10 Tips To Strengthen Your Nails

There are few things more frustrating than spending a half an hour getting a manicure or painstakingly giving yourself one just to have your nails break. Or when your nail polish chips before the end of the afternoon. Or maybe there are more irritating things, but when faced with a chipped nail or nail paint, few will spring to mind.

To avoid chipping polish, make sure you apply your manicure correctly. Start with clean, dry nails. Buff them before you apply anything and make sure that any old polish is completely removed. Next, apply a base coat. Use long strokes starting at the base of nail and go all the way out to the tip. Start in the middle of the nail and then fill in the sides with similar long strokes. After that dries, apply one thin layer of nail polish and then another coat after that dries. The emphasis is on ‘thin' layers. Thick layers tend to chip easier. After the second layer of nail polish has dried, apply a top coat to seal it. Re-applying a top coat every couple of days will help preserve your manicure with minimal effort.

Regular nail maintenance, whether or not it is followed by 4 or 5 rounds of polish, is necessary to keep your nails looking good. Keep them trimmed in a nice rounded shape that mirrors the half moons at the base of your nail, push back the cuticles, and apply a clear coat of polish if you like. Don't bite them! Use a nail file if they need shaping and if you prefer longer nails, paint underneath with clear polish once a week.

A Few Tips

Add a few of these tricks to your nail care repertoire and you will see your nails grow stronger and longer than they have ever been before.

• Massage your nails. Yes, even nails need a massage, and we don't mean the cuticle; we're talking the actual nail itself. Massage stimulates the blood flow in your nails just as it does in every other part of your body, which keeps them growing and healthy.
• Avoid acrylic nails. They only make your real nails weaker. The goal is to get to where you need less maintenance – not more. Acrylic nails are pretty high maintenance - not to mention expensive.
• Drink lots of water. Water is nature's magic elixir. Brittle nails, like dull hair and dry skin, start with dehydration. You will eliminate the problem at its root by supplementing any other nail care with a good 2 liter bottle of water (at least) every day.
• Moisturize your hands regularly . Some use nail creams tailored specifically for the purpose of moisturizing your nails. Other use hand cream and make sure that their nails are liberally covered. Still others swear by soaking their hands in olive oil. Whatever you prefer, do it often. Your hands need hydrating inside and out and your moisturizing potion of choice will take care of the outside the way water takes care of the inside.
• Calcium and vitamin D . A regular serving of yogurt and non fat milk will give you the calcium necessary to keep your hair, teeth, and nails growing healthily. The vitamin D usually comes along with it as it is necessary for your body to process the calcium. Take a multi-vitamin daily just to be on the safe side.

A Few Recommended Products

Everyone is different and no one product works the same on everyone, but you never know! Each of the following have worked wonders for a few of our readers, so chances are they just might work for you as well!

• Sally Hansen's No More Breaks
• OPI Nail Envy Natural Strengthener Sensitive and Peeling formula
• Hard as Hoof nail strengthening cream
• Solar Oil by Creative Nail Design
  
  
  
  

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