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Getting healthy and perfectly manicured nails is an unbreakable goal to be accomplished, but we all desire it. Nail-care experts always speak about healthy natural nails, whether the client is a type of person who religiously paints her nails as a form of self-care or someone who is always picking at their cuticles. We have made hours of discussion with the nail-care experts and come with ten simple tips and tricks to help you grow strong, beautiful, and healthy natural nails. If you are planning to invest time and money on your nail health, you need to know the difference between healthy and unhealthy nails. So, we first love to say about the signs of healthy and unhealthy nails before we start discussing the tips and tricks.
Signs of healthy nails
- Nails and white tips are even lengths
- Do you have pinkish-white nail plates?
- Do your nail cuticles are existent? If yes, do not cut them.
- Is there any half-moon-shaped white section is existent at your nail base?
Signs of unhealthy nails
Peeling or splitting nails are unhealthy as these are the results of dryness or vitamin deficiency. If you are biting your nails or painting them too often, you are making your nails unhealthy. In this case, you will find tiny white spots on your nails. Do you have horizontal grooves on your nails? Such grooves are the results of stress, high fevers, or jamming your finger. Spoon-shaped nails could be a sign of iron deficiency or anemia and red, swollen skin around nails could be from removing or biting cuticles.
Tips and tricks to grow strong, beautiful, and healthy natural nails
1. Your nails are not strong enough to handle length if they are breaking every time after getting some length. Prefer health over the length in such situations. Instead, keep your nails uniform. As long as your nails are uniform, they will be beautiful. The scenario will change after a few months.
2. We also suggest keeping your hands and nails clean if you want your nails to grow and be healthy. You need to apply a soft nail brush and scrub your nails and fingers. While cleaning them, try to be gentle on your nails. It will give them some extra care.
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3. Regularly clean your makeup brushes to keep your nails away from the bacteria disinfection. To keep your nails happy and infection-free, periodically replace disposable tools like emery boards. Do not continue using a tattered tool when it is old.
4. You trim your hair to keep them healthy and growing. So, you should do the same with your fingernails. Both your hairs and nails have a set of similar properties. But we suggest trimming your fingernails just a millimeter or so.
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5. Keep a handy nail file all the times you are going to work or gym. A handy nail file in your purse, bag, or desk drawer will help you in fix and snags or rough edges on the spot.
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6. Using a top coat is as important as a base coat as it seals in the polish’s color underneath. It adds a shiny gloss to your nails. Add another top coat every three days in order to make your manicure last as long as possible. This article from Cote may be of help with this.
7. Applying bold patterns and loud colors are not a good thing to do with your nails all the times. A natural way is to polish lots of pigment that are ideal for drying your fingernails and turning them yellow.
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8. Moisturizing hands and nails every night is another important thing for you if you are keen on growing long nails. The mix of avocado oil and olive oil is considered as a super hydrating oiling option.
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9. Do you wear dishwashing gloves when your hands are exposed to dish cleaning, harsh chemicals, or gardening? You can wear vinyl, rubber, nitrile, or plastic gloves.
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10. Consuming a lot of protein and vitamins, are the other things suggested to you. Our fingernails are made of a protein called keratin. A diet high in protein-rich foods like milk, fish, eggs, and beans is great for keratin production. Also, the intake of biotin, vitamin E, and fish oil can help the production of keratin.
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11. We sometimes use our fingernails to open up a letter or box. It brings the risk of bending the nail or nails back. So, you are strictly suggested to avoid doing this if you are keen on growing healthy and perfectly manicured nails.
12. Fingernails maintain the overall appearance of our hands. So, you should not make so many experients with your nail shape, even if the trends are constantly evolving. Go for the shape that suits your hands most.
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13. To attain strong and healthy nails, you need to consume a proper diet. “Nails are made out of protein, so the first thing you can try is adding more to your diet. Eat lean poultry, fish, beef, and pork, as well as spinach and other vegetables that contain protein,” a doctor explained.
14. According to some beauty experts, genes play a vital role in having fragile or rigid nails. A biotin supplement is, however, an easy and effective way to strengthen nails and promote growth.
15. Drinking lots of water can also ensure smooth and sustained growth in your fingernails. A balanced and hydrated body is the base of a beautiful appearance. Yes, scientific way of drinking water is important in this regard. Do not drink water while consuming meals; it makes your stomach worrisome. We suggest drinking water at least 15 minutes after the meals.
