Simple Ways To Maintain Stronger And Healthier Nails

Nail health is an important part of your overall health. Just like taking care of your skin and hair, you should also spend a bit of time taking care of your nails.

The best way to stronger, healthy nails is mostly through simple lifestyle habits, not pricy nail tools, and the good news is, healthy nails require an investment of time, not money. Therefore, follow these simple, affordable and natural ways to achieve stronger and longer nails.

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1. Moisturize Your Cuticles

Dry, cracked cuticles not only look bad, but they can lead to serious bacterial infections that require a lot more attention than just a trip to the nail salon, so consider proper moisture the foundation of your nail care routine. You may apply:

• Shea Butter – which is proven to heal damaged nail beds and cuticles, thanks to its hydrating emollient properties; slather it onto your nails for twenty minutes once a week for best results;
• Grapeseed Oil – which is a super gentle option for hydrating cracked nails to promote quick healing; also good for sensitive skin;
• Avocado and Almond Oil – a homemade moisturizer that you can apply to your nails overnight and keep them moisturized;
• Cuticle Oil;
• Olive Oil; and,
• Jojoba Oil and Vitamin E.

There are numerous moisturizing nail products on the market, but applying moisturizer is really only half the battle, there’s more to strong nails than a fancy cream or serum.

2. Trim Your Nails Regularly

Regularly trimming the nails helps you to maintain healthy nails and avoid snagging or breaking. Its frequency depends on how fast your nails grow. Therefore, file the smooth edges of your nails and you may also buff the surface of your nails lightly especially if you tend to get ridges often.

3. Maintain A Healthy Diet

You need to eat healthy for your optimal health and this includes your nails as you need to keep the keratin, building blocks of your nails, strong. So, enrich your diet with protein-rich food and leafy greens which are packed with Vitamin B. In addition, you may also drink a glass of milk or non-dairy milk for stronger nails. There are tons of other foods you can also use that will help improve your nail and overall health.

4. Don’t Cut Your Cuticles

Cuticle, or eponychium, is a layer of clear skin located at the base of your fingernail or toenail. Its function is to protect new nails from bacteria when they grow out from the nail root. The area around it is delicate as it can get dry, damaged, and infected.

It is unnecessary to cut your cuticles just to have great-looking nails. A compromised cuticle can leave the nails vulnerable and at risk of infection. Instead, simply push your cuticles back using an orangewood stick as it is a safer alternative and will keep your nails looking well groomed and clean.

5. Give Your Nails A Break

Too much nail polish, wearing it for too long, changing different nail polish every day is wrong. You don’t give them an opportunity to rest. Imagine carrying something difficult 24 hours a day without rest, give them a break they deserve.

6. File Your Nails In One Direction

Filing your nails should be a regular part of your beauty regimen regardless of your nail length to prevent breakage, peeling and splitting. Consequently, use an emery board to file the sides and tops of your nails, and move the file in only one direction. If your nails are super brittle, look for a glass or crystal nail file as they’re gentler on nails.

7. Keep Your Nail Tools Clean

It is highly recommended to disinfect your nail tools before using them. Stainless-steel tools like clippers should be washed with soap and warm water, and then disinfected with a cotton ball soaked in rubbing alcohol. While for emery boards and buffing blocks, since these cannot be disinfected, replace them with a new one when the grit wears down.

Also, always remember to never share your nail tools and to clean them properly after using them. Wrap them in a paper towel to absorb moisture and store in a cotton bag or in a drawer to allow air circulation.

8. Avoid Biting Your Nails

Biting your nails can lead to infection, tearing and weak nails. It is said that biting your nails can be a sign of “impulsive perfection” wherein after your teeth cause your nails and cuticles to tear, you’ll often keep biting them to keep ends looking “clean.”

If you tend to bite your nails, reclaim it by getting a manicure to clean up the damage and to deter further biting. Keeping your fingernails painted can encourage you to leave your hands alone, since a clear coat of polish can help strengthen your nails and give off a terrible taste.

