The Best Ways to Care for Your Nails

The beauty industry always promotes artificial nails, but did you know that they’re some of the most harmful ways to make them look beautiful? Even though acrylic nails are stunning, they do come with a price. Not only are the nails unable to breathe, therefore making them prone to breakage, but keeping them covered also puts your nails at risk of bacterial infection. We get it, that’sdefinitely not what you wanted to hear about the popular trend. 

Growing long, strong, and beautiful nails can be a tedious process, but it’s so worth it in the end! So, here are a handful of tips to implement to keep your nails looking greatall of the time! 

Opt for Breathable Nail Polish 

Similar to the cons of wearing artificial nails, constantly wearing regular nail polish can be harmful to the nails over time. Fortunately, many brands nowadays sell breathable nail polish so that your nails don’t suffocate underneath thick layers of lacquer. 

Keep Your Hands Moisturized 

Moisturizers are super beneficial for so many areas related to health and beauty. Dry, brittle nails are prone to breakage, so applying an occlusive moisturizer to your hands every day will eliminate any splitting or dry cuticles (1).Pro Tip: Apply a thick product such as petroleum jelly to your fingertips (or hands) and then wear a comfortable pair of gloves. To ensure that you’re moisturizing your nails, perform this step overnight. 

Wear Gloves While Cleaning

Many cleaning products contain extremely harsh chemicals for both our nailsand skin. While you’re using cleaning products, wear plastic or silicone gloves to avoid direct contact with your nails. If your nails are exposed to various cleaning products for an extended period, you’re likely to experience dryness, irritation, and potential breakage. 

Don’t Bite Your Nails 

It may seem obvious to list nail-biting as something you should avoid if you want healthier nails, but we also understand it’s a common habit that many people struggle with. If you notice that you deal with this habit, try to identify the causes. Do you do it out of boredom? Anxiety? Once you figure out where the issue stems from, you’ll be one step closer to finding a solution! 

Consume Enough Biotin

Biotin really is the gold standard for beauty supplements! Not only is this B vitamin essential for cell growth, but it also promotes the production of protein-building amino acids that are necessary for healthy nail growth (2). By consuming enough biotin each day, you’ll quickly notice less brittle nails and an increase in growth. You can consume the B complex vitamin in your foods or take a supplement rich in biotin. Have you triedHair Hair yet!? It’s veganand sugar-free, and will promote healthier nails in no time! 

Sources:

1. https://health.howstuffworks.com/skin-care/moisturizing/basics/moisturize-nails.htm#:~:text=Applying%20moisturizer%20to%20your%20nails,water%20that%20can%20cause%20damage.&text=One%20way%20is%20to%20apply,bath%20oil%20or%20olive%20oil. 

2. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/vitamins-for-nails#:~:text=Biotin&text=Biotin%20is%20a%20B%2Dcomplex,help%20strengthen%20your%20brittle%20fingernails.