Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Faltinsky.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Jessica. So, let’s start at the beginning, and we can move on from there.
For the first 19 years of my life, I used bite, peel and pick at my nails in response to stress. They always looked very worn down and overall pretty gross to the point that it was embarrassing and something that made me very self-conscious about my hands.
During my freshman year of college, I decided to get acrylics to break this bad habit and enjoyed them for a few months until I realized the extent to which these acrylics were completely destroying and weakening my nails. Specifically, the aggressive use of the electric nail file at nail salons had left my nails wafer thin and severely indented/uneven.
After having four sets of acrylics during a three month period, I decided to say goodbye to acrylics for good and instead began investing in nail growth serums to try to grow my natural nails. After speaking with others who expressed similar concerns about nail biting, damage from acrylics, etc., I decided to start an Instagram account (@nailbish) to document my nail growth progress and promote natural nail growth as opposed to artificial nails.
I now have natural nails that are long enough to look like just acrylics, and I can confidently say that I will never go back to nail biting or acrylics. I want to specifically thank Nailtiques Nail Protein Formula 2 for helping my nails grow so strong and long!
Growing out my nails both benefitted my health as I no longer have to deal with harmful toxins or UV lights involved in the acrylic nail process and it has also allowed me to save a lot of money and time as a college student.
Now, instead of paying $50-60 for an hour-long acrylic manicure, I do my own nail filing, cuticle removal, etc. and simply pay $6 for a 15-minute regular polish! With healthier nails, regular polish can stay for 1-2 weeks without chipping, so I am also able to bypass gel polish which can also be very damaging to nails.
I truly believe that growing out your natural nails will become more popular and trendy as people start to realize these health and economic benefits, and I have inspired some of my followers to begin growing out their natural nails already. I want to provide people with tips, tools, and products that I found useful in my nail journey.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Chipping has been a major struggle! When I first removed my acrylics, I had to wait about six months for my nails to grow back healthy and strong, and now almost a year later they are stronger than I have ever had them due to daily care as well as avoidance of gels and acrylics.
During the first six months, my nails would frequently chip as they were very brittle, and this was very frustrating as I was desperately trying to grow them out. I often considered giving up on growing them out and going back to acrylics or nail biting, but having support from Instagram followers really helped to keep me going!
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Nailbish – what should we know?
While there are many others on Instagram in this niche natural nail growing community (who have nails I could only dream of), I am most proud of the fact that I don’t personally know or meet many others who grow their nails out like I do. To most, my ability to grow my nails to a length that resembles acrylics is fairly unique. Some people say that my long nails freak them out and look weird, and I find it really interesting that artificial/acrylic nails are more accepted than naturally long nails.
I am amazed that more people do not grow their nails out for economic/health reasons, and I wonder if it is maybe because they have not thought about doing so or if it is because they either bite their nails or do not have nails healthy enough to grow out. As I mentioned before, I do believe that growing naturally long nails will become more mainstream in the near future as people start to realize how much damage acrylics are doing to their nails.
I am also proud of the fact that I often bypass the nail salon and paint my own nails which often look professionally done simply because of the length (which also makes it easier to paint due to the larger surface).
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Patience and persistence have been key to my success. As I mentioned previously, destroyed nails can take up to six months to grow back. During this period, I had to care for them daily applying cuticle oils (Blossom Cuticle Oil) and nail strengtheners (ONYX Hard as Hoof Strengthening Cream) to ensure healthy growth. Now, care is very easy as I simply get them painted at the salon every 1-2 weeks and file/remove cuticles on my own time.
Pricing:
- Nailtiques Nail Protein Formula 2 (0.25 oz) is $22.99 on Amazon
- ONYX Hard As Hoof Nail Strengthening Cream is $7.99 on Amazon
- Blossom Scented Cuticle Oil (0.42 oz) is $7.69 on Amazon
Contact Info:
- Phone: 858-886-6025
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nailbish/
Image Credit:
Allegra Samsen
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
