How to Get Nice Nails
Stop biting your nails., Try not to use your nails as tools., Avoid scraping nail polish off the surface of your nails., Don't use abrasive products on your nails., Apply lotion or oil to your hands and nails., Eat nutritious foods.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Stop biting your nails.
Biting your nails keeps them from growing strong.
When you bite them off you're actually tearing the nail, which weakens it all the way to the nail bed.
The saliva from your mouth also softens your nails, making them more prone to getting torn or broken.
Biting your nails is a habit that's hard to break, but it's the first major step to having nice-looking nails! You can buy products that will keep you from biting your nails by making them taste funny.
Reward yourself for a job well done by giving yourself an amazing manicure when you've let your nails grow for a couple of weeks without biting them. -
Step 2: Try not to use your nails as tools.
Do you tend to use your nails to scrape stickers off of bottles, pop open cans, and perform other tasks? This puts stress on your nails that leads to them cracking and getting weaker.
While it's impossible to completely stop using your nails as tools
- after all, that's why you have them in the first place!
- being more mindful of how you use your nails can help save them from getting banged up., If you tend to pick off your nail polish, please stop.
This tears up the surface of your nails, making them fragile and easy to break.
When you're done with your manicure, remove the polish in a gentle way.
You'll notice a big difference. , If your nails are naturally prone to breaking, using harsh products on them is going to make the situation a lot worse.
For example, acetone, the ingredient that strips nail polish from nails, is extremely drying and can make nails start to chip if you use it too often.
Even nail polish usually has ingredients that can be harsh on your nails.
Give them a break for a few weeks to recover from products
- they'll grow back in strong and shiny.
An alternative to harsh, drying polishes are water based nail polishes which use water as a base instead of drying chemicals.
Dish soap and other detergents can be tough on nails.
Wear gloves when you're cleaning your house or dishes.
Use a moisturizing hand soap when you wash your hands. , In order to combat dryness, regularly apply some lotion or oil to your hands.
Almond oil and jojoba oil are particularly good for nails.
This will protect your nails from drying chemicals and extreme temperatures that typically lead to damage.
You can also use nail strengtheners with vitamins in them.
Avoid using mineral or baby oil, which will only coat your nails rather than moisturize.
If you work outside in the elements, it's especially important to use lotion.
Protecting your hands and nails with gloves or mittens will also be a big help. , If your diet is lacking certain nutrients, that'll show up in your nails.
It can cause them to look dry, ridged, or even discolored, and it leads to more breakage than usual.
The solution? Eat plenty of foods that contain the vitamins and minerals your body needs to produce healthy nails.
As a bonus, the same foods will do wonders for your hair, too! Eat plenty of protein, since this is what nails are made of.
Fish, poultry, pork, spinach, and beans are all good sources of protein.
Eat foods rich in biotin, the B vitamin, which is found in nuts, fish, eggs and liver.
Eat zinc and vitamin C.
Also eat foods rich in calcium. -
Step 3: Avoid scraping nail polish off the surface of your nails.
-
Step 4: Don't use abrasive products on your nails.
-
Step 5: Apply lotion or oil to your hands and nails.
-
Step 6: Eat nutritious foods.
Detailed Guide
Biting your nails keeps them from growing strong.
When you bite them off you're actually tearing the nail, which weakens it all the way to the nail bed.
The saliva from your mouth also softens your nails, making them more prone to getting torn or broken.
Biting your nails is a habit that's hard to break, but it's the first major step to having nice-looking nails! You can buy products that will keep you from biting your nails by making them taste funny.
Reward yourself for a job well done by giving yourself an amazing manicure when you've let your nails grow for a couple of weeks without biting them.
Do you tend to use your nails to scrape stickers off of bottles, pop open cans, and perform other tasks? This puts stress on your nails that leads to them cracking and getting weaker.
While it's impossible to completely stop using your nails as tools
- after all, that's why you have them in the first place!
- being more mindful of how you use your nails can help save them from getting banged up., If you tend to pick off your nail polish, please stop.
This tears up the surface of your nails, making them fragile and easy to break.
When you're done with your manicure, remove the polish in a gentle way.
You'll notice a big difference. , If your nails are naturally prone to breaking, using harsh products on them is going to make the situation a lot worse.
For example, acetone, the ingredient that strips nail polish from nails, is extremely drying and can make nails start to chip if you use it too often.
Even nail polish usually has ingredients that can be harsh on your nails.
Give them a break for a few weeks to recover from products
- they'll grow back in strong and shiny.
An alternative to harsh, drying polishes are water based nail polishes which use water as a base instead of drying chemicals.
Dish soap and other detergents can be tough on nails.
Wear gloves when you're cleaning your house or dishes.
Use a moisturizing hand soap when you wash your hands. , In order to combat dryness, regularly apply some lotion or oil to your hands.
Almond oil and jojoba oil are particularly good for nails.
This will protect your nails from drying chemicals and extreme temperatures that typically lead to damage.
You can also use nail strengtheners with vitamins in them.
Avoid using mineral or baby oil, which will only coat your nails rather than moisturize.
If you work outside in the elements, it's especially important to use lotion.
Protecting your hands and nails with gloves or mittens will also be a big help. , If your diet is lacking certain nutrients, that'll show up in your nails.
It can cause them to look dry, ridged, or even discolored, and it leads to more breakage than usual.
The solution? Eat plenty of foods that contain the vitamins and minerals your body needs to produce healthy nails.
As a bonus, the same foods will do wonders for your hair, too! Eat plenty of protein, since this is what nails are made of.
Fish, poultry, pork, spinach, and beans are all good sources of protein.
Eat foods rich in biotin, the B vitamin, which is found in nuts, fish, eggs and liver.
Eat zinc and vitamin C.
Also eat foods rich in calcium.
About the Author
Peter Rodriguez
Enthusiastic about teaching creative arts techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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