I love looking at beautiful natural nails! Nails that are strong and healthy are natural adornment for our fingers. Taking good care of your nails requires very simple straightforward steps, but to take care of your nails, you need to know what healthy nails look like. Healthy nails are strong and look healthy. They are smooth, with no holes. Healthy nails are not discoloured, dirty and smelly.
Now that you know what healthy nails look like. Here’s how to get them:
5 Dos of Nail Care:
1. Do keep your nails dry: Washing your hands constantly is the right way to go but if you don’t dry them, prolonged contact with water will lead to your nails breaking. So dry your nails every time they come in contact with water.
2. Do trim your nails: You may like to keep your nails long but remember that trimming them will keep them strong, healthy and beautiful. Nails that are too long carry bacteria and germs that weaken them. They eventually break and give your nails jagged ends.
3. Do keep your nails moisturized: Always carry a hand lotion – either petroleum jelly or Vitamin E oil – with you to moisturize your nail bed and cuticles.
4. Do pamper your nails: Have regular manicure and pedicure sessions at good salons.
Click here to see a list of salons in your neighbourhood.
5. Do sterilize all your nail tools: After use, sterilize all nail tools used and change nail files often.
5 Don’ts of Nail Care:
1. Do not scrub, clean and use harsh chemicals with your hands. Use hand gloves to protect your hands.
2. Do not bite on your nails or use them to pry open any hard object.
3. Do not cut your cuticles during manicure. Cuticles connect the skin around the nail to the nail plate where it protects the skin and keeps the nail from getting infected. Cutting your cuticles will make it ragged when it grows back.
4. Don’t apply too much nail hardener, polish, or polish remover on natural nails. These look lovely on your nails but because the ingredients used to make them are not clinically tested/studied, it can do more harm than good on your nails.
5. Don’t leave a torn nail as it is. Some a torn nail tears the skin along with it and it can open the nails and skin to infection, so treat them as soon as possible.
If you notice any thing unusual with your nails such as a discolouration or swelling, which does not go away on its own, consult a dermatologist for inspection.
