Manicures are not the sole solution to your nail issues. Instead, your nails need proper care and attention regularly. So, here are a few nail care hacks, tips, and tricks that can help. Keep reading to know the 25 tips and ways to maintain beautiful nails and nail care mistakes to avoid. Scroll down to know more!
1. Keep Your Fingernails Dry And Clean
All problems start with germs and bacteria. You must make sure that there is no scope for them to breed. Clean your nails regularly and make sure you dry them after washing.
This also prevents dirt and bacteria from accumulating under your nails. However, don’t overdo it; nails soaked in water for long durations may lead to splits.
When you need to wash dishes, it is best to protect your fingernails with gloves. You also need to ensure that the skin around the nails is clean and dirt-free too.
What we recommend is you take a toothbrush and apply some salt onto it and use it to scrub your nails and the skin around them gently.
2. Stop Biting Your Nails
Biting your nails causes a lot of damage. In addition to making your nails look pathetic, the contact with your saliva makes them weak and brittle. It also harms your cuticles. Also, putting fingers in your mouth transmits the dirt and germs from your fingers to your mouth.
We advise you to apply a nail paint that smells bad and puts you off to help you stop biting your nails.
Trivia3. Maintain Your Cuticles
Cuticles are very delicate and get ruptured easily. Cuticle care is one of the crucial parts of nail care.
If you have a hangnail, handle it carefully – trim it gently so that it doesn’t stick out or cause more pain. Do not bite or pick the cuticles.
Make sure you moisturize your cuticles – apply either coconut or almond oil to the cuticles and massage gently to nourish them.
4. Maintain Hygiene
Nail hygiene is super important! Clean your nails regularly and make sure all your nail care tools are periodically washed and sanitized. Make sure that your nails don’t grow too long as that makes it easier for the dirt to accumulate below the nails.
Apply natural disinfectants on your nails like tea tree oil to keep the bacteria away and protect your nails from germs.
5. Use A Moisturizer
Dry and flakiness are as bad for your nails as they are for your skin. Nails are very delicate and tend to break off easily. Moisturize them to make them strong.
Nail moisturizing is vital, so choose from a range of hand creams, cuticle oil/creams, or moisturizing oils that will help keep your nails and cuticles shiny and healthy.
6. Trim Regularly
Similar to how trimming your hair regularly is good for its growth, the same goes for your nail health. Take a nail cutter and cut them neatly.
Take some time every few weeks to trim your nails and shape them in a manner you like. It is best if you trim your nails in a straight line and then either square or round them off at the tips.
7. Apply A Base Coat For Protection
A base coat provides nail protection and may promote nail health. Using a base coat forms a protective layer on your skin and prevents your nails from getting discolored and stained.
It makes your manicure last longer and gives the polish a smoother application. So, the next time you decide to paint your nails, do not skip applying a base coat – because it is worth it.
Quick Tip8. Top It Up With A Top Coat
A top coat gives your manicure a shiny, professional finish and helps your nail color last longer, preventing the polish from chipping off easily. You can choose from a range of top coats depending on the look you are going for – if you want a matte finish, choose a matte top coat.
A good nail trick is to apply a top coat to your nails every few days to help your manicure stay on longer.
9. Never Scrape Off Your Nail Polish
Scraping off your nail polish is the worst thing you can do to them. It makes your nail surface rough and patchy. It also strips away the top layer of your nails.
Also, to prevent the polish from chipping off on its own, you must apply the nail paint in two rounds of thin coats instead of dousing it in one thick layer of color.
Avoid scraping and peeling your nails. Instead use an acetone-free nail polish remover.
10. Wear Gloves For Protection
If you do your household chores yourself, then this is for you. A lot of your cleansing detergents contain chemicals and will cause harm to your nails when they come in contact with them.
A simple solution is to wear gloves to protect your nails. Make sure you wash your gloves thoroughly after use and hang them out in the sunlight to sanitize them.
11. Avoid Using Gel And Acrylics
Gels, acrylics, and nail art are no doubt super pretty but sadly cause immense damage to the nails. Avoid them entirely, if possible.
The acrylic powder contains a lot of chemicals that are able to penetrate into the bloodstream through the delicate nail bed. The UV lamps used in gel manicures also cause harm to the skin around your nails and hands.
A smarter alternative for this would be to choose press-on ones if you are hellbent on this particular nail look as they are less harmful and easy to apply.
12. File Your Nails In One Direction
File slowly and gently, and in one direction. Otherwise, the nails get weak and break prematurely.
Filing in the same direction also helps you achieve a smooth tip and makes it easier for you to get the nail shape you want. If nail filing is done in an aggressive manner, it encourages splitting and can damage your nails.
Begin by filing from one corner to the center of the nail, and then from the opposite corner to the center or vice versa. This process helps you achieve a smooth finish and doesn’t harm your nail edges.
13. Stop Water-Based Manicures
Avoid water-based manicures because the nail polish tends to chip away faster. Your nail bed absorbs water and expands when dipped in water and goes back to its original shape after being taken out of the water.
Applying nail polish when the nail bed is expanded is not good because once it shrinks, the nail paint cracks, leading to chipping.
Instead, go for an oil-based manicure, where you cleanse your nail and nail beds with an oil-based formula.