9. Clean Using A Nail Brush

Many women risk infection with rigorous cleaning under the nails using long, pointy tools, both at home and during manicures. It sometimes end up with a kind of a gap between the nail and the nail bed which becomes an open door for bacterial or fungal infections. Instead, scrub gently using an old-fashioned nail brush for healthy nails.

10. Wear Gloves When Washing The Dishes

Excessive water exposure can put significant strain on delicate nail cells, called onychocytes, which can lead to brittleness, peeling, and breakage So, consider wearing gloves while doing the dishes or other wet work to achieve a protective nail care.

11. Take Infections Seriously

Healthy fingernails are smooth, without pits or grooves. They’re uniform in color and consistency and free of spots or discoloration.

Sometimes fingernails develop harmless vertical ridges that run from the cuticle to the tip of the nail. They actually become more prominent with age. Fingernails can also develop white lines or spots due to injury, but these eventually grow out with the nail.

However, not all nail conditions are normal. Consult your doctor or dermatologist if you notice signs of bacterial infections such as:

• Redness, swelling or pain around the nails
• Puffy, red, irritated skin around the nail bed
• Changes in nail color, such as discoloration of the entire nail or a dark streak under the nail
• Changes in nail shape, such as curled nails
• Thinning or thickening of the nails
• Separation of the nail from the surrounding skin
• Bleeding around the nails
• Failure of nails to grow out

Fungal infections could improve with an over-the-counter anti-fungal treatment, but they sometimes require prescription medications. For optimal nail care, get medical attention when healthy nails are at risk.

12. Don’t Pull Off Hangnails

A hangnail is a tiny, torn piece of skin next to a fingernail or toenail. Do not pull it as you might rip live tissue along with the hangnail. Instead, carefully clip them off using clippers.

13. Skip Acrylic or Gel Manicures

Your acrylic nails look amazing but they are really damaging to the nails while exposing them to UV light. Aside from that, it also harms the skin around your nail as UV light makes your skin very soft and prone to skin cancer. But if you can’t resist having this extravagant stylistic nails, and I know this sounds funny, but if you really want to protect your skin, apply a sunscreen factor 50 before undergoing this procedure.

14. Be Knowledgeable About The Products You Use

• Read the labels of the nail polish and make sure there isn’t anything that could damage your nails. Stay away from suspicious and toxic chemicals such as dibutyl phthalate, toluene, and formaldehyde.
• Use crystal nail files instead of those old-as-time emery boards which create microscopic tears in the nail that lead to splits and peeling
• Use non-acetone nail polish removers that contain hydrating oils and other ingredients
• Use a gentle nail brush or an extra toothbrush you have lying around to clean out dirt
• Avoid using those so-called nail growth treatment or products in the market which are basically nail polishes with marketing additives that have no scientific validity

15. Just Be Patient With Your Nail Growth

Stronger nails can lead to longer nails if you practice good nail care, but it all takes time. Prevent nails from becoming brittle and having constant breakage by keeping your nails clipped short until they regain strength; after then, they’ll have the foundation they need to grow longer.

16. A Final Note About Mani-Pedis

Keep manicures and pedicures simple to preserve healthy nails. But if you rely on mani-pedis for healthy-looking nails, keep these few things in mind:

• Stick to salons that display a current business license, and work only with licensed nail technician.
• Don’t have your cuticles removed as they act to seal the skin to the nail plate, so removal can lead to nail infection.
• Make sure your nail technician properly sterilizes all tools used during your procedure to prevent the spread of infection.
• You might also ask how the foot baths are cleaned. Ideally, a bleach solution is used between clients and the filters are cleaned regularly.
• Skip the acrylic nails, which ultimately could lead to more infections, and be aware that there is a small risk of skin cancer from the UV light that affixes solar nails. Wear sunscreen on your hands if you are going to be putting them under the light.

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Conclusion

Incorporating these habits in your beauty routine might help you achieve those beautiful healthy nails. Do these things for a month and see if you can notice the change. I would be really happy if this helps you.

Keep doing your best by keeping your overall health on a top level. Now start doing them and don’t forget to tell your friends about this. They have nails, too! 🙂

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