Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Apothecary: Polident and nail stain removal

Hello ladies,

I have been doing some experiments with removing nail staining. I never had stained nails before this past year. I used to buff my nails monthly with occasional touch ups to combat staining caused by problem polishes. When I discovered that buffing ultimately weakens nails, I stopped entirely. This was positive in the sense that my nails have been more resistant to cracks and tears. I haven't had damage that couldn't be held together with a patch in over a year. The difficulty has been that my nails were becoming increasingly stained.

I think I was in denial about the coloring of my nails. Here is a simple test to define the severity of staining you are facing. Find these objects: a sheet of white printer paper, a stick of butter and a jar of mustard. See which of the three colors compare closest to the tones in your nails when you are not wearing polish. This isn't about judgement, but you may need to soak your nails in Polident.



Your level of staining will determine whether Polident is going to function for total stain removal or as a preventative for future staining as your nails grow out. If you have deep yellow or orange tones in your nails, you will likely need to be patient as the most stained areas grow and are filed off. The good news is you will not have to live with staining long term.

Here is how I use Polident for stain removal. I heat water on the stove and remove it before it begins to boil. I pour 2 cups/16 ounces into a shallow dish. I use a flat square plastic container that is heat resistant. You will want to make sure the water level is not more than half the depth of the container you choose. You will need room to comfortably soak all ten nails at once. Drop in four Polident tablets. Wait a minute or two for them to dissolve. Test the water until it becomes an agreeable temperature. Soak for 15 minutes and follow with a thorough hand washing with soap and water.

Although fifteen minutes might seem like an extended amount of time, it can be relaxing to watch part of a movie or a television program while your nails soak. You can keep a towel nearby if you need to remove your hands for a moment. Make sure you have a clock within eye view.

An important tip is to begin your soak with dry nails. Your nails will absorb 2o to 25 % of their weight in water. It takes hours for thoroughly wet nails to be fully dry. Beginning the soak with dry nails is essential. If your nails are already engorged with water, there will be less room for the effective ingredients to do their work of stain removal. For the same reason, wait until after your soak to moisturize.

I noticed minimal change after the initial soak and much improvement after the third attempt. I will be using Polident as a weekly treatment until my nails are completely grown out. The lower third of each nail looks pink and bright. The upper two thirds still need attention.

Feel free to experiment with different soaking times, especially if your nails have minimal staining. You may require fewer tablets as well. The package directions show one tablet, but for a much lesser amount of water than I am using to soak all 10 nails. It's something to keep in mind when factoring your individual needs for stain removal.

I am also going to be doing a post about using lemons for stain removal in the near future.

Have any of you also experienced nail staining? What are your favorite remedies?

Happy painting, ladies!

19 comments:

  1. Great post! I hate my stains; they aren't terribly bad, just the free edges are very yellow. It can get so frustrating--at one point I wanted to just soak my nails in bleach!
    But I think I will try the denture tabs for now.

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  2. I've tried this but not with as many tabs. I will step it up next time. I have also used hydrogen peroxide, the liquid in the brown bottle. It works ok, and sterilizes small cuts. I was thinking of trying soda and lemon in a paste with a brush. I have thought but not tried 40% peroxide from Sally's, but that seems kind of extreme.
    ~Sylvia

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  3. GerryBerry: Thanks! I actually tried soaking my nails in a 40% bleach solution. I really wasn't thrilled with the results after 5 or 6 attempts. It made the sink white with marginal improvement to my nail coloration. I also noticed as my nails were growing out, the area where I had soaked in bleach was shiner than the rest of the new growth. I really wouldn't recommend it as a worthwhile experiment. Polident however is worth repeating.

    Wizards of Bling: My plan is to do one lemon soak and one denture soak each week. I end up painting my nails at minimum four times a week. It's a lot of fresh product coming in contact with my nails and introducing new potential for staining. I would be willing to try the 40% hydrogen peroxide solution if need be. Sometimes though, harsher isn't always more effective. Let me know how the increase in tabs works out for you over time. :)

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  4. I haven't had too much trouble with nail staining yet, but I find denture cleaning tabs to be awesome for cleaning the oddest things.
    I use denture tabs to clean my mouthguard (I'm a night-time grinder)and recently discovered it cleaned something else.
    I am in a norse recreation group and one of our favourite drinking vessels is a horn. Cow horn to be exact. Now you can buy these pre-cleaned and ready to use off the net for $$$ but where is the fun in that?! We got some raw horns from Tandy Leather and the horns come hollow, but they still have marrow along the inside and.. yeah.. not good. denture cleaner works wonders on cleaning out the "muck" inside the horn for further preperation. /nerd ramble

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  5. Mmmm marrow and ale! Now there is a girl after my own heart! ;). I just thought of an oldie but a goody. You'll wonder where the yellow went when you brush your teeth with pepsodent! I know it's dating me, oh well.
    ~Sylvia

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  6. Thanks for this. I'll try the Polident. My nails are faintly yellow, but I'm still too embarrassed to show the world. I was going to try peroxide but the thought of soaking my nails in something so drying was not that appealing. I'd be interested to see if the lemon helped, although tbh I'm a bit skeptical.

