Nail Tips You Can’t Afford to Miss for Healthier, Beautiful Nails!

Sometimes, the littlest changes can make a difference in the appearance and health of your nails.

Not very long ago, my fingernails were an abomination.  They were weak, developing a strange curve, and breaking regardless of strengthening products, nail polishes, etc. Finally, I did find a solution and turned that ugly nail problem around.  Today, I want to share some valuable nail tips that definitely can help you too!

Your diet plays a part in how your nails look.  Even though you may think that you are eating all the right nutrients, you could be lacking essential building blocks of what makes up those nails.  Don’t forget, the medications you take even over-the-counter ones may help alter the nutrients that your body is actually taking in.  Therefore, it is quite possible that you may need a biotin supplement.  Please look for one that has some sort of regulatory seal before you swallow or better yet talk to your doctor first if you're on medication. (When it comes to what goes into our vitamins, we are left at the mercy of companies with how this industry is currently regulated.  If you don’t believe me, then read my earlier post and look at the picture of what a seemingly innocent vitamin did to me).

Another important thing is keeping your nails from drying further.  Make it a habit to apply hand cream or lotion every chance that you get and be sure to rub some in over your nails in the process.  The hand cream will replenish that moisture and help further condition nails. 

Before you attempt to paint your nails, it is a good idea not to do it regularly.  Nails need time to breathe, especially less than healthy ones.  Try spacing your manicures out and skipping a week in between doing another.  

Something else to keep in mind is reading the labels of your current nail products to avoid bad ingredients that could be contributing to this problem.  For instance, toluene and formaldehyde that are used by some brands for thickening and use in how well the polish adheres to the nail are, in fact, very harsh and bring on brittleness.  Acetone in nail polish removers also can zap all the moisture from nails, causing them to dry out.  A better option would be switching to a non-acetone remover or at least relying on the acetone variety less than you had.

Learn to respect your cuticles since they protect the root of your nail from infection.  Be careful with that skin. Cutting it is a bad move and can hurt how the nail grows.  Instead, gently use your orange stick and push the cuticle back with a towel after showering.

We all heard of nail salons that can pass on infections because of less than sanitary handling of their tools and products.  Yet, it is just as critical to keep your home manicure tools as sanitary as possible by cleaning them with soap and water each time you use them.  

The way you file your nails to shape them can also affect your nail’s health.  Square nails are quite popular, but if made very square those nails also have a tendency to tear at the corners.  If you file the nails too round at the corners, the same holds true, but  only what you’ll be doing is making them more prone to splitting.  What I suggest is incorporating both the square and oval shape while filing to form the squoval shape, a square that you gently round at the corners.  

Just as important to nail shape is giving some thought to nail length.  When you have extremely long nails, you have greater chances of breaking them compared to somewhat shorter nails.  Furthermore, a shorter length looks more polished and professional than nails that look like talons.

For more nail help, do look in my labels section under nails for additional tips and DIY treatments.  Take care and try these tips, but just remember to be patient.  I am sure that you will see an improvement soon enough!