Grooming tips: 9 ways to keep your nails healthy

Our fingernails are always so exposed. They can harbor bacteria, become brittle and just plain unattractive when you don’t take care of them. Compiled from Self magazine, here is a list of ten things you can do to keep your nails clean to primped and pretty.

1- Make sure they’re dirt-free

Before you do anything, it’s important to make sure your nails and the skin around them are absolutely clean. Then remove all traces of your last colour with an acetone-free remover. Dr Ava Shamban, author of Heal Your Skin, recommends applying soap to a toothbrush, then gently scrubbing your nails and skin. This will remove dirt and exfoliate any dead skin without the need for harsh, drying chemicals or expensive scrubs.

2- Be gentle while grooming them

Your nails are delicate, and scrubbing them too roughly can actually expose you to infection. Another no-no is  using metal nail tools under the nail. Too much digging under the nail plate will cause it to separate from the skin, leading to an irregular white arching nail tip.

3- Trim them regularly

Regular trims are as important to your nails as they are to your hair. So set aside time to clip them every two weeks, adjusting to more or less often once you see how your nails respond.

4- Value health over length

Long nails are beautiful, but if you’re someone who has struggled with snags or breakage, it is recommended that you keep your nails short — at least to start out with. A shorter style with a rounded edge tends to be easier to manage and looks neater, so you can focus on building strength without worrying about anything else. As long as each nail is uniform in shape and matches its nine neighbors, you won’t miss the added length.

5- Don’t ever cut cuticles

The cuticle has a very important purpose to serve: it seals the area at the base of the nail. So when you cut or remove the cuticle, it breaks that seal of protection, leaving you vulnerable to bacteria and the possibility of infection. The better you are at leaving cuticles alone, the more your nails will thank you. But if you’re dead set on messing with them, you can gently push back the cuticles once a week with a wooden orange stick after getting out of the shower, and then massage them with a cuticle cream or thick, creamy lotion.

6- Never forget to use base coat

Painting your nails at home is no excuse to cut corners by skipping the base coat. This step not only protects the nail from being stained by the polish, but also helps the colour to look more saturated and opaque with just one coat. And if you really want to take things to the next level, add a coat of clear gloss between each layer to add extra shine and protection.

7- Mositurise your nails

You wouldn’t go to sleep without moisturising your face, so why should your nails be any different? Nail artist and expert Holly Falcone likes to use a mix of almond and avocado oils to keep cuticles and nails hydrated, but any nutrient-rich oil or moisturiser will do. In a pinch, you can even use a dab of lip balm.

8- Always protect your nails

Gloves, ladies, gloves — get your mind out of the gutter! Whenever you’re cleaning with harsh chemicals, gardening, or doing anything that involves soaking or dirtying your hands, wear rubber, vinyl, nitrile or plastic gloves, preferably with a cotton liner. Cleaning dishes in hot, soapy water sans gloves can weaken the nails, while getting them caked with dirt from gardening will require a level of cleaning that you want to avoid wherever possible. Similarly, now that the weather is getting chilly, remember to wear a pair of mittens or gloves so that the cold air and wind don’t undo the hard work you did moisturizing, leaving you with dry, flaky and scaly skin.

9- Consider your diet

Your fingernails are made of a protein called keratin, so just as with the clarity of your skin or the shine of your hair, you can improve your nails by tweaking your diet. Include vitamins and supplements such as biotin, Vitamin E, and fish oil to your daily regimen. The one thing every expert agrees on: Once you hit on the combination that works for you, you’ll be rewarded with stronger and clearer nails.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 23^rd, 2016.

Like Life & Style on Facebook, follow @ETLifeandStyle on Twitter for the latest in fashion, gossip and entertainment.