Nails need just as much care as other parts of the anatomy, such as hair and skin. Nail care is first and foremost motivated by a concern for aesthetics, as they bear witness to their owner’s cleanliness and elegance. Taking care of your nails is also essential to prevent certain diseases, such as fungal infections.
Furthermore, it’s important to know that nails are attacked daily by: limescale, cold, household cleaning products, the manicure products we use, and so on. That’s why it’s important to keep them in good health by choosing the right treatments.
Moisturizing
Lack of moisture is the main cause of brittle, ridged nails. This phenomenon occurs especially when nails and skin are exposed to sun and wind. To avoid this, it’s imperative to moisturize the nail base with a moisturizing cream. This treatment nourishes and activates circulation, which is good for keratin production.
To moisturize nails, you can also use Vaseline, which has an emollient action that protects them from damages. You can coat your nails with Vaseline, then leave them in plastic gloves for 30 minutes for the product to take effect.
Vegetable oils are also ideal for moisturizing nails and cuticles. You can use castor oil, which stimulates growth, or sweet almond oil, which nourishes deep down and prevents nails from splitting.
Treat cuticles gently
During manicure sessions, we are used to peeling or even cutting cuticles. This practice can be dangerous, as it can lead to infection through micro-injuries to the skin. To avoid this risk, it’s best to soften cuticles with a cream or Vaseline before cutting them, or to gently push them back with a small wooden spatula.
Space out your fake nails application
Although fake nails are all the rage these days, they’re not necessarily healthy for your nails. In fact, the glue used to apply them can alter the keratin, while fake nails cause the surface to peel off when they remain stuck to the nails for too long.
Even the acrylic resin technique, which is considered less aggressive, also entails risks for the nails. Contact with this product can cause all kinds of illnesses and reactions, such as dermatitis, nail contour inflammation, mycosis, etc.
To avoid damaging the nails, it’s best to space out the application of fake nails.
Disinfect your manicure equipment
Nail clippers, cuticle cutters, files, tweezers, etc. are all tools we use to care for our nails and make them look their best. However useful they may be, they can also be a source of nail disease. So before using them, you need to disinfect them with an alcohol-based, fungicidal and bactericidal spray to eliminate all micro-organisms likely to infect nails.
If you use a professional kit at home, you can soak manicure equipment in a chemical solution or sterilize it in the microwave to effectively kill germs.
Protect your nails
The best way to avoid nail damage from your daily activities is to wear plastic gloves. So don’t forget to put them on whenever you’re doing the housework or washing up. If you do your laundry by hand, apply a strengthening treatment to nails that have been softened by humidity. You can mix 2 tablespoons of olive oil with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Apply this mixture to nails and cuticles, massage thoroughly for 5 minutes and rinse off with clean water.
If you suffer from brittle nails, do this twice a week.
How to choose the right nail polish
Nail polish is used to embellish the outer appearance of the nail, so it’s understandable that we can’t do without it. However, all nail polishes, and especially cheap ones, can be harmful to the nails due to their keratin-aggressive ingredients. So it’s vital to opt for nail polishes that may be expensive, but are gentler on the nails. Those containing silicon, in particular, have the advantage of promoting nail growth, protecting and protecting the nail.