I understand how many people love good-looking nails, it is even important that you have good-trimmed and cared-for nails because it helps you maintain a good and classic look.
Look at your fingernails closely. Do they seem strong and in good health? Or do you see any ridges, dents, or regions with odd hues or shapes? Through good fingernail care, many undesirable nail conditions can be avoided. Others may point to a problem that needs to be addressed.
Your cuticle and the region at the base of the nail are where your fingernails, made of laminated layers of the protein keratin, originate. Healthy fingernails are smooth and devoid of pits or grooves. They lack any spots or degradation and are uniform in color and consistency.
Innocent vertical ridges that extend from the cuticle to the tip of the nail can occasionally form on fingernails. With age, vertical ridges tend to grow more pronounced. Due to trauma, white lines or patches may appear on fingernails, but these eventually disappear along with the nail.
Healthy nails you are happy to wear to work or out on the town result from regular nail maintenance. Your nail care regimen can be straightforward and affordable.
Overly vigorous nail care could put your typically strong nails in danger of bacterial or yeast infections, according to dermatologist D’Anne M. Kleinsmith, MD, of the William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan. If you adhere to these eight straightforward tips, you won’t require frequent manicures to maintain attractive nails.
You may ensure strong nails without taking nutritional supplements if you maintain a healthy, diversified diet. On the other hand, Dr Kleinsmith, supplementary biotin, a B vitamin, may be advantageous for those with thin nails.
The expert claims that our nails have grown stronger when supplemented with biotin. Kleinsmith acknowledges that she wasn’t born with naturally strong nails, but she has had success building them up by taking biotin daily.
Weak nails are the absolute worst. Even though it may be tempting to cover up your thin and peeling nails with a permanent gel manicure, there are many lifestyle changes that, when combined, can restore your nails to their former splendor.
What is the root reason for our nails’ initial brittleness? Keratin, a protein also present in our hair and skin, forms the layers of our staples, explains Rhonda Klein, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in Westport, Connecticut. The body’s cells manufacture keratin at a lower rate as we age, making the nails weaker and look dry and drab.
Pay attention to the kind of products you use
Polish and remover for nails. The strong chemicals used in many nail paints and treatments can weaken nails. Acetone-containing nail polish remover should be avoided because it can harm nails.
Look for acetone-free polish remover as well as nontoxic nail paints and soaks. Other possibly dangerous compounds present in standard nail care products are advised against by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), a reputable source.
Hydrate the cuticles
Imagine your cuticles as the bathtub’s protecting caulking. You hurt them if you push them about rough or chop them back too much. That, in turn, leaves your nail bed exposed to infection.
Kleinsmith suggests hydrating cuticles and never pressing or clipping them, not even during a professional manicure, as part of routine nail care to preserve healthy nails.
Observe your cuticles and the adjoining skin for symptoms of infection, including redness, discomfort, swelling, and pus. For assistance treating any infection, consult a doctor.
Maintain a modest height for them.
Dr Solomon advises shortening the length of weak nails while strengthening them if you’re having problems. Because fewer exposed edges rip and less surface area where water and chemicals can be absorbed, shorter nails are less likely to break. After trimming, use a nail file to round the edges to avoid snagging.
Avoid trimming or adjusting cuticles.
Leave your cuticles alone, advises dermatologist Dana Stern, MD, Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City, whether you have your nails done by a professional or do it yourself.
She claims that once you break through the cuticle, natural protection is no longer provided against fungus and germs.
This could give you a horrible infection that damages the nail bed and results in permanent nail damage, making your cuticles look worse and red, puffy, and ragged. Furthermore, while pulling back cuticles can also result in issues, cutting cuticles poses the greatest risk for injury.
Donning dish gloves
Even strong nails might become brittle when often submerging hands in hot, soapy water to wash dishes, mainly because this process dries out the nails and the rest of the skin on your hands.
Gloves must be worn during protective nail care to safeguard your hands as you scrub. Kleinsmith finds it interesting that people who swim in cooler water don’t appear to face the same challenges with their strong nails.
Supplement with biotin.
Researchers discovered that supplementation of biotin (a vitamin B family member) enhanced nail thickness and reduced splitting and breaking in multiple experiments.
2.5 mg of biotin used daily for several months helped everyone in a reputable German study that looked at 45 persons with severe nail issues; 91% of the 45 reported significant improvement.
Sumayah Jamal, MD, a dermatologist at NYU, advises that you take the prescribed dosage of 2.5 milligrams every day to have the desired effects.
Other nutrients linked to healthy nails include silicon and the supplement MSM, both found in several nail products.
Gelatin is the one dietary supplement that won’t work. According to experts, eating it or soaking in it won’t do anything to strengthen nails; soaking in liquid may cause nails to waterlog and eventually become weaker. According to Stern, there isn’t any scientific proof that calcium, yeast, fluoride supplements, or nail treatments have any real effect on nail health.
Eat more of the nutrients that support healthy nails
Avoid yo-yo diets, which might result in vitamin deficiencies that could endanger the durability of your nails. Make sure you consume enough calcium and protein, which are also known to support healthy nails, advises Robin Evans, MD, a board-certified dermatologist from Connecticut and clinical teacher at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Consuming many biotin-rich foods, such as vegetables, eggs, and nuts, may also be beneficial.
Limit your exposure to cleaning agents and avoid over-washing your hands
Even though constantly washing your hands can be good for you, Stern warns that doing so excessively can damage your nails. She suggests using moisturizer as much as possible and rubbing a little extra around the cuticles many times each day if you work in a field where frequent hand washing is required.
Jamal advises wearing rubber gloves to reduce contact with corrosive chemicals, such as dishwashing detergent while doing laundry or housekeeping.
Bottom Line
Your nails should be a very delicate part of your body and as such should be treated very well with lots of respect, to have a good-looking nail it’s advisable you stick to the advice of specialist like me.
