Nailing Down Health And Beauty
With summer creeping up on us, we all want our nails to look as good as possible. Paying attention to your nails doesn't have to be hard or expensive, and it's worth the small effort. Not only do your nails say a lot about you, but they also say a lot about your overall health.
Real Simple magazine's Kris Connell visits The Early Show to offer tips to keep your nails in tip-top shape for both the short- and long-term.
Tools To Own
Having the right tools will help maintain healthy nails. The following aren't fancy and they aren't expensive:
- Lippmann Collection Smooth Operator nail file ($11, www.beauty.com)
A double-sided emery board is a great multitasker. This lightweight board has four different textures, so you can file, smooth down ridges, and push back cuticles and buff.
- Creative Nail Design Solar Oil ($9, www.creativenaildesign.com)
This nourishing oil prevents peeling and conditions cuticles. Packed with jajoba oil, sweet almond oil and vitamin E, it penetrates skin and nails easily, softening your cuticles and making your nails more flexible and strong. (More flexible nails will recover from trauma, rather than break.)
- Firoze All Natural Conditioning Polish Remover ($18, www.firoze.com)
This is a gentle, acetone-free enamel remover, so you can easily strip your nails of color whenever they start to chip, or you're ready for something new. It's made of only natural ingredients, like corn solvent, soy and chamomile, and it conditions nails while taking off polish.
- Cutex Growth Nail Treatment ($6, at drugstores)
This clear base coat reinforces nails by coating them with soy protein, filling in ridges along the nail bed, and strengthening them at the same time. It's not made with formaldehyde or toluene, which are harsh and can be irritating to the nails. And for pregnant women who are concerned about such harsh chemicals, this is a great one since it does not contain these common nail polish ingredients.
- Also a favorite is Neutrogena's new Instant Nail Enhancer ($7, at drugstores)
It's perfect for women on the run. We don't always have time for a salon manicure, so this product offers the quickest and easiest way to get your nails looking polished and well kept. The clear formula deposits a subtle shine and dries instantly. It also strengthens nails and prevents peeling and chipping. And best of all, it washes away after a few days, so you don't even have to use a polish remover.
Problem Solvers
Whether you have strong or weak nails depends on heredity as well as how you treat your hands on a daily basis. With a little proper care and the right treatment, you can easily improve your nails' strength and luster.
Problem No. 1: If you have weak, brittle nails: Often occurs if your hands are exposed to a lot of water. Cleaning solvents, detergents, and nail-polish remover also leave nails fragile, so they may become brittle or even start to peel.
Solution:
- Wear rubber gloves when washing dishes or cleaning.
- Consider taking up to 2,500 micrograms of biotin to strengthen them.
- Wear a strengthening polish to reinforce nails and prevent them from losing moisture.
Appearex ($19, www.CVS.com) or Billionails from www.essie.com
Problem No 2: If you have white flecks: It can be due to trauma to the nail bed, like banging your nail on a door, or applying too much pressure to the nail when you push back your cuticles.
Solution:
- Use a rich moisturizer to keep hands and nails hydrated, and to promote nail strength and flexibility (a flexible nail will bend if bumped, rather than crack).
- The only way you can get rid of a white fleck is to let them grow out. It takes 4-5 months for a nail to grow from cuticle to tip, so you may want to cover white flecks with nail polish in the meantime.
- Real Simple suggests: Essie Nail Polish in Vanity Fairest ($8) www.essie.com
Problem No. 3: If you have discolored nails: It is caused by smoking cigarettes, applying hair dye without gloves, and even wearing a dark polish without protecting your nails with a base coat.
Solution:
- Rub a small amount of toothpaste on the nail with a cotton swab and massage it on for a couple minutes, to gently remove the surface layer of the nail.
- Soaking nails in orange or lemon juice can also remove discoloration, but be sure to moisturize hands afterwards, as citric juices can be drying.
- Your nail polish, not your nails, can also become yellow in tint, but that's generally caused by exposure to the sun, which oxidizes and discolors light or pale-colored polishes. You can prevent this by covering light polishes with a top-coat containing sunscreen.
- Orly Sunscreen for Nails ($7, www.beautyofasite.com
Whether you're doing your nails at home or getting a salon manicure, you'll want them to last as long as possible. A Real Simple tip is to apply a clear top or base coat to your nails each night, which will help maintain the look. Product suggested: Super Duper Top Coat from www.essie.com.