Nail care - a step by step approach to healthy and beautiful nails

Nail care not only aids to to the aesthetics of hands and feet, it is an important part of body care routine.

Nails do so much for us: they help us grasp and manipulate small objects and provide protection against trauma to the ends of the fingers.

A few simple steps will provide for healthy and beautiful nails:



Use a nail file instead of nail clippers. It will inflict less trauma to the nails at the same time, it will make it easy to shape the nails.

For some reason, cuticles are considered ugly. They help protect the nail and skin underneath from infections and should not be cut. Cuticle care should only consist of gently pushing them back.



Apply a good homemade cuticle cream. Learn how to make homemade cuticle cream.

Remove the nail polisher often, don't apply a new layer over the old one. Once you remove it, let your nails rest a bit.



Once your nails are clean, dip them in warm olive oil and let them rest for 10 minutes or so. It is an excellent way to nourish them and make them stronger.



If your nails are difficult to cut, especially toe nails, try dipping them in warm water or warm water to which you will add a bit of salt. It will soften the nail and make the cutting easier without the risk of damaging the nail.



Finger nail care is a breeze when there are no infections or inflammations. What happens when a nail or cuticle inflammation does happen? Cuticles do a wonderful job of protecting our nails, but sometimes get irritated and painful. Easy! Prepare a mix of 1/2 onion (grated) and and some vegetable oil. Mix until the mass is consistent. Apply on the inflamed finger nail and wrap up with a clots. Apply it on 3 to 4 times a day.

Onion seems to be a great wart remedy according to our reader Tooma.

Onion seems to be a great wart remedy according to our reader Tooma.

Apply tips to keep your nails healthy, strong, and beautiful.



Yellowed and dull nails can be caused by many things. It can be smoking, vitamin deficiency, or consistent use of dark colored nail polisher. Nail whitener will brighten the nails. To prepare it, you will need:

1 tablespoon hydrogen peroxide

1 cup of warm water

Mix the two and soak nails for 15 minutes. Or, simply rub the nails with white vinegar.

Brittle nails are greatly strengthen when essential oils based recipes are used.



A homemade hand cream is a perfect way to add moisture to the dry skin of the hands.

Watch what you eat. Nails reflect what we eat and how we treat our body. Reduced intake of Vitamin B12 leads to brittle and dry nails. Drink plenty of water as it helps keep the skin and nails hydrated.



This might sound like common sense, but wash your hands frequently. Similar to athlete's foot that affects the feet and toenails, our nails are also susceptible to ringworm infections. Clean hands and nails will prevent the infection from spreading and affecting other parts of your body.

The worst part, for me at least, is nail biting. Avoid it as much as possible. If you already bite your nails, maybe some of these tips for preventing nail biting might be useful.



One of the best things that I have done for myself was to purchase Nailtiques Formula 2 for thin, brittle nails. This is not your regular nail polish. This nail polish is actually protein in liquid form and for those of us with brittle, peeling nails (or those of us who bite our nails, ugh!), this is a life saver! What you do is apply a coat daily, on top of the previous coat. What I do is apply it 3-4 days in a row, remove it with non-acetone nail polish remover, and apply it again for 3-4 days. The difference will be noticeable after a week or so; after a month, nails are super strong and growing like crazy. The use can be reduced to 1 a week after your nails have recovered. The thing with Nailtiques Formula 2 for thin, brittle nails is that this little bottle lasts surprisingly long. I would dare to say a couple of months and it is a great product for a reasonable price. If I was to make one recommendation for a nail care product, Nailtiques Formula 2 for thin, brittle nails would be it.

Nails grow at a rate that is influenced by factors such as a person's age, nutrition, health status, environment, and season. The average growth is about 1mm or 0.04 in. per week. Invest some time in nail care, keep them clean and dry, eat well, drink plenty of water and results will follow soon.

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