Secrets to Obtaining Healthy, Strong, Beautiful Nails!

For one of my final presentations, I decided to give all of my secrets to obtaining beautiful and healthy natural nails! A true beautiful nail is one that is naturally taken care of, no acrylic powders and/or gels!

Problems:

Discolored nails?

Unusual shapes?

Dents or ridges?

There are a variety of things you can do to prevent your nails from being damaged and unhealthy. Nutrition is a major factor in how your nails look.

1. Vitamin A and Calcium are essential for preventing nails from becoming brittle and dry.
2. Vitamin C helps with painful hangnails.
3. Zinc prevents those annoying little white spots from appearing on your nail bed.
4. Vitamin B12 assists in preventing nails from becoming dry, like Vitamin A, but it also helps them from becoming dark and discolored.
5. Biotin and Iron help with nail thickness.
6. Eating foods that are rich with these vitamin can also help if you're not into taking actual pills. Lots of spinach (Vitamin B) and yogurt (Calcium and Protein) can help lengthen your nails.
7. Carrot juice contains high levels of Calcium and Phosphorus (for brittle nails).
8. Last but certainly not least, your diet should contain 50% fruits and vegetables!

Now for the Do's and Dont's of natural nail care!

1. Don't let anyone use your emery board, they carry your germs and can pick up the germs of others.
2. File and trim nails regularly. File in one direction, sawing back and forth can cause breakage and splitting.
3. Moisturize your nails daily and cuticles daily.
4. Don't go bare foot in public places, i.e. swimming pools and/or locker rooms. Those are breeding fields for germs and fungi.
5. No biting or picking at your nails or cuticles.
6. Keep your nails clean. Clean under your nails to prevent fungi from growing under them.
7. Keep nails short and oval shaped. Short, oval shaped nails are less likely to break or crack.

How to keep them nice and pretty!

Going to the salon for manicures is a good way to keep your nails healthy. BUT make sure the manicurist really knows what he/she is doing. If you don't want to pay someone each week for a manicure, you can always get funky and do them yourself! Pick up a manicure kit and outrageous nail laquers at a local drug or beauty supply store and have a girls night in with all your friends!