You might not realise it, but you can tell a lot about a person from their fingernails. Bitten or distended nails are often seen as a sign of 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 someone’s nails can give an indication of their overall health and nail problems can be the first sign of more serious health problems. But it’s not just about what others think. Everyone gets an extra boost of confidence from stepping out with a perfect set of nails. So here are a few tips to keep your nails looking their best.
Firstly and most importantly, never allow your nails to get too dry. Always use hand cream after you wash your hands and regularly throughout the day as required. This will help your nails and cuticles to retain their moisture and stop them 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, for example after a bath or shower. If you are still encourtering problems with dry skin I would recommend using Eve Lom as their creams are extremely good!
If your nails are dry or brittle or you get hangnails, it could be a problem with your diet. Calcium deficiency can cause breaking or peeling, and white spots can often be caused by not getting enough iron. These things can all easily be remedied by making sure you eat a balanced diet. Manual work, housework and washing up can seriously damage your nails so wear gloves especially where washing up liquid is involved, and always moisturise when you’re finished.
Nail varnish looks great but can really damage the nails if used too much. Only paint your nails when you want to go out and look your best, there’s really no point going to all that effort otherwise when they will just get chipped anyway. When you do paint your nails, always use a base coat to prevent the colour from staining your nails. 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 take off your nail polish use as little remover as possible and, yes you guessed it, wash and moisturise your hands straight afterwards to make sure your nails don’t dry out.