You may not realise it, but your nails are actually quite delicate and need regular care and attention. Splitting, peeling, white spots, horizontal grooves and hangnails are all signs ...
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You may not realise it, but your nails are actually quite delicate and need regular care and attention. Splitting, peeling, white spots, horizontal grooves and hangnails are all signs that your nails need some care. And regular manicures aren’t the answer. Here are 12 tips to help you get strong, healthy nails.
Your hands are a magnet for germs and bacteria, so you must ensure they are grime-free. When washing your hands, pay attention to the underside of your fingernails to prevent bacteria from growing there. Every few days, soap up your hands and use a clean toothbrush to scrub your nails gently and the skin surrounding it. This will remove any dirt and exfoliate the skin, getting rid of dead cells and giving your hands a fresh appearance and help you maintain healthy nails.
Now, we aren’t talking about avoiding water altogether, just not soaking your nails in water for long periods of time. Repeated contact with water or long exposure to water can make your nails brittle and weak. This can cause split fingernails. Protect them by wearing cotton-lined rubber gloves when doing chores that involve water, like doing the dishes or cleaning the kitchen or bathroom.
Many cleaning products, furniture polishes and pesticides contain harsh chemicals that can damage or weaken nails. For healthy fingernails, wear rubber gloves when using any product that you think might be harmful. The gloves will protect your hands and nails by helping you avoiding contact with chemicals.
Some nail polishes, treatments and removers contain potentially harmful chemicals that can weaken nails. Talk to your nail technician about using nontoxic nail polishes and avoid nail polish removers with acetone as the chemical can dry out your nails and damage them.
Scratching and picking off your nail polish also isn’t the best way to remove it. Doing so will remove the protective upper layer of your nail, ruin its texture, and make it very dry. If you notice your nail polish has lost its shine and is starting to chip off, resist the temptation to start scraping it. To maintain healthy nails, it is best to remove nail polish with a cotton pad soaked in acetone-free nail polish remover.
Just like with your hair, your nails too need regular trims. This makes them less likely to break or snag. Try to clip your nails every fortnight and file them to even out any rough edges. Also, if you spot a hangnail, don’t pull it off as you will probably yank out live tissue as well. It’s best to carefully snip off any hangnails you spot.
If your nails are weak and more prone to breakage, then we recommend you keep them short till they get stronger. Long nails might look elegant, but they are also more prone to breakage, getting caught on things and regular wear and tear. By keeping them short you are lessening the risk of your nails getting cracked, split or chipped, and helping maintain their health.
Keep a nail file handy if your nails tend to break or snag, so that you can you can take care of any rough edges immediately. Avoid using an emory board — it can cause your nails to split or peel and snag. Instead, opt for a glass nail file as it will give your nails an even edge and it is suitable to use even on brittle, weak and damaged nails. When filing your nails, don’t do it in a back-and-forth motion, as this will weaken your nails. For strong nails and a smooth finish, file your nails in one direction. Take care with the sides, as too much filing there isn’t good for healthy nails.
Moisturising is important for healthy skin as well as nails. Lack of moisture can also cause dry, brittle nails. So, pay your nails some attention the next time you are applying moisturiser to your hands. Spend a little more time rubbing the lotion, cream or serum into your fingernails and cuticles, ensuring the entire area is moisturised.
The cuticle around your nail serves an essential purpose — it provides a protective cover or seal around the base. Push it back to aggressively or cut it too far down and you are breaking that protective cover and damaging the cuticle. This also injures the nail bed and the combined effect means you are putting yourself at risk of infection, not to mention painful, red tears. So, be careful when cutting or cleaning your cuticles. For healthy fingernails, keep your cuticles moisturised every day. If you do want to push them back a little to clean the area, do it after you’ve showered when your skin is soft and more pliable. Use a wooden stick and gently push the edges, do not trim them at all — leave that to a professional. Once you are done, massage your nails and cuticles with a cuticle oil or nail cream to moisturise and protect the area.
While nails are strong, they aren’t strong enough to be used in place of a tool. Avoid using them in place of a screw driver or to wedge your way into a small space. And when opening a can of soda, use the pads of your fingers to lift the tab. Using your nails to do all these tasks can cause chipping, cracking, breaking and weakening of the nail.
Your nails are delicate, so give them some protection when layering on nail polish. A base coat is typically a clear polish that is applied on nails before nail polish. Using a base coat helps prevent any stains, yellowing of nails, and gives the nail polish an extended wear time.
As you can see, your nails are only as strong and healthy as you make them. So, give them the TLC they deserve and following these tips.
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