CARING FOR YOUR NAILS: BEAUTY AND HEALTH TIPS

Hygiene, health, beauty: these are all good reasons to take care of your nails. Nail care is like brushing your teeth – is should be a habit. 

How to take care of your nails?

Taking care of your nails is a matter of routine. Just like the skin, the nails protect you from external aggressions, so treat them with the same amount of care that they give to you.  Beyond washing with soap and water with a brush, get used to pampering them regularly. Some simple gestures are enough!

1. Cuticle care.The cuticle is a layer of clear skin, which you will see along the bottom edge of the nails on your fingers and toes. The cuticle’s purpose is to protect new nails growth from infection as they emerge from the nail root.  Try to avoid cutting cuticles, as they act as a barrier to preventing infections¹.

2. Maintain nail length by replacing nail clippers with the use of a nail file!²Unless your nails are long, opt for a file made of cardboard or glass.  In addition to having the right tools, you have to know how to use them.  If clipping is necessary, try soaking your nails, to soften them, first.  For both filing, and cutting, use a perpendicular angle to the nail plate to avoid vertical splitting of the nail.

3. Let your nails breathe.Nail varnish is pretty but some nail polish can harm the superficial layers of the nail, causing fine, scaley white spots known as “superficial granulation of keratin”³. Give your nails a few days of respite between different colours; to remove the polish, choose a nail polish remover without acetone, which attacks the nails.

4. Protect to perfect.Taking care of your nails means pampering them, but also protecting them.  Limit exposure to dishwashing liquids and cleaning products that can be aggressors to your nails⁴!  Consider wearing gloves when doing the dishes and cleaning.

5. Fill up on nail vitamins. Surprising but true: taking care of your nails also involves what you eat. Think about adding more selenium and zinc into your diet, these minerals help to maintain strong hair^5,6, healthy skin⁶ and nails⁷ and contribute to the protection of cells from oxidative stress⁸ (bonus!). 

In summary, the miracle solution is to adopt good habits to have resplendent hair… one simple addition to your hair care routine, try  for the vitamins you need to strengthen your hair, day after day!