Nail Care Secrets

Covering our fingers and toes, our nails are a part of the integumentary system that protects our body from various damage such as loss of water or external abrasion. As much as these nails are a part of our natural protective covering, they are also highly decorative and are absolutely fun to embellish. With great nail colors and styles being a hippy trend these days, throwing a number of dollars for a weekly or monthly experience on such definitely contributes to this billion-dollar industry.

If you are on a tight budget, you do not have to spend so much money on salon visits. You can try to make your nails look their best through a DIY treatment. Aside from being able to choose your own color and style, you can also make sure that the tools that you use on your nails are clean – giving you the confidence that you are safe from accidental wounds or even with the least type of skin infections.

If a do-it-yourself treatment makes you nervous, here are a list of practices that you can avoid to ensure a successful nail care practice:

1. 1. Do not cut your cuticles. The main function of these cuticles is to act as a seal between your nails and your skin to maintain the latter’s natural barrier. When you break this barrier, you are risking yourself for infections, because once this seal breaks, a pocket under the cuticle opens, enabling germs to grow and live. A lot of these infections can become severe without surgery, so it’s better to stay safe. Push these cuticles back instead of cutting them.

2. 2. Do not choose nail products with alcohol in it. Chemicals such as alcohol and hydrazine found in nail hardening products will dry out your nail’s natural oils and change their natural proteins.

3. 3. Do not wash your hands with harsh soaps. Harsh soaps remove the structural oils or our hands and nails.

4. 4. Do not forget to moisturize both your hands and your nails. Putting on oils or simply lotion after washing your hands will strengthen your nails, especially your cuticle.

5. 5. Do not clip your nails when dry. Doing so can destroy the protein structure of fragile nails. Before clipping them, make sure that they’re wet in order to soften them and make them workable.

6. 6. Do not eat unhealthy foods. Eating good food will not only give you a strong set of nails – it will also improve your over-all health.

Your nails will add beauty to your hands and will look good on women that others often look to as a sign of cleanliness and sophistication. You can hire professionals that can help you with nail care to ensure safety with the whole process.

Daniella Samburgh is a 19 year old business writer.