Perfect nails are important! We all love that fresh manicure feeling and we all love a long lasting manicure. Deciding what color you want at the salon isn't the only important thing when it comes to nails. We have to think about nail health as well. We have to consider how to take care of our nails so they stay in great shape, especially after getting false nails!
Did you know that our nails aren't only there to look pretty, they can have a lot to do with showing us about our health as well! This article not only shows how to care for our nails but how they can care for us too!
Nail Symptoms and What They Mean for Your Health
Don't just brush off an odd color in your nail as nothing, it could be a sign of a health issue you're unaware of. Our nails can tell us a lot about what's going on in our bodies by simply changing shape or color.
- If your nails are turning yellow it could be a sign of fungal infection, or in more serious cases, diabetes, respiratory disease or thyroid disease.
- Clubbing is when your nails curve downward and look rounder. This could be a sign of liver, kidney, heart or lung disease.
- Dark discoloration on your nails could be a sign of melanoma, which is a skin cancer.
- White spots could just be a sign of nail trauma or a fungal infection.
If your nails show any of these symptoms, it's recommended you book an appointment with your doctor to make sure there's nothing serious going on.
Stop Biting Your Nails!
Biting our nails is a popular bad habit. Whether it be nerves or boredom, we have all bitten our nails at one time or another and never thought much about it. Turns out, it's super gross! It is time to rid the world of this bad habit once and for all!
Fingernails carry all sorts of germs, duh! This one's obvious, we touch a lot of things throughout the day, public bathroom handles included! Eww! Biting your nails after that doesn't seem so tempting now, does it?
Dental problems! This one will affect those who've had braces the most. Biting your nails can actually cause your teeth to reposition! It's time to stop this before the thousands of dollars' worth of tooth straightening is undone!
Nail polish is not meant to be ingested. Think about it! It's filled with all sorts of chemicals, and every time we chew our nails, we're swallowing little flecks of the stuff!
You've got to keep your mouth busy so you won't feel the need to chew, so try chewing gum.
How to Grow Your Nails Long and Strong
Obviously, the first step is to stop biting your nails. The next step is to lay off the nail polish for a while until they get back to their natural state. File your nails into a round shape, this makes them stronger. Moisturize your cuticles daily, and moisturize all your nails too.
Taking Biotin vitamin supplements will really help with the growth of your nails. Once they're at a healthy point, you may continue you get them all pretty and manicured, but make sure to not skip the base coat and top coats. Get manicured as regularly as you can to maintain the up keep of perfect nails, and feel free to use nail strengthening polishes.
Most importantly, be patient! Your nails won't be even and perfecting looking overnight. You've got to be patient and persistent with your nail routine.
Using these tips, and taking a bit of time for yourself and your nails regularly will have your nails back on balance, and give you some rest and relaxation time as well!
Take Care of Your Nails at Home
Not all of us have the spare time and money to be at the salon weekly. We have work, family and general life commitments that cannot stop for our nails! Thankfully, there are ways for you to have it all! These tips and tricks show you how you can keep your perfect nails perfect in the comfort of your own home!
1. Use rubber gloves for dishes!
If you own a dishwasher, skip ahead. This tip is for my hard working, scrubbing ladies. Never ever wash dishes, or do any housework for that matter, without rubber gloves on protecting your nails. The chemicals that you use to clean can have such damaging effects on your nails!.
2. Trim regularly.
Trimming your nails every couple of weeks is very easy, free, and takes basically no time at all! Just remember don't trim them too far down. Avoid scraping under your nails with tools as you can push too far and ruin the nail bed underneath!
3. Moisturize!
As I mentioned earlier, moisturizing your cuticles, hands, and nails is a very important step, plus it's a quick and easy way to maintain the health of your nails!
4. Adjusting your diet.
This one isn't a five-minute quick fix for your nails, but it will help your nails and health in the long run. Even though it's a long term solution, it still doesn't take up a lot of time! Biotin and Vitamin E supplements go a long way for your nails, and taking those as well as eating more protein rich foods help keep you healthy too!
5. Strengthening with a protective layer.
You don't have to be a nail artist to apply two coats of strengthening polish to your nails. It'll take 20 minutes, give or take drying time. You can do this during a lunch break or before bed! It's recommended to this twice weekly. If you want to wear a colored polish, make sure to have a layer of strengthener underneath!
6. Keeping your nails clean.
If you don't want to wear any nail products and just want healthy, natural looking nails then this is the tip for you! Freshly squeeze half a lemon and a cup of room temperature water into a bowl. Soak your nails in there for a few minutes before rinsing and moisturizing! This keeps your nails fresh and clean, and it's a natural remedy too!
Following all these tips, your nails should be looking perfect! Remember to maintain them and have a year round perfect manicure!