Nail polish has a cult like following by  women, to the point that they will pay hundreds of dollars just to keep wear that perfect shade.  And just when most women have given up on  manicures, along comes the shellac trend which has women wanting it more.  However, the down side of the shellac trend is that it damages your nails.  The significant amount of acetone it requires to remove the shellac polish eats away at the layers of your nail. As women we often  feel as if we need to sacrifice health for beauty but Dr. Gannon feels like we can still have beauty and not compromise our health.
We had the opportunity  to sit down with local Podiatric Surgeon , Dr. Cary Gannon, to talk about her new complete nail care system along with nail polish that will meet any beauty junkies standards.
WS: Â As a Podiatric surgeon, what made you want to create an entire nail care system?
Dr. Gannon:  Of course, part of came out of seeing damaged nails on a daily basis.  The other part came from wanting to show a creative side of myself.   I was also selling a competitive product in my office that honestly, they made me mad by not living up to what they said they were.   I started working with my best friend, Sonny.  It’s  just fun to do something with your best friend that you love to do, something that will make people feel good and be healthy. There were really four issues that I wanted to address: Eliminating toxic ingredients and carcinogens found in traditional nail colors and removers . Incorporating natural and organic ingredients with wellness properties into our treatments and therapies.  Addressing underlying issues and pathologies that prevent healthy nail growth.  Lastly, I wanted to offer a total nail care solution with an emphasis on anti-bacterial, anti-oxidant, moisturizing and anti-inflammatory activities as well as special attention to damage prevention.
WS:  What inspired you to name your  company Aila?
Dr Gannon:  It is named after my youngest daughter, Aila.   My oldest daughter goes by  Mac and since that name was taken we went with Aila.
WS: Â Can you tell us more about your nail care system?
Dr Gannon:  We have a Prime Base Coat- this is so important and one of the most overlooked steps for women.  When you don’t apply a Prime Base Coat it can cause the nail to yellow.  Shine Top Coat to prevent your nails from chipping.  Coconut Nail and Cuticle Therapy gives you the ability to control fungal infestation with the benefit of moisturizing your nails.  What I am most excited about is the 3 in 1 Soy based  Remover with Argan Oil. The typical nail polish remover contains acetone  and while it takes  nail polish off , it is also  stripping the nail of its natural oils.  With our remover,  we don’t use those chemicals and we found a way to nourish the nail with Argan Oil. It’s hands-down my favorite product of the entire line!
WS: Â Aila has only been officially launched a couple of months, tell us about your National/International recognition you have recieved?
Dr. Gannon: We are currently being sold out of New York online at BeauTeaBar.  No More Dirty Looks just did a review on our product.  We’ve have had purchases for  our product online go to  Australia and Canada.  There are also a couple of celebrities ,who I can’t name, but they absolutely can’t  get enough of our product.
WS:Â You have some unique names for your nail polish, can you explain that?
Dr. Gannon:  It’s all about relationships.  Ms. Martin is one of our best friends from college.  Ms. Martin was #8 on Auburn softball team so her color is our 8th color.  PFF UGGGH is the story  of my youngest daughter who  had a hard time verbalizing what she wanted so she would just say PFF UGGH.  MacKenna is my daughter’s name.  Bodega is the bar where I would hang out in college with Sonny, Kelly, and Ms. Martin  Room 212 has a personal story as I’m recently divorced so instead of bringing a date home, sometimes you get a hotel room and it may be Room 212.  So, we encourage our customers if you have a really good story it might become a nail color.
WS: Â Where can you buy Aila nail care system locally?
Dr. Gannon: You can purchase it at my office inside Williamson Medical Center or downtown Franklin at Emmaline.
WS: Â What is your best selling nail color?
Dr. Gannon:  Wheatgrass is our best selling at BeauTeaBar  and Emmaline.  The story with the name Wheatgrass is that I started doing a shot of wheatgrass every morning to regain control of my health.  PFF UGGH  and Ms. Martin are the other two that also sell extremely well.  We are launching a couple of more darker colors this fall.
WS: Â Do you have any last words regarding our nail health?
Dr. Gannon: Â Â Always. always, always, Â take your own products to the salon when you have a pedicure. Â Here is the reason why, Â when they use that community nail polish, every time they put that brush back in the polish you are receiving cross contamination of bacteria that has been there before you. Â Take your own stuff with you. Â Minimize your risk of picking up a fungal disease by following this rule.
Thanks so much to Dr. Gannon for sitting down with us to talk about her new line, Aila. Â Â If you have a story about a new product, contact [email protected].
