Posts Tagged ‘nail hardener’

How to Get Healthier Nails

Take a close look at your nails. Are they strong and healthy looking? Or do you see ridges, dents or areas of unusual color or shape? Many less than desirable nail conditions can be avoided through proper care.

No nail care product alone can give you healthy nails. But following these simple guidelines can help you keep your nails looking their best:

• Don’t abuse your nails. To prevent nail damage, don’t use your fingernails as tools to pick, poke or pry things.
• Don’t bite your nails or pick at your cuticles. These habits can damage the nail bed. Even a minor cut alongside your nail can allow bacteria or fungi to enter and cause an infection (paronychia). Because your nails grow slowly, an injured nail retains signs of an injury for several months. Try SpaRitual’s Cuti-Clean and Stain Remover.
• Protect your nails. Wear cotton-lined rubber gloves when using soap and water for prolonged periods or when using harsh chemicals.
• Perform routine nail maintenance. Trim fingernails and clean under the nails regularly. Use a sharp manicure scissors or clippers and an emery board to smooth nail edges. Never pull off hangnails — doing so almost always results in ripping living tissue. Instead clip hangnails off, leaving a slight angle outward.
• For weak or Brittle nails. Keep your nails short, square shaped and slightly rounded on top. Trim brittle nails after a bath or a 15-minute hand-soak in CND Citrus Milk Bath for the hands. Then apply a moisturizer like CND Citrus Hydrating Lotion.
• Apply a nail hardener, but avoid products containing toluene sulfonamide or formaldehyde. These chemicals can cause redness or irritate the skin. I suggest Orly Tough Cookie Nail Strengthener - it’s a product that I cannot live without!
• Don’t use nail polish remover more than twice a month. Instead, touch up the polish. When you do need a remover, avoid those that use acetone, which dries nails. (try Orly Gentle Formula Nail Polish Remover)
• Repair splits or tears with nail glue or clear polish.
• Moisturize your nails frequently. Nails need moisture just like your skin does. Rub lotion into your nails when moisturizing your hands. Be sure to apply a moisturizer each time you wash your hands.
• Moisturize at Bedtime – Moisturize your nails and cuticles at bedtime and cover them with cotton gloves.

It’s easy to neglect your nails. But a little basic nail care can go a long way to keeping your nails in healthy condition.

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Pieces of the above tips were taken from http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/library/WO/00020.html