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You might not realise it, but you can tell a lot about a person from their nails. Bitten or distended nails are often seen as a sign as a sign that someone is prone to nervousness or low confidence, whereas someone with perfectly manicured nails can seem a bit vain. It’s not just on a superficial level either, the condition of a person’s nails can give an indication of their overall health and nail problems can be the first sign of more serious health problems. But of course it’s not just about what everyone else thinks. Everyone gets an extra confidence boost from stepping out with a perfect set of nails for a night out. So here are a few tips to help keep your nails looking their best.
Firstly and most importantly, don’t allow your nails to get too dry. Always moisturise your hands after you wash them and again regularly throughout the day. This will help your nails and cuticles to retain their moisture and stop them from becoming brittle and breaking or peeling. Moisturisers like those by Aesop are a good choice as they last all day and work well with your skin. Don’t cut your cuticles, but gently push them back when they are soft, like after a bath. If you are still encourtering problems with dry skin I would recommend using Eve Lom as their creams are extremely good!
If you do have dry, fragile nails or get hangnails, it could be a dietary problem. Calcium deficiency can cause nails to peel or break, and white spots can often be caused by not getting enough iron. These things can all be easily remedied by making sure you eat a balanced diet. Any manual work, including housework and washing up, can seriously damage nails so wear gloves especially where washing up liquid is involved, and always moisturise afterwards.
Nail polish looks good but can really damage the nails if used too much. Only paint your nails when you’re going out and want to look your best, there’s really no point going to all that effort if you’re only going to work where they will just get chipped anyway. When you do use nail colour, always use a base coat to stop the colour from staining. OPI is a good place to start for a great range of colours that are long lasting, and they do base coats and nail treatments too. When you remove your nail polish use as little remover as possible and, yes you guessed it, wash your hands and use moisturiser straight afterwards to prevent your nails from drying out.
