How to Care For Your Nails

2022-06-03T08:00:38+00:00

By FDP

Having clean and healthy-looking nails is a must for practising good hygiene. However, your nail can get damaged whether from a bad manicure or just the everyday wear and tear of life.Also, whether you paint your nails as a form of self-care or you constantly bite at the cuticles, you all want to have healthy and perfect looking nails. Some signs of good healthy nails are:

A pinkish-white colour.
Cuticles are existent so do not cut them.
Nails and white tips are even lengths.
A prominent half-moon-shaped white section at base

While signs of unhealthy nails are:

Peeling nails could be a lack of vitamin deficiency.
Tiny white spots usually mean you are biting or painting them too often.
The horizontal grooves could be from stress, high fevers or jamming fingers.
Red swollen skin around nails could be from removing cuticles.

However, below are tips to care for your nails.Trim your nailsMost of us find it practical to have nails trimmed short with a bit of white showing. The length is a personal decision. When they are short, it prevents breakage and allows you to work efficiently. Well, I am not discouraging long nails. At least, there are times we need to slay.For the best trimming experience, make sure you use a nail clipper rather than sharp objects such as razor blade. Trim your nails when they are wet, possibly after laundry or after shower. You can sand the nails down if the trim leaves a sharp edge.

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Read also: How to Treat and Prevent BlisterBe careful with the skin around your nailsIt is easy to injure your skin. So, make sure you trim it carefully if your fingertips are full of raggedy skin. It is okay to cut the hangnails because it is made of dead skin. Also, if you rip off the hangnails, you can have a tiny open wound which could be painful.The purpose of the cuticle is to seal your skin to your nails to avoid and keep germs. So, cutting them off increases the risk of infection. Also, you can moisturise your skin and nails with any lotion of your choice.Avoid most damaging types of manicuresIt is really not bad to use nail polish but The American Academy of Dermatology recommends not using the nail polish remover more than twice per month. After removing the nail polish, make sure you rub a moisturizing notion immediately.Also, nail polishes such as red and orange colour leave a mark on the nail. To avoid this, you can use a base coat underneath.Finally, covering your brittle nails with artificial nails can break or damage your real nails. If you must use them, make sure you carefully remove it when you want to. However, it is better to make your nail breathe and heal.