Nail Care

Hello Readers!

In this section, I wish to share a few tips from the various articles I have read, ranging from how to keep healthy nails, whether base coats helps to keep your manicure to last longer to the most important issue on cuticle care. All these issues help to maintain healthy nail growth and keep your nails in tiptop condition :)

1. How To Keep Healthy Nails – The Dos & Don’ts

Dos:

• ·         Apply Moisturizer -Brittle nails are common complains as nails are too dry or soft. Therefore, the top recommendation would be to apply moisturizer daily and try to avoid harsh or acidic chemicals. When you use hand lotion, rub the lotion into your cuticles too. 
• ·         Filing Nails & Keeping Them Dry & Clean – Do try to keep nails clean as they can be an area for bacterial growth. Trim and round your fingernail tips in a curve manner.
• ·         Apply Clear Nail Polish – Nowadays clear nail polishes come with ingredients such as vitamins for your nail to be healthy and retain moisture in fingernails. You can either look for a clear base coat polish or a clear nail strengthener polish. The clear nail polish at Faceshop works well and helps me grow strong and long nails.

Don’ts:

• ·         Abuse Or Bite Your Fingernails! – Don’t do this to prevent nail damage! Even having a minor cut can lead to serious nail infections due to bacterial growth.
• ·         Ignore Nail Problems – Nail problems can be such that you have bleeding around your nails, redness, swelling and pain around the nails, changes in nail shape (such as curled nails), nails discolouration (like your nail changing to dark purple), separation of nail from surrounding skin. These problems can be signs or symptoms of your body conditions and it is best to consult a doctor.

2. Do You Need A Base Coat Before You Apply Nail Polish?

Actually, a clear base coat helps the nail polish to stick to your nails more easily but at the same time, it acts as a protective barrier that protects your natural nail from damaging effects of the nail polish. It prevents staining and peeling, and it will give your polished nails a more even texture. Base coats come in plain and ridge-filler varieties. Ridge-filling base coats are thicker than regular base coats. They fill in any lines, ridges and grooves to give the nails a smoother looking appearance. In addition, base coats also help extend the life of your manicure and help to minimise yellowed nails due to their fortified substances of vitamins, protein and calcium. 

3. Cuticle Care

As seen in the diagram, the cuticle (4) is the piece of skin that overlaps the hard nail and touches the ‘white moon’ (3) of your nail. The role of the cuticle is basically protecting the new, soft keratin which is created in the root of the nail (5) as it emerges onto the nail. Whenever you see that your cuticle has gone dry or ragged, DO NOT cut your cuticles. This has been backed up by health experts as they state that the cuticle, which acts as a protective barrier, once removed can introduce the growth of bacteria and fungus. There are a few tips to keep your cuticles yet at the same time, give a clean and beautiful manicure:

• ·         Moisturizer, Moisturizer & More Moisturizer! – Yes, hand creams or lotions not only promote healthy nails and keep them from drying out, it also acts the same for your cuticles. Cuticles are more delicate and there are specialised cuticle creams and oils to give them the hydration that they need. The product I am using is the Organic Treatment Lemon Cuticle Cream from Attitude Line. It’s great for locking hydration into cuticles and making it softer. In the market, there is also the common Burt’s Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream.
• ·         Cuticle Remover – How it works is to loosen up cuticles and removing the dead and hard skin. First you apply and wait a little while, around 2mins, and using the blunt end of the cuticle pusher, push the cuticles in a circular motion so that the dead skin comes off.
• ·         Home Treatment – Try soaking your hands once a week in a bowl of warm water and olive oil for 15 minutes. Remove hands from bowl and lightly dab dry. While still semi-dry, use a cuticle pusher and push them back gently. Dry your hands and you are ready for a manicure or leaving your nails dry and in the pink of health :)