Tips For Better Looking, Stronger And Healthier Nails

Having strong, healthy nails allows you to show off more beautiful hands. Remember that they are an important part of our body, with a high aesthetic value, but also with a specific function.

Find out in this article some tips to have prettier nails throughout the year. Don’t miss it!

Recommendations for having prettier nails

We seem to believe that having them healthy is merely aesthetic. However, we must know that they  also play important roles in our health; like, for example, protecting our fingers (our main instrument of touch).

Furthermore, they are a “window” to find out how we are in health. These tips will help you to have prettier and healthier nails:

Keep them clean and dry at all times

When they are damp or dirty, they can become a favorite place for bacteria and fungi. You need to take good care of your hygiene,  not leave them soaking for a long time, put on rubber gloves before handling chemicals, dry them well with a towel or even use a hair dryer after taking a shower.

don’t use them for anything

A very common mistake we make is using them incorrectly. They are not used as a can opener, nor for uncapping things.

Neither to scratch something that has stuck to the countertop, nor to remove a sticker, etc. Remember, for all these things, there are specific tools.

Treat them well and don’t “force” them to do work that could damage them.

Hydrate them daily

The nails need to be moisturized, just like the skin on the hands or any part of the body.

In addition, these also get dry and this has consequences for your appearance and health. When using hand cream, be sure to massage your hands as well. If, however, they tend to break or break easily, perhaps the cause is lack of hydration.

always cut them

Having them long is not comfortable and can hurt. Furthermore, by cutting them (not sanding them) we are helping them to grow faster and stronger.

Don’t cut your cuticles (a frequent mistake in manicures), because they have one purpose: to prevent bacteria from entering the skin or body.

don’t eat your nails

Biting your nails and cutting them bit by bit is not only very ugly, it also damages the skin area under the nail. Also, because they are always moist, it will be easier to get infected with fungi or contract diseases.

And saliva will prevent your nails from getting strong and growing as they should. If those small skins usually come out on the sides of the nails, it is better to cut them and not remove them with your mouth, this way you avoid infections and that the skin becomes raw.

Do not use nail polish every day

Nails need to “breathe”, and nail polish does not allow this. This is not to say that we have to put aside the beautiful colors of the season; but rather allow them to be free of any product once or twice a week.

In addition, nail polish can have unhealthy ingredients.

If you use a lot of nail polish, try using the most natural ones. Always apply a colorless foundation before any other shade. And pay attention to the strong colors, such as red, black, blue or purple, because they stain.

Regarding the nail polish remover, opt for those that do not have acetone and, even so, do not use it more than once a week.

follow a healthy diet

What we eat reverberates throughout our body, both internally and externally. If we want to have beautiful nails, it is necessary to consume foods that are rich in protein; such as fish, meat, dairy products or dark green vegetables.

In this way, the body will produce a greater amount of keratin, the material from which they are made.

monitor any changes

It is said that “the eyes are the mirror of the soul”. We could add that “the nails are the mirror of the body”. Some changes in its color, texture, shape or growth rate may indicate a problem.

For example, if the nails are yellow, not only is it an overuse of nail polish, it could also be due to some lung disease.

If they are too dark, it could mean the presence of melanoma (skin cancer). There are many causes that lead to changes in the color of the nails (keep the cigarette close, use a harmful product, do not remove the nail polish for many days).

It’s good, then, to know them well and pay attention to the changes. The average growth is between 2 and 3 cm per year. Analyze if they have vertical streaks, if they scale, if they grow more or less at a certain time of year, etc.

Protect your nails all year round

When it’s cold, it’s good to wear wool gloves to protect yourself from the cold and, in summer, don’t forget to apply sunscreen over them too.

Also, keep them sanded short and, to make them lighter, you can rub them with a piece of lemon once a week (always at night or if you’re not going out).

Another home remedy that can help improve the appearance is to heat up some olive oil and apply it with massage.