5 Tips on How to Grow Long and Healthy Nails
So, ladies – ready to finally ditch those acrylics and go all natural? Well, I have put together the perfect list that will help you achieve your goal in finally growing out your own set of resilient talons!
Here are five amazing tips that will help you to obtain long and healthy nails of your own!
1. File Strategically
We have all filed our nails at least once in our life, however, did you know that there are a couple of different ways to do so correctly?
For centuries we have convinced ourselves that as long as our nails are at an even length, then everything should be fine with them. Unfortunately, using this method is only a temporary fix, not to mention that it can also wear your nails down over time if done too often. To correctly file your nails, invest in a ‘soft’ nail file to prevent any tearing, splitting, and or peeling. On the other hand, if your nails are already weak and refuse to grow, then you probably need a little TLC from a glass or crystal nail filer, however only use these when necessary, as they can cause your nails further damage if used incorrectly.
Make sure you file in the direction of your nail growth, because while going back and forth may be easier (also called “sawing”) doing so will not only tear your nails – especially if your filing is too harsh – but it will also enable their durability, putting them even more at risk to splitting and breaking.
2. Increase your Vitamin Intake
Dermatologists have successfully concluded that one of the main causes to slow nail growth is due to a lack of vitamin and mineral intake.
Folic acid, or vitamin B9, plays an important role to our nail growth as it’s responsible for the creation and repairs of cells that make up our nails. If you notice that your nails are discolored or weaker then they’ve previously been, it’s more than likely due to your lack of intake of vitamin B9. Foods that contain Folic acids include beets, eggs, citrus fruits, broccoli, avocado’s, and green leafy vegetables.
Consuming enough Vitamin C can also help prevent any negative effects on your nails, however, the maximum dosage should be around 2000 mg, as too much of it can lead to diarrhea and toxicity. Edible sources that include vitamin C are strawberries (a personal favorite), oranges, tomato’s and papayas.
Be sure to consult to your doctor first before making any of these sudden changes to your diet.
3. Moisturize Regularly
Moisturizing regularly using medicated oils and creams like vitamin E oil and/or Vaseline, will greatly benefit you on your mission for long and healthy nails by keeping them from becoming brittle and weak. Other moisturizing methods you can use include soaking your hand and nails in bath oil, olive oil, or petroleum jelly; and in extreme cases, you may want to use all the mentioned methods above.
When moisturizing, be sure to get into all the critical areas of your nails, such as the surface (nail plates), the area surrounding the nail (nail folds), the skin underneath your nails (nail beds), the cuticles, and even the little white strip at the base of your nail (the lunula).
Why do your nails need so much moister? Well, as your nails are regularly exposed to everyday wear and tear, you lose the moister they already have, which leaves them dry and vulnerable causing them to easily break and wear down with time. Even something light like air and water can cause damage to your nails! So makes sure to do so as often as you can!
4. Maintain a Nail-Friendly Diet
As the saying goes: you are what you eat. In this case however, whatever you eat will go straight to your nails – not to mention effect your overall health!
A major tip for growing long and healthy nails, includes that you keep a well-balanced and nutritional diet. As previously stated, its important to properly maintain the right amount of vitamins and nutrients in your diet, but it’s also plenty important to consume proteins such as turkey, chicken and beef; and antioxidants like blueberries, blackberries, and grapes, which help protect your bodies cells against free radical damage.
5. Apply Natural Nail Polish
Most nail polishes are made of potentially toxic chemicals like formaldehyde, toluene, and dibutyl phthalate (DBP) which can, of course, cause damage to your precious fingernails if used too frequently. Thankfully, there are polish brands that dedicate their line to staying away from any harmful chemicals, and by using these safe polishes, not only can you use them as a temporary barrier for your nails, but you can also use their creative colors to give your nails a full blown makeover! Some of these amazing brands are Zoya, Suncoat, Piggy Paint, Miss Frankie, and Orosa – and that’s only to name a few!
Unfortunately, as much as we love our polishes, sometimes putting them away for the time being can be the best thing that has ever happened to our nails, especially for nails that require special love and attention to bounce back from what ever sorry state they maybe in.
While manicures are fun, often precise, and convenient to keep up and maintain our beauty craving needs, we must be mindful about how often we use them. Nails can’t be responsible for themselves after all, and just as we would trim and regularly wash or skin and hair, the same efforts should go towards are nails if we want them to be long and healthy. My nails haven’t exactly in the best shape themselves recently, but after applying these useful tips to my daily routine, I can honestly see the difference in length and durability!
It will certainly be a difficult journey for some more than others, but the overall payoff will prove your efforts to be worth it!
