You might not think 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 who always has perfectly manicured nails can seem a little conceited and vain. It’s not just on a superficial level either, the condition of a person’s nails can give an indication of their overall health and nail problems can be the first sign of more serious health issues. But it’s not just about what everyone else thinks. Everyone gets an extra confidence boost from stepping out with a perfect set of nails. So here are a few quick tips to help keep your nails looking their best.
Firstly and most importantly, never let your nails dry out. Always use hand cream after you wash your hands and regularly throughout the day. This will help your nails and cuticles to retain their moisture and prevent them from becoming brittle and 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, instead gently push them back when they are soft, for example after a bath. 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 a lack of iron. These things can all easily be remedied by making sure you eat a balanced diet. Any manual work, including 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 all the time. Only paint your nails when you want to go out and look your best, there’s no point going to all that effort otherwise when they will just get chipped anyway. When you do use nail colour, 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 that’s right, wash your hands and use moisturiser straight afterwards to prevent your nails from drying out.