16. Picking away at old or fragmented nail polish will worsen the nail condition; it may introduce unwanted damages in your fingernails. Do not use too much lacquer, but let the polish dry in between each layer so that the solvents evaporate if you are applying very thin coats. Wait at least a minute or two between each coat. Wearing gloves is another important thing for you if you are polishing your fingernails.
17. Nail grooming makes any shade look great in your fingers. Doesn’t matter you are grooming your nails at home or go to the salon. Try to start it with a proper shape so that the nails are the same length and shape.
18. You cannot ignore the role of adding greens in your diet. Consume lots of dark leafy greens including spinach, broccoli, collard greens, and kale if you want to live disease-free. These food items are also beneficial for your nails as they provide iron, folate, and calcium.
19. Germs come in contact with our hands on a daily basis. That’s why; using hand sanitizer has become common in working people. Are you one of them? If yes, you should know that the germ-fighting solution used in hand sanitizer could be doing more harm then good. Try to apply it on your hand without applying it on your nails. Do not overuse it if you are keen on growing your fingernails.
20. Rejuvacote is a repairing polish that restores and builds the fingernails. There are many lines in the market that are chemical-free and made from plants.
21. Do you have a nail-biting habit? Try to introduce something in your daily schedule that can help you in avoiding this habit as much possible. Biting your nails is not a good thing for the health of your nails.
22. Add citrus fruits, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, carrots, and bell peppers in your diet to get enough antioxidants to keep nails healthy and growing. Carrots and sweet potatoes are high in Vitamin A, while citrus fruits and tomatoes provide Vitamin C to your body.
23. Eat lots of fruits and berries — especially strawberries, blueberries, and bananas. Blueberries are packed with antioxidants. Adding lots of nutrients and vitamins in your diet is a great way to nourish your nails.
24. Using a nail polish remover (non-acetone) is good for your nails. Nail polish removers contain lots of harmful chemicals, including acetone. So, choose a nail polish remover that is acetone-free.
25. Use a polish that lasts longer. To do this, you are supposed to follow the steps mentioned below. Clean your fingernails with vinegar and soak them in water. Apply a base coat and put two layers of nail paint and a topcoat on. Then let your fingers dry.
26. If you intend to grow your nails, you are suggested to give breaks and buffs to them. As per doctors and beauty experts, weekly once is enough for maintaining nail health. Buffing keeps the nails shiny and smooth in texture.
27. Water-based manicures are not supposed to tend to last longer. Nail beds absorb water and expand when soaked. Hence, it goes back to its original shape. It will chip and peel as it shrinks again when you apply polish as the nail bed is expanded.
28. Filing fingernails back and forth causes frays in the nail. So, we suggest filing in one direction only for a smooth tip. Simply start from one corner and file to the center in one direction.
29. Nail strengtheners are easy to find in the market. Try using a nail strengthener even if your diet is full of protein. It will give an extra push to your nail growth.
30. Do not peel or scrape off nail polish. It removes away the top layer of your nails and could give you rough and patchy nails.
31. Your nails will become tender and breakable if you work in the water for a very long time. So, dry your nails before you start any other work. Soap or water connection is not suitable for long nails.
32. Your cuticles are part of your skin and play very important purpose as a protective barrier of your nails. If you want to increase blood flow for your nail growth, lightly massage your cuticles in free times. Then cut off only the dead cuticle with a cuticle remover. But yes, you are not suggested to cut the entire cuticle. It looks great when you cut your cuticle, but it is going to peel off two or three days later. Also, make sure that you moisturize your cuticles with a nourishing moisturizer or oil-like.
33. Cut your nail if there is a break. It is disheartening if you get a nail break after growing them for months. A better option is to cut it where the break appears. If you keep it without any cut, your nail break could rip your nail even further down.
34. Try to keep your nails round shaped. Nails with square edges are more prone to chipping, snagging, and breaking. Moreover, nails with round edges are easy to maintain.
35. As nails are made of proteins, consuming meat will help you to do wonders in your fingernails. It is considered that lean meats are great for nails. Dermatologist cum author Dr. Ava Shamban said, “Nails are made out of protein, so the first thing you can try is adding more to your diet.” She has recommended lean poultry, fish, beef, and pork for tip-top shape fingernails.
Conclusion
Maintaining these rules will help you to get long and healthy nails of your dreams within a few weeks. So grab the moisturizer and start massaging those cuticles! Plus, stick to a protein-rich diet to push the growth of your fingernails naturally. Taking suggestions from your dietitian could be a result-oriented move for you. So, say goodbye to brittle and weak nails with these easy techniques that are known for their high and long-term effectiveness! Stay beautiful, stay confident!
