Don’t neglect your nails. If you have unhealthy or damaged nails, they can show people how unhygienic you are. Your hands are always visible, so will you not like to have a great set of nails to show off?
How to Take Care of Your Nails At Home?
Read this article to learn how to take care of your nails, the best nail care tips, and dos and don’ts of nail care:
Tips Nail Care –Nails Care Dos
(i) Keep your nails clean and dry: This helps prevent the building up of fungi, bacteria, and other germs under your fingernails.
(ii) Trim and file your nails regularly: When soft after bathing, trim and file your nails. Use for this purpose a sharp manicure clipper or scissors. First, trim your nails straight across, then round the tips in mild curves.
(iii) Clean your nail implements: Bacteria or other microbes can get transmitted from the nail tools you use onto your nails or cuticles. So clean them before you use them.
(iv) Moisturize nails and cuticle area: While using hand lotion, apply the lotion to your nails and cuticles also. You can rub a little moisturizer on your nails and cuticles before going to bed. This helps in preventing cracking and peeling.
(v) Hand Cream: After dishwashing, rub hands cream gently onto your hands, nails, and particularly cuticle area.
(vi) Wear Gloves: Wear cotton-lined rubber gloves while gardening, washing dishes, or using harsh chemicals to protect your nails and cuticles.
(vii) Clear nail polish: Apply a thin coat of clear nail polish to lock in the moisture into the nails.
(viii) Coat the outside of the nails with polish or ridge fillers: This helps in protecting the nails from breaking and splitting.
(ix) Disinfect any tears or cuts to the cuticle or nails as soon as they occur.
(x) Treat ingrown nails: This is a condition when the edge of your nail grows into surrounding skin folds. To avoid this, try trimming your nails straight across and then carefully trim the ingrown nails.
(xi) Wear sunscreen when required: While going into the sunlight for extended periods, wear sunscreen on your hands to protect your hands, nails, and cuticles from sun damage.
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Nail Care Don’ts
(i) Don’t Misuse your fingernails: Don’t use your fingernails to pick, wrench, poke, or pry things open, as these actions will likely damage your nails and cause infection. Instead, use proper tools meant for this purpose.
(ii) Avoid long soaks: Submerging your nails into the water for long periods and exposing your nails for long periods to any kind of detergent while soaking your hands leads to weakening your nails and cuticles. Consider wearing cotton-lined rubber gloves while doing chores that involve such activities.
(iii) Avoid over-use of nail-polish remover: Try to use a minimal quantity of nail-polish remover and avoid too much of it onto your skin or cuticles. Also, choose one which is acetone-free, as acetone dries out nails.
(iv) Don’t use nail products containing toluene or formaldehyde: Do not choose products having these ingredients, as they are harmful to nails, cuticles, and your body.
(v) Don’t pull the cuticle too much: Trim only that portion of the cuticle that has started to lift away from the nail.
(vi) Don’t pull off hangnails: Don’t try to pull the hangnails, as you can tear live tissues along with hangnails. Instead, trim off your hangnails carefully, leaving your cuticles intact and un-tampered as much as feasible.
(vii) Avoid biting fingernails or picking at cuticles: Avoid these bad habits, as they can damage your nails or cuticles. In addition, a slight cut alongside your fingernail is enough to allow bacteria or fungi to penetrate and cause infection.
(viii) Don’t allow any manicurist to touch your nails and cuticles with implements unless they are properly sterilized, as they might be bacteria infected.
(ix) Don’t overlook nail or cuticle infection: If you have such a condition, disinfect the affected area immediately with an antibacterial or antifungal agent.
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Important Nail Care Bonus Tip About Manicures and Pedicures:
Ensure the technician has sterilized all the tools before using them on you. There is always a chance of you getting infected by unsterilized tools. Check with the technician how he has cleaned the implements. Ideally, a bleach solution should be used between customers.
Follow the above-outlined tips for healthy, smooth, glossy nails.
