Pretty Nails Are More Than Just Polish: Let’s Talk Fingernail Health

Having beautifully manicured hands is more than just a pretty coat of polish; you really need to devote care to your fingernail health.  For a long time, this wasn’t something that I paid a lot of attention to but then I started noticing that I had a jagged cuticle and my nails were becoming brittle.  Since then I have learned some little tricks along the way to improve my fingernail health.

One of the first things that you should know about fingernail health is that they need care in addition to cosmetic attention.  Cuticle cream is a must.  Burt’s Bees has a wonderful lemon butter cream that I apply daily. Not only does it smell delicious but it has healed my jagged cuticle but it keeps my cuticles soft and moisturized.

Another important part of having good fingernail health is knowing when to give your nails a break.  I love beautifully painted nails as much as the next girl but I have realized that keeping polish on them at all times is not good for them.  The nail polish remover is really hard on your nails and does nothing for fingernail health.  Aim to give your nails a few days in between being polished to rest before you apply a new nail color.

Filing your nails is a good way to keep them shaped but you need to make sure that you are filing in one direction.  If you are filing back and forth like a see-saw then you will have jagged edges that are more prone to splits and breakage.

There are also specific vitamin formulations that you can take to have better fingernail health but you should check with your physician before you take any new medication.

Wikihow has an article on the best way to care for your nails that you may be interested in reading.