20 minutes. Strain the solution and mix in a 300ml bottle of shampoo.

Massage
Massaging your scalp can help exfoliate skin and remove all oily residue. Mix 1 tablespoon of Malt Vinegar in a glass of water, add a pinch of salt. Use 2 tablespoons of it on your scalp and massage it with your finger tips twice a week. Leave it on for one hour.

Henna conditioner
Mix Henna with 2 tablespoons of yoghurt and a pinch of sugar to a light paste. Add a bit of water if the paste is thick. Apply on hair and leave it on for twenty minutes. Rinse it out with clear water.

Watercress
This plant has many uses, from battling cancer to improving food taste, all due to many healthy ingredients, such as iron, zinc and vitamin A. One of its less known use is for oily hair treatment: Blend a large handful of fresh watercress with 1 cup of water in a blender (if you have long hair you may need to use 2 full handfuls of watercress and 2 cups of water). Heat the mixture in pan and boil for 10 minutes. Strain, let the liquid cool down. While waiting wash your hair. Pour the watercress liquid over your hair and let it on for 20 minutes. Rinse.

----Check out our other posts by theme!----
Face care, Hair removal, Beauty tutorials – tips and tricks galore, Body and skin, Exercise and diet, Hair care, Fashion, clothes, shoes, accessories, Makeup, Nails, Matters of heart