How to Take Care of My Nails

Beauty and womanhood go hand in hand. The mental and the physical well being of a woman is very well reflected in a healthy looking radiant skin. Your skin is not just a reflection of external factors but also of various internal factors. A healthy diet and active lifestyle is a must to ensure that you are beautiful, inside out. It is very important to keep yourself hydrated during winters. So drink lots of water, eat lots of fruit and fresh vegetables and avoid alcohol, tea, coffee, soda and other caffeine rich drinks as they tend to dehydrate the body. Rather, you’d be way better off and healthier if you do opt for soups which are nutritious as well as ones that can keep you warm.

Many of us, irrespective of our hectic schedules do ensure that they eat healthy and follow a strict fitness regime. But amidst this, many of us often tend to neglect a very important part of our body- our nails. Gorgeous looking nails would not just boost the inner confidence in you but also make you feel pampered. Cold weather dehydrates your nails and cuticles, leaving them prone to breaking, chapping and discoloration. The best way to keep nails in top shape is by maintaining a meticulous nail care routine, especially during the cold season.



Tips for Beautiful Nails

1. Eat healthy: What we eat directly reflects on our nails. Our nails are composed of calcium and other minerals. So, it is very essential to replenish them, which you can do so by an adequate supply of calcium, vitamin A, phosphorous, zinc, folic acid, silica, vitamin C. That is a long list that’ll do a food technlogist proud, isn’t it? Let’s deconstruct that to something we can relate to, shall we? Here we go. Drink plenty of milk and also make sure you eat plenty of milk products like cheese, yogurt etc. Eggs, green leafy vegetables such as spinach, parsley , coriander, broccoli, apricots, carrots, almonds are also very good supplements to your diet. Drink lots of water as it will not just prevent wrinkles on your skin but also avoid your nails from getting brittle. Also look out for discoloration of nails or developing ridges, because they are indication of vitamin deficiency. Deficiency of Vitamin B12 leads to dryness and darkening of nails.

2. Personal hygiene: Clean nails are not just necessary to look good but also necessary to ensure your well being. Our nails can carry lots of disease causing bacteria and germs. Winters, especially, make our nails more porous and susceptible to fungus. Trim your nails regularly. But do not file your nails immediately after bath because they tend to break. Avoid back and forth motion while filing your nails and make sure you stick to one direction. Resort to nail buffing as it augments blood circulation, stimulating nail growth and voila you have strong and shiny nails. When you wash hands, make sure you massage soap near your nails and cuticles. Rinse and moisture them well .You could also use a soft brush to clean them. Dead skin around the nails could be removed using a pumice stone. Do not keep exposing your nails to extreme temperatures, very hot water or direct heat and cold. They lead to brittle nails. Use of lukewarm water to wash your hands is recommended. A monthly manicure by professional is must but make sure they use clean and sterilized equipment. Use gloves while gardening, washing clothes, utensils and cutting vegetables.

3. Keep them well moisturized: Apply moisturizer while watching TV, before going to bed and after washing your hands. Massaging hot oil once a week could give you smooth and soft fingers and nails. Vitamin E oil is very good for nails and so is castor oil. You could also use petroleum jelly to massage your beautiful nails. Massaging nail serum could also stimulate circulation and help your nails grow faster as during winters your nails tend to grow slow.

4. Avoid harsh chemicals as they make your nails brittle and damage them very badly. Use a base coat before applying paint. Use non acetone nail polish remover to prevent your nails from being fragile, better stick to acetate containing nail polish removers. Vibrant colors like crimson red, neon blue, deep pink, deep burnt rust, grey is the new black, electric green are the hot trends seen at runway currently. Apply vinegar on your nail to last the polish longer. Base coat is very essential as it prevents staining of the nail color on tour actual nails when you apply polish.