Nail Heath is Wealth

Before you start putting on those acrylics, your actual nails need to be in tip top shape and healthy but what can I say,no one ever told us girls that we have to take care of our nails and how to actually take care of them. So here,I offer you some tips on getting and maintaining healthy nail beds that’ll remain beautiful for a lifetime. LET’S BEGIN!!

If you were to take a close look at your nails right now how would you describe them?Are they strong, clean and healthy?Or are they discolored, have breaks, have an unusual shape and are dry?

If your nails are the latter keep reading because these undesirable nail conditions can be avoided with proper and healthy fingernail care. 

Okay,so let’s talk about what makes up the actual nail. Our fingernails are composed of laminated layers of a tough protective protein called keratin.

Fun fact!This protein is also found in the hooves and horns of different animals, so yes sis now you know how hard your nails are meant to be. However, you may be wondering Why are your nails always breaking and why they are so soft, thin and weak,well here’s your answer.

So why do nails get brittle in the first place? Your nails grow from the cuticle at a rate of about 0.004 inches (0.1 mm) a day. As soon as the nail is exposed to everyday wear and tear, it may begin to suffer damage. In between layers of keratin, there are small spaces. When nails are exposed to air and water, the spaces can swell. This makes the layers easier to separate, resulting in increased breakage.

Sometimes, fingernails develop harmless vertical ridges that run from the cuticle to the tip of the nail and overtime these vertical ridges become more prominent.In addition, your fingernails can also develop white lines or spots due to injury.

Yes, we use our hands a lot so its natural for our nails to be somewhat damaged, however, you may be harming your nails by doing the simplest things and not even know.

So here are some tips to get healthier and stronger fingernails.

Stop biting your fingernails and picking at your cuticles.

YOU!Yes I’m talking to you,the serial nail biter. Stop biting those nails.Biting your nails can damage the nail bed and may even leave minor cuts alongside your fingernail which can allow bacteria to enter and this can even cause an infection.So if you want to have healthy nails the #1 rule is ditch the biting.

Let those hangnails hang until you get some clippers.

Yes, they are extremely painful and we just want them to be gone, but pulling at them and trying to rip them out does more harm tha good.If anything, you might rip live tissue along with the hangnail.So resist that urge to pull those hangnails and simply clip them off instead.Here’s another tip,if you know you can’t resist the urge to pull out the hangnails,keep your clippers in your cosmetic bag.

Put down the Acetone. Limit your use of nail polish remover and if you can’t avoid it use an acetone-free formula as acetone strips your nails causing them to become brittle.In my experience, a brand like Cutex is good to use as they offer acetone-free nail polish remover.

Stop peeling off your polish.

Peeling off your polish doesn’t just remove polish, it can also remove layers of the actual nail which then would explains the thinning of your nail.I know I said put down the acetone earlier but like I said earlier try to stick to the acetone-free nail polish remover for removing polish.

In this day and age almost every female wants beautiful nails,and yes the world of acrylic nails are endless but we can’t forget to take care of what’s under those acrylics so here are some nail care tips that will take your nails from looking scandalous to glamorous.

Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize.

Although some health conditions may lead to brittle nails, dry nails also are caused by activities such as washing dishes and using harsh cleaning products and for the majority of people with brittle, dry nails, the best treatment is the most simple…MOISTURIZE.

Applying moisturizer to your nails can keep them from becoming brittle as moisturizer protects the nail plate from the air and water that can cause damage. 

Protect your nails.We love nail polish, however, some nail polishes can turn your nails yellow so get the facts and avoid nail polishes that contain formaldehyde.

Also, it helps to keep your nails shaped and trimmed.Keeping nails attractive actually helps keep them healthy so when your nails are shaped and at a desirable length with some nail polish this is equivalent to a protective hairstyle for all my natural ladies out there.

Here’s a bonus tip ladies. Glove it Up! Even women in the 1950s knew doing dishes killed your manicure. I mean, nowadays we have dishwashers but we all still scrub a big pan now and then without putting on gloves and that my friend is a mistake. Always wear gloves.According to celebrity manicurist Erica Marton. “Chemicals in cleaning products break down the molecules of the nail and they can even cause nail polish to break down” So its imperative that you were gloves if you want healthy nails in the long run.

It’s easy to neglect your nails however, good nail care is fairly simple my friends.As long as you keep your nails clean, dry, polished, shaped and you take the basic steps mentioned above you will have beautiful, healthy, strong nails for life.