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I recently worked with a young girl of 19. She was very attractive, had plenty of male attention always dressed smartly and appropriately for work yet she had the most ridiculous talons poking from the ends of fingers. They were so obviously false as to be laughable and yet she loved them.

They used to fascinate me, or at least how they hindered her fascinated me. Watching her trying to pick up a paper clip from her desk was the highlight of my day. Once in a while one would 'ping' off into the ether, and the frantic scrabble that would ensue as she crawled round on the floor looking for it was a sight to behold!

However one day she came into the office with naked hands. Her natural nails were bumpy, yellowed and really quite ugly. I wondered if this was the reason she initially started getting her nails done as I could imagine that it may knock your confidence at such a young age. It turns out this was a side effect from having them done for so long - false nails and the substance used to adhere them cut off air supply to the natural nail and, quite simply, they suffocated.

When I commented on her lack of talons she replied that due to the nail technician having to file her nail bed to ensure the nail sticks, she now had a hole in the centre of her nail bed. She had been advised to not have new ones applied for at least a fortnight to allow her natural nail to become strong again. Brings sense to the saying 'Beauty is pain' in my book.

In her case there were also financial implications. Her salary was very low having only recently left school and there are plenty of other women on limited incomes that insist their fortnightly nail 'fix' is not a luxury but an essential part of their beauty routine. Even if it means going into debt to fund the habit.

Again the logic of this has totally passed me by.

Come on ladies, rejoice in what you were born with and what comes naturally. Stop looking up to the media presented image of women to fulfil your happiness. Stop trying to remodel yourself on the latest celebrity. Find ways to boost your inner confidence and self esteem without the need to paper over your flaws. It is often those very flaws that make us beautiful and unique.

Learn more about this author, Jane Sarchet.
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