How To Care For Your Nails

Have you ever wondered why some women seem to have such gorgeous nails? Could they possibly be real? Of course they can! All you have to do is remember that gorgeous nails need to be pampered and if you remember these simple tips, you could be in possession of gorgeous nails yourself.

1. Your nails are going to reflect what you eat. If you are living on burgers and fries, don't expect your nails to be strong and healthy. Sorry, it just doesn't work that way. Add a tub of yogurt and you are on your way!

2. Get into the habit of wearing rubber gloves as often as possible. You often forget the abuse your nails actually take. Consider how often they are in water... just for starters.

3. Gardening is another seemingly harmless activity that all the summer magazines suggest to you. While I agree that the exercise is a plus, it's not so great on your nails. I use gardening gloves and my nails still get dirty, but it's better than nothing and I have no broken nails at the end of the day.

4. While watching tv, moisturize your hands AND nails with your favorite hand lotion. It's not only relaxing, it helps strengthen the nails.

5. Cuticles can also use a little attention, but go gently. They need to be pampered and dry cuticles also contribute to hangnails, so be sure to spend a little time on them daily.

6. Luckily at the moment, nails are fashionably short. That means that there is less nail to snap off and that is a bonus. Keep them trimmed and your nails will last longer.

7. While some nails benefit from not using polish, mine seem to love the stuff. If they are polished, I seem to notice them more and devote a little more attention to them. They really seem to like that.

8. Keep emery boards everywhere. The worse thing that can happen to pretty nails is a snag and your teeth.

Get the Perfect Manicure

Getting the perfect manicure can be a bit nerve wrecking, especially if you’re willing to do it yourself. The nail polish color never matches your outfits, and you always find yourself with chipped polish.

The answer? Simple. Use an off-white nail color on both your nails as well as your toe nails. It looks extremely elegant, it won’t chip off that easily (just make sure to use a base and top coat), and it just looks perfect.

Before applying the polish, make sure to clean your nails, get rid of your cuticles and hang nails, as well as file your nails to your preferred shape

Stop a Nail Biting Habit with Proper Natural Nail Care

The first thing we can all do in having good-looking hands is to keep them
clean by washing regularly. It’s amazing how many people (guys especially, but some women and girls too) walk around with grubby non manicured finger nails. Get a nail brush and put it by the sink, so it’s convenient whenever you wash your hands. An added plus of a nail brushing your fingers is the way it feels: those soft bristles and the luxurious soapy lather take your hands on a daily very mini spa vacation. Always follow up with a nice hand cream or lotion to keep your hands moisturized

Stop nail biting. Break your toddler or child's habit early.Beautiful hands and nail care start with basics, and not having raggy, bleeding cuticles is a primary step in having presentable hands. Granted, one of the hardest habits to break is to stop fingernail biting, but it’s also one of the more disfiguring things that can happen to a hand. We all know someone who bites their nails to the quick, then starts on those ragged cuticles. Nail-biting usually starts in early childhood as a toddler with some people never outgrowing it, while others only revert to nail-biting in times of stress.

A finger nail biting cure that helped remedy 18 year old girl's problem from when she was a child.

I know a New York woman who stopped biting her nails when she was eighteen, because she wanted to be a flight attendant, and she had read in one of those “How to Be a Flight Attendant” guides, that bitten nails would keep her from being accepted into “Smile School”. (It was a long time ago, when airlines also had age limitations for stewardesses.) I admired her greatly as she stopped through sheer willpower.

At first, she went retro and wore gloves a lot. She also started carrying a nail file in her purse so that when a nail got split or roughened, she could take care of it on the spot. She wore gloves because taking off a glove to bite a nail is a great way to make yourself pause and consider, and then stop the behavior before it starts. She never did become a flight attendant, but she did have her hands photographed for a newspaper ad for the Chicago manicure and nail salon that she frequented and once more a few years later for a Los Angeles nail care and manicure salon.

Nail care and nail biting products

There are some products on the market to stop nail-biting, super-hot or bitter things to paint on your nails. I've heard some nail-biters say that the nasty taste didn't stop them, but they must work for some people. Finally, for nail-biters and non-nail-biters alike, hand cream right before bed is a great way to keep your skin smooth. When things are looking rough (or if you’re a biter who’s trying to quit), you can get some wonderfully thin cotton gloves, slather on a hand cream like Sephora’s Bliss Glamour Glove Gel and glove up until morning. The cotton will keep the hand cream off the pillows and on your hands where it belongs. And for a real spa-treatment, get some little cotton socks and give your feet the same experience.

Nail polish shows off those fingers.

And for a little something extra try a nice bright nail polish for your next manicure. OPI nail products give a great professional finish that looks like you went to a manicure salon or spa. But buyer beware of the "fake" acrylic manicure. Your own natural nails are better than using fake "glue on" nails. If your manicurist doesn't properly clean tier tools, acrylic nail application can cause the dreaded nail fungus that has to be specially treated for months at a time. My advice save the acrylic french manicure for a special event or occasion like attending the Boston symphony in a black sleek gown