14. Choose Safe Polish
You need to be very careful while picking a nail polish. It’s very important to choose ‘3 Free’ polish. This means it does not contain ‘the toxic trio’ — dibutyl phthalate (DBP), toluene, and formaldehyde. Studies have shown these three nail polish ingredients to be Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs). This makes them incredibly harmful to human health.
Also, eating with hands that have paint on nails is not a good idea as bits of the nail paint can chip and fall into the food, which will eventually go inside your body and cause harm. Instead, choose natural and chemical-free nail paints that are eco-friendly and cruelty-free.
15. Buff Instead Of Color
An au naturale look is alluring any day. Instead of painting your nails, which is still putting chemicals on your nails even if you choose the most natural brands available in the market, buff your nails.
Buffing elevates the nails and adds a shine to them. It is essential that you remember to buff gently and not too often to avoid spoiling the texture of your nails.
16. Use A Cuticle Oil To Avoid Brittle Nails
Your nails need regular nourishing. A nail treatment or a weekly manicure will keep them strong and healthy.
Use cuticle oil after the treatment to nourish your nails.
17. Make Your Manicure Last Longer
In order for your manicure to last, you need to follow a series of steps. Start by removing all nail polish, applying a cuticle softener, and soaking your hands in warm water for 5 minutes. Then, gently push back your cuticles with a cuticle pusher tool. Buff and file your nails. Apply a base coat, followed by two layers of nail paint and a top coat. Let them air dry.
You need to reapply the top coat once every few days to make sure the paint does not dry and chip off. In case that happens, file off the chipped nail and seal it again with a top coat. You can even add a thin layer of white coat (go the French manicure way) to fix your chipped nail.
18. Cut Nails Straight Across
Cut your nails evenly to avoid any ingrowth. Do not let your nails grow too much. Always keep them leveled and even for a neat look.
Growing nails too long makes them long and curved and causes issues like broken skin and ruptured cuticles. Best to cut them short and round them at the tips.
19. Choose A Good Remover
Choose acetone-free nail polish removers as these will be less harsh for your nails and skin. Pick removers from good and sustainable brands.
20. Try Natural Nail-Strengthening Treatments
Take a trip to the nail salon and opt for some conditioning treatments that can strengthen your nails. Conditioners that contain CF formulas are a good choice. They hydrate and nourish your nails and make them healthy and strong.
21. Eat Well
Eating well fixes everything. Nail problems are a result of a lousy diet, and issues like brittle nails result from calcium deficiency. You need to have adequate amounts of it in your food.
Also add vitamin E, protein, iron, vitamin D, zinc, and magnesium to your diet in the form of nuts, beetroot, soy, beans, lentils, whole grains, greens, etc. for healthier and stronger nails.
22. Avoid Nail Hardeners That Contain The Toxic Trio
To keep your nails protected from daily hazards use a non-toxic nail hardener that is formulated without the toxic trio, dibutyl phthalate (DBP), toluene, and formaldehyde.
23. Stay Away From Acetone
Always choose an acetone-free nail polish remover. Acetone is harsh on your nails and skin, and very damaging. It dries out your nails and makes them prone to breakage.
24. Avoid Rough Emery Boards
When filing natural nails, use a 100/180 fine grit nail file. Choose one that doesn’t hurt your nails with its rough texture and is finished in a manner that does the job well.
25. Clean Extra Polish Off Cuticles
You are bound to have some color on your cuticles while painting your nails. Clean it up with a nail polish remover for a neater manicure. Take an earbud, dip it in nail polish remover, and gently wipe off the paint from the cuticles.
Suzzane, a makeup enthusiast and blogger, shared the nail care routine she follows to get healthy, strong, and long nails. It is a five step routine that includes removing any existing nail polish, filing the nails, moisturizing the nails and cuticles, and applying a hardening nail polish. She adds, “ I place a drop of the oil on every nail, and then I massage it in. I really noticed a difference when I started using this product; it makes my nails stronger and healthier (i).”
Signs Of Healthy And Unhealthy Nails
Signs Of Healthy Nails
- Have smooth texture without any visible dents or ridges.
- Have pinkish nail beds (that indicate good blood circulation).
- Do not easily bend or break.
- Grow at a steady pace (around 1-3 mm per month).
- Have smooth cuticles that protect the nail base.
Signs Of Unhealthy Nails
- Easily break, split, or chip (due to nutritional deficiencies, dehydration, or thyroid problems).
- Are yellow, green, blue, or any other unusual color (indicating fungal infections or an underlying health issue).
- Have deep horizontal or vertical ridges (indicating health problems or nutritional deficiencies).
- Frequently develop white spots (indicating damage or mineral deficiencies).
- Have unusually slow growth (indicating underlying health issues).
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Infographic: Top 7 Nail Care Tips To Follow
Your nails need as much care as your skin and hair. From trimming your nails to painting them, there are several things you should be aware of for your nail maintenance. The infographic below lists the 7 important nail care tips you should always follow. Scroll down to check it out.
You should take care of your nails the same way you care for your skin or hair. Even if you receive professional manicures and pedicures from a nail technician, make sure you take the time to care for and protect your nails. Maintaining healthy nails can be easier if you maintain a nail care routine. These healthy nail tips can help you get there faster – just make sure you stick to them. Remember that simple lifestyle changes rather than expensive nail equipment are the greatest way to achieve stronger, healthier nails.