Tips For Proper Nail Care

Tips For Proper Nail Care - Our fingernails and our hands take a whole lot of abuse from us. Just think of what you do with your hands on a daily basis: they are put under hot water as we shower, wash our hands, and clean the dishes. They face the cold during those chilly winter months or if we stick them in cold water. All different temperatures, climates, and materials are handled by our hands and nails, so it’s no wonder that women often have nails that chip, crack and break right off.

While it may seem completely unavoidable now, the truth is that you can have strong nails that will grow without breaking off. Here are some things to bear in mind while trying to keep your nails beautiful and strong.

Choose a Good Length

By “good length” we don’t mean necessarily the length that you want. Sure, you may want 3 inch long nails, but how realistic is that? Think about what you do on a daily basis. Think about your occupation. If you are handling things in the work place frequently, or even if you are typing away at a computer, your nails are constantly touching and tapping against things. Having 3 inch long nails is unrealistic for most of us, so it’s time to get real about what length is actually sustainable.

Real nails are generally at a comfortable length at half an inch in length, though you may be able to stretch it to 1 inch if you do perform proper nail maintenance on a regular basis. Anything beyond that, however, and you are destined to have cracked nails.

Keep the Cuticle Moisturized

Having dried up and damaged cuticles are just leaving your nails open to being unhealthy. The cuticle is the thin piece of skin that overlaps the top of our fingernail. This skin is important as it helps keep dirt and debris out of the nail bed, and it prevents moisture from coming in and causing nail fungus to grow.

When ever you are moisturizing your hands, take additional care to rub the moisturizer into the cuticles. You can also purchase special cuticle creams that will help seal in the moisture. The best ones are waxy in texture so that they repel dirt and water.

File in One Direction

When ever you are filing your nails, file in one direction only. There should be no “sawing” or back and forth motion being used when filing your nails. This sawing motion only breaks down the integrity of the nail and leaves it more prone to splitting and cracking.

Use a Base Coat

If you are wearing nail polish on a regular basis, please remember to always apply a base coat first before you apply any color. Base coats not only protect our nails from becoming stained by the colored nail polish, but a lot of them also include strengthening products that will support your desire in growing longer, more beautiful nails. You don’t have to spend a ton of money on a base coat either; a simple, basic basecoat that you can find in your drugstore will do.