Our heads nod in concurrence when we reckon that nothing pains more than seeing your patiently grown nails break in a jiffy and all your efforts into growing them go down the drain. We shudder when our precious manicure doesn’t get flaunted due to a broken nail. We sob p)at the thought of clipping rest of our nails due to one broken, brittle nail.
We’ve all been there and we relate to the pain. To not waste our valued tears and time on growing our nails back, but to ensure that such mishaps don’t arise in the first place, here’s our list of to do’s and don’ts that should be your own bible!
1. Do not cut or play with your cuticles
Leaving cuticles alone is the no. 1 recommendation of all top dermatologists. Cuticles save you from fungal and bacterial infections which may arise if they’re picke at and removed. In worst case scenarios, permanent nail damage is also possible!
2. Reminder: Nails aren’t food
Bite your food, but don’t include nails in the platter. Many of us have to compulsive habit of biting nails; sometimes upto the extent of exposing the nailbed, which not only paves way towards growing bacterial infections, but also affects one’s vision. Old habits die hard, but this surely one that you’d want to quit right away!
3. Balanced diet is the key
Vitamins in sizes and forms aid in healthy nail growth. Vitamin H or folic in fish, cheese or meat helps in blood cells and nerve cells healthy. Vitamin C present in citric fruits helps in regeneration of cells that promote nail growth while Vitamin A helps in strengthening them, that is found in green leafy vegetables. All these vitamins combined with a balanced diet ensure impeccable strengthening of nails.
4. Stop using nails for menial tasks
While you may not realise it, but for every Coke can you open, phone covers you painstakingly take off or labels you rip, there’s a price your nails pay. To keep your nail paint from chipping off and nails from breaking, do away with this habit already.
5. There’s a filer for a reason
While most of us skip the process of filing, frayed nails edges or badly filed nails are more prone to breaking accidentally. Start with an end and file towards the file end with a fine-grit filer to shape your nails perfectly and avoiding uneven nail undulations.
6. Moisturization is key
We couldn’t stress enough on the step of moisturization being the cherry on cake when it comes to growing strong and healthy nails. Frequently washing hands or cutting your nails can lead to dryness which leads to brittle nails. Many dermatologists mention that if nails are breaking or chipping off then it can suggest a lack of moisture. Moisturizing nail cuticles and oiling them helps to moisturize the entire nail and hence can give you stronger nails which do not chip and break.
Armed with these 7 easy steps, strong and heathy nails isn’t a dream anymore!