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  7. Skulda: It's great your nails aren't stained. It's something that can sneak up on you though. A monthly soak might be useful. Come to think of it, I have a small shed deer antler that could probably use some time with Polident. As for the Norse...I had a cat for 16 years I had named Perth. I have had some very memorable dreams about visiting Hela in the underworld. She is a very good cook and hospitable, also terrifying.

    Sylvia: There may be some truth to the jingle. I am going to ask my boss to pick me up a high quality buffing paste from a nail supply wholesaler. Same premise. Hopefully it will have a good name and we can make up a jingle about it. ;)

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  8. Millie: if you are at the faintly yellow stage (closer to butter colored), a few soakings in Polident as described should do the trick. Lemons do work, but they seem better as a preventative against staining as nails grow out. They also work for mild staining over time. The trick of these mild and natural techniques...Polident's key ingredient is baking soda...is to do them often as maintenance. I really wish I knew about these options a year ago, but there is always the future.

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  9. This is SO helpful! I need to try this.. I've been buffing my nails, but if it makes your nails weak... I probably should stop. Thanks for the heads up!

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  10. I used a similar product specifically for removing nail staining and it did nothing really :-(

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  11. Great post, I'll have to try this method!

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  12. This is such a great tip! The only nail polish that staned my nails was CG Blue Sparrow ... so thank you for this amazing tip!

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  13. I surely need this treatment. I'll have to buy this. What's even nicer is Skulda's response. I've learned something valuable for the use of Polident. I have a moouthguard and it gets very stained. I brush it every day and on the weekend soak it in a vinegar solution to freshen it. Wow this is great news for me. I'm an awful jaw clencher and grinder. I need my mouthguard. If I don't use it when I sleep I end up biting my tongue and the sides of my cheeks. Ouch big time! This is very off topic but thanks for the instructions. I have on NYC's Chinatown which is ink blue. I'm hoping my nails aren't worse.

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  14. Great idea! I'm going to try it ASAP, since my nails are yellow thanks to a suspicious green jelly polish I wore without a base coat. :( But some base coats also stain. Wearing polish is rife with difficulties.

    I've tried hydrogen peroxide before too, and while it did whiten my nails marginally, it also dried them out too much. So that experiment ended right away. Polident seems much kinder to nails.

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  15. ANSTAH: Great! I still buff to even out an area where I apply a patch. I wish buffing didn't weaken nails. It's so much easier to buff than to soak!

    Lucy: There are so many ineffectual products out there. It really can be disheartening. I have a patch on part of one nail. I removed it today and I could see a line from where the Polident had brightened the nail on either side. It may take a few soaks as described to show a strongly visible difference.

    Never Enough Nails: Thank you! Let me know how it works for you over time.

    Helena: No problem. It's so great you don't have nail staining to contend with as a bigger issue. For occasional light staining, a few soaks should help. :)

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  16. Lucy: What great news that this post helped in an unintended way! I'm so glad Skulda shared her tip. I've never worn Chinatown, but it is a pretty color! Maybe when you soak your mouth guard, you could do your nails at the same time. It will probably take a few soaks before your nails start brightening. xoxo!

    Pam: It does take a lot of experimenting to figure out what basecoats work best with your chemistry. I didn't find the Polident to be too drying thankfully, but it did take a few soaks to show a measurable difference in stain removal.

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  17. It's good to read about your nail whitening experiences. I tried the denture cleansing tablets but had used only one not four, so maybe that's why it didn't work much for me. Although it was a pleasant experience to sit there with my hands in warm water. And then my nails were wet so I didn't want to do a manicure after that. So then I tried the SH Insta-brite which I just wore as a base coat underneath all my manicures. I had orangey-brownish stains on my nails from all the dark blue nail polish (& other dark colors but blue seemed to do the most staining). Anyhoo, it took about a month and now my nails are unstained. Totally. I just keep on using the whitener as a base coat. I saw a Seche Bright nail whitener product on the internet somewhere and was wondering if that was any good. Now that I know the secret to the denture cleansing tablets (using 4) I might do that once in a while, after all I do have that whole big box I bought! -JenB

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  18. I have horribly stained nails from (cheap) black nail polish I wore for Halloween. I've tried the lemon method with no results, and I've also tried brushing with whitening toothpaste. No luck. I am going to go purchase the denture cleaner this afternoon. Thanks for the tip!

    How long does it take for the yellow to fully be removed from the nail with this method? Without doing any method? Will it stay on my fingers longer if I repaint with another colour?

    Thanks :)

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  19. I do not have issues with nail staining. Matter of fact I am 43 and have always recieved compliments on how white my nails are (and i do nothing) However, occasionally I after removing nail art, I will notice a color stain.. I simply use an inexpensive whitening toothpaste and lightly scrub with a childs soft toothbrush.. Viola staining all gone. ")

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