Beauty Tips On How to Get Healthy Nails in Just 10 Minutes
Having strong, healthy nails is an indication of overall wellness. Healthy nails are smooth, without cracks or grooves, and are not yellow or stained. They also grow at a consistent speed with no ridges from peeking fingertips. Unfortunately, many of us aren't so lucky to be born with stunning nails. Whether it's from biting them, cuticles that won't stay tidy, nail-biting, or stress — most of us spend more time fixing our nails than keeping up with them. But don't let that put you off! Keeping your nails in check doesn't have to take hours each day; read on for some easy tips on how to get healthy nails in just 10 minutes.
Manicure and pedicure
A standard manicure and pedicure can yield significant benefits to your nails. Exfoliation, a base coat, nail shaping, and a good quality polish applied correctly can make all the difference. If you can, try a manicure once a month and a pedicure once every two weeks to keep your nails in check and look healthy. Sure it might not work in ten minutes; however, you can do these steps daily while taking a shower, and soon, you will realize that it will only take you ten minutes to maintain salon-like nails at home.
Ensure the polish you get is non-toxic and made with at least 70% cotton, as some polishes are made with harmful chemicals. If you can't afford a professional manicure and pedicure, don't worry! There are plenty of at-home manicure and pedicure kits available for purchase. These kits can be as effective as getting a professional manicure and pedicure.
File, don't bite
If you're trying to grow your nails, but they're constantly breaking or splitting, you may want to look at your filing technique. If you're filing your nails straight down or at an angle, you may be causing more harm than good. If you file your nails straight down, you're causing ridges that pressure the nail bed. This pressure stops your nails from growing. If you're filing your nails at an angle, you're removing the natural curve of your nails. This also causes ridges and stops your nails from growing. Instead, file your nails in a criss-cross motion. This allows your nails to grow naturally, without any pressure or ridges.
Exfoliate
Exfoliating your nails is as important as exfoliating your skin. When we wash our hands or feet, we don't thoroughly remove the dead skin on the surface. Exfoliating your nails helps remove the dead skin build-up and makes your nails look smoother and brighter. You may start by using a pumice stone or a nail file with a built-in scrubber. Exfoliating your nails once a week will help get rid of any dry skin and give your nails a fresh new look. Exfoliating your nails helps encourage the growth of new healthy nails.
Dry brushing
Dry brushing your nails isn't something you'd think of, but it can be extremely beneficial to your nails. If you haven't recently, we recommend using a toothbrush to clean under your nails. If it has been a while, you might want to think about dry brushing your nails. Dry brushing your nails is an easy way to get rid of any dead skin on the surface of your nails. Dry brushing helps stimulate blood flow to your hands and nails, which can help your nails grow faster. If you're looking to increase the speed at which your nails grow, try dry brushing your nails once a week. Or if you want to clean off any dead skin on the surface of your nails.
Don't forget the cuticles
You might be tempted to cut your cuticles, but don't. Your cuticles are there for a reason — they keep bacteria out of your nails. Cutting your cuticles can cause infections and disease-causing bacteria to enter your nails. This will cause your nails to weaken and may result in your nails falling off completely. If your cuticles are thick, you can use a cuticle remover to thin them out. If your cuticles are thin, leave them alone. Make sure you push your cuticles back every few days to keep them tidy. This will also help to prevent infections caused by bacteria.
Add a Vitamin rich base coat
Your nails are porous and sponge-like. Applying nail polish acts like a sponge that soaks up the color and quality of your nails. Using standard nail polish, you cover your nails in a toxin-heavy chemical. If you're applying Vitamin-rich oil as a base coat, you're giving your nails a head start. Your nails will soak up the vitamins and minerals in Vitamin-rich oils like Coconut oil, Shea butter, Grape seed oil, and Vitamin E Oil. These oils contain vitamins and minerals that will help encourage new nail growth and make your nails stronger and healthier. A Vitamin-rich base coat is a perfect solution if you want to grow your nails quickly.
Get some color — fake or otherwise
If you bite your nails, they're likely short and have little growth. Try painting if you're trying to grow your nails but biting them short. Using a thick, bright nail polish can make your nails appear longer. Instead of painting your nails, you might use false ones. Artificial nails can be easily removed and will help your natural nails grow. You can also use fake nails to try out different nail shapes, like French tips or a coffin shape. Adopt a new nail shape, and your nails will grow faster.
Biotin
Supplementing with biotin (a member of the vitamin B family) has been shown in multiple trials to make nails thicker and more resistant to splitting and breaking. After taking 2.5 mg of biotin daily for several months, all 45 participants in a reputable German study of adults with severe nail problems reported improvement, with 91% reporting a "very considerable" improvement. According to Sumayah Jamal, MD, a dermatologist at New York University, you need to take the therapeutic dose of 2.5 milligrams daily to see results.
Silicon and the supplement MSM, linked to healthy nails, can be found in some nail products. Sadly, gelatin is the one supplement that won't help. Nail strength cannot be improved by ingesting it or soaking in it, and a liquid soak may potentially waterlog and eventually weaken nails, according to experts.
Put on gloves
Wear rubber, vinyl, nitrile, or plastic gloves — some of which include a cotton liner — whenever cleaning with harsh chemicals, gardening, or doing anything that involves soaking or dirtying your hands. Without gloves, dishwashing in hot, soapy water can damage nails, and get them caked with dirt. At the same time, gardening will necessitate cleaning you'd instead not do.
In a similar vein, if you go to the trouble of moisturizing your skin before going outside when the weather is cold, don't let the drying effects of the air and wind undo your efforts by making your skin rough and scaly.
Using gel treatments too frequently is not recommended
Despite their durability and ease of usage, nail professionals do not recommend acrylic and gel manicures. This is because they are extremely damaging to the natural nail. While they can damage your hands and nails, there are techniques to lessen the effects.
The primary risk of getting a gel manicure is cancer from exposure to the UV light used in the drying device. This light can damage the skin just around the nail. Two ways to lessen this risk are sunscreen with an SPF of 30 to 50 or specially designed gloves that expose only the nails while protecting the rest of your hands from the sun.
Conclusion
Healthy nails are attractive and show that you are healthy. Your diet is probably off-kilter if your nails are weak and break easily. Many vitamins and minerals are essential for healthy nails, and that help in strengthening them. One should include these vitamins in their diet, a healthy lifestyle, and regular manicures and pedicures. With these tips from WomenWire.com, you can get healthy nails in 10 minutes. So go ahead and nail it!