The Tips Of Your Fingers

Advice On Getting Strong, Healthy Nails

(CBS)  Strong, healthy nails, like a good haircut or healthy skin, is a basic part of looking and feeling our best. Yet, not everyone has the time, or the know-how, to get, and keep, our nails looking their best.
The goal is to be able to skip a manicure now and then, without being embarrassed by how our nails look. That means, nails that aren't chipped, or split, white nail tips, and nails that are even in length.
If you start to care for your nails now, you will begin to see a noticeable improvement in about 10 days. And, because nails grow about an eighth of an inch per month, you will see longer, healthier nails in about 2 months. We're not talking about color and cosmetics. We're talking about natural, strong, healthy nails.
It's important to remember that healthy nails are a by-product of good general health. Eat a balanced diet, especially foods high in protein (to build keratin in the nail) and essential oils (to keep the nails moisturized from the inside out).

Even with a healthful diet, nails won't stand a chance if we abuse them.

Keep nails on the shorter side, which are easier to care for. The tips of the nails should extend just past the end of the fingers.

Don't use your nails as tools for tasks such as opening soda cans.

Wear gloves when gardening, cleaning the house, and especially when immersing your hands in water. Water moves through your nails 100 times faster than your skin, which causes the nails to expand (when wet) and shrink (as they dry).

If gloves aren't an option, run your nails across a bar of soap to prevent dirt and bacteria from getting underneath. When you're finished what you're doing, remove the soap with a soft nailbrush.

If your nails are in really bad shape, which can happen from wearing artificial nails (the adhesives can damage the natural nail), or from biting the nails, consider getting a manicure once or twice a month, which will speed their recovery.

REMOVING POLISH:

The natural oils on the nail bed can make polish peel (and, shorten the life of a manicure). Before removing polish:

Choose a non-acetone polish remover. Although acetone polish-removers are faster, they can dry the nail bed, which can exacerbate, or cause split nails.

Remove polish in upward strokes from base to tip of nails, using several new cotton balls for dark shades of polish.

You can also dip a cotton ball in Sea Breeze & wipe across the nail bed before applying polish to remove all traces of the natural oils.

The products: Cutex Non-Acetone Nail Polish Remover, cotton balls, Sea Breeze

KEEPING TIPS WHITE:

Yellow or discolored nails are most often caused by overuse of nail polish (especially dark nail enamels).

Always use a base coat, which will serve as a foundation.

Give your nails a break from polish every couple of weeks.

If you love dark enamels, alternate between dark colors and light polish.

Create your own whitening solution by soaking your nails in a cup of water, several slices of lemon, a teaspoon of peroxide, and a few drops of oil.
The products: lemons, peroxide, oil

SHAPING NAILS:

Filing incorrectly can weaken the nails. Since the majority of nail files in drugstores are made for artificial nails, it's important to:

Choose a soft, straight file and steer clear of metal files, which can tear the nails.

When you're choosing a nail file, choose the one that is the softest to the touch (the heavier grit on some files can tear the nails).

File in one direction. Go from corner to center in one direction. It shouldn't take more than a few strokes to shape your nail.

To shorten a nail, use the file's coarser side. Finish with the softer side of the file.

Opt for shorter lengths (just above the fingertips), which will decrease the chance of damaging the nail bed.

The actual shape is really a matter of personal preference, but by keeping your nails their natural shape (the way they grow) will keep them strongest. Oval-shaped nails are softer and more natural looking. Some people recommend using your cuticle as a guide to the best shape: if your cuticle is oval shaped a the base, a square-shaped nail may work best. If your cuticle is pointed, an oval-shaped nail may work better.

Replace your nail file often. As soon as you begin to notice that you're working harder to shape your nail, replace the file.

A nail file is the greatest tool in a nail biter's arsenal. Most people who bite their nails do so because broken nails are a distraction. Keep a file with you at all times.

The products: an assortment of nail files

CONDITIONING NAILS:

The No. 1 reason for hangnails is lack of moisture in the nail bed. Other causes are biting your nails, or exposure to household cleaning products. Brittle and peeling nails can also be exacerbated by cleaning products, and they're usually caused by dryness or lack of strength.

Moisturize the nails at least once a day.

Use a cuticle oil at night, and an everyday moisturizer during the day.

And, once a week, rub a rich, nail-strengthening cream into the surface of the skin and soak fingertips in a bowl of warm water.

The products: Philosophy Save the Nails, Firoze Nail Rejuvenating and Cuticle Cream

CARING FOR CUTICLES:

Some women cut their cuticles, but the cuticle serves as a barrier from bacteria entering the body (and, that aren't sanitized can lead to infection). And, cutting the cuticles puts you in a cycle - the more you cut, the more you have to.

A safer option is to use a good cuticle remover, which will soften the cuticle. After applying the remover, push back the cuticles with an orange stick. Move the orange stick in tiny circles around the base of the nail to remove dead skin.

The products: Barrielle Extra Gentle Cuticle Minimizer (removes dead cuticle without damaging healthy cuticle), assortment of orange sticks

BUFFING NAILS:

Ridges on the nail bed can be genetic. Sometimes, it can also be sign of anemia (speak with your doctor if you've recently developed ridges), or a result of too much pressure on the nail bed. Whatever the cause, you can smooth the ridge with a buffer.

Be gentle and don't buff the nails more than once a week. Try a four-sided buffer that will smooth ridges and add a glossy sheen to the nail bed.

Buffing smoothes the nail bed and prevents your polish from peeling (anything rough or uneven on the nail increases the likelihood that the polish will peel).

The product: 4-sided nail buffer

USING TOP AND BASE COATS:

The base coat serves as the foundation and will prevent discoloration. The top coat serves as the protective coat, extending the length of your manicure and protecting the nail from chips and breaks. A good manicure, salon or at-home, should last for at least seven days without the polish chipping.

If you're at the beginning stages of growing out your nails, use a nail strengthener on your nail plate and apply it every day.

Don't wave your hands in the air, or blow them dry. This will create an uneven texture, or air bubbles in the polish.
If you're not using a colored polish, apply two coats of a base coat.

The products: Nutra Nail Maximum, NailTek Foundation Base Coat, ProShield Instant Thickening Top Coat with Fluoride

TREATING SPECIAL PROBLEMS:

Our hands are exposed to as much sun and pollution as our face, but we don't give our hands the same attention. If you're beginning to notice lines and wrinkles on the hands, treat them just as you would the skin on your face:

Apply a moisturizer with a built-in sloughing agent, such as glycolic acid, every night.

To fade dark spots, apply an over-the-counter lightening cream every night. Spots will reappear if you're not stringent about using a sunscreen.

The products: Neutrogena's Visibly Younger Hand Cream, L'Oreal Age Perfect Hand, BlissLabs Glamour Glove Gel

For more information, visit Dayle Haddon's site at dayle.com.