How Have Healthier Nails
You might not think it, but you can tell a lot about a person from their nails. Bitten or distended nails are often seen as a sign as a sign that someone is prone to nervousness or low confidence, whereas someone with perfectly manicured nails can seem a little conceited and vain. And it’s not all on a superficial level, the condition of someone’s nails can give an indication of their overall health and nail problems can be the first sign of more serious health problems. But it’s not just about what everyone else thinks. We all get an extra confidence boost from going out with a perfect set of nails. So here are a few tips to help keep your nails looking great.
Firstly and most importantly, never let your nails dry out. Always use hand cream after you wash your hands and regularly throughout the day as required. This will help your nails and cuticles to retain their moisture and prevent them from becoming brittle and breaking or peeling. Moisturisers like those by Aesop are a good choice as they last all day and work well with your skin. Don’t cut your cuticles, instead carefully push them back when they are soft, for example after a bath or shower. If you are still encourtering problems with dry skin I would recommend using Eve Lom as their creams are extremely good!
If you do have dry, brittle nails or get hangnails, it could be because of a problem with your diet. Calcium deficiency can cause nails to peel or break, and white spots can often be caused by not getting enough iron. All these things can be easily remedied by eating a balanced diet. Manual work, including housework and washing up, can seriously damage nails so wear gloves especially where washing up liquid is involved, and always moisturise when you’re finished.
Nail polish looks good but can really damage the nails if you use it all the time. Only paint your nails when you’re going out and want to look your best, there’s really no point going to all that effort if you’re only going to work where they will only chip anyway. When you do use nail colour, use a base coat to prevent the colour from staining. OPI is a good place to start for a great range of colours that are long lasting, and they do base coats and nail treatments too. When you remove your nail polish use as little remover as possible and, yes that’s right, wash your hands and use moisturiser straight afterwards to prevent your nails from drying out.
