The secret to maintaining healthy natural nails is cleansing and moisturizing. Here are ten tips that can help you have beautiful nails:

1. Wear gloves when washing dishes or cleaning with harsh chemicals.

2. Avoid wearing nail polish 24/7 (your nails need time to breathe). To prevent discoloration, soak your nails in warm water with 2 tsp of baking soda for 10 minutes.

3. Wear rubber gloves when gardening, as dirt can damage nails and cuticles over time.

4. Avoid nail polish removers that contain acetone and acetate; these ingredients can dry out your nails and cause them to break more easily.

5. Use a gentle, non-drying soap to wash hands and nails daily, then dry them thoroughly before applying a hand lotion with humectants and emollients, such as grapeseed oil, avocado oil, jojoba oil or shea butter. This will seal in moisture but also keep the oils from penetrating the nail plate, as this can weaken the nail structure and cause it to split or peel.

6. Keep your nails short and filed round, not sharp or square-shaped (which causes them to break more easily).

7. Apply a base coat under nail polish, which strengthens

When it comes to getting gorgeous nails, it’s not all about how you paint them. In fact, the colors you choose and the designs you create are only a small part of what keeps your nails looking fabulous. There are so many things you can do to take care of your natural nails that will help keep them strong and healthy.

By following these ten tips, you will notice a big change in the health and appearance of your nails.

1. Get a professional manicure every two to three weeks for grooming and maintenance. If you do-it-yourself at home, be sure to clean under your nails with a nail brush daily. You might also want to invest in a good quality nail brush just for that purpose.

2. Don’t cut or remove cuticles, just push them back gently with an orange stick after soaking in warm water. Cuticles protect new growth from bacteria and other harmful agents so they should never be removed.

3. Always keep hands and nails moisturized using lotion or hand cream after washing hands or showering (especially after using hot water). Rub the moisturizer into cuticle areas as well as nail beds to seal in moisture and keep out dry air and other irritants.

4. Wear gloves when doing household

1. Take a nail break. When I was in college, I used to get acrylic nails because I felt they looked better on me. The one problem though, was that when they became too long and I would hit them on something, they would break off completely. After getting tired of this occuring over and over again, I decided to look up ways to help my nails grow stronger. One thing I read about was how you should take a small “break” from using nail polish and acrylics for about a month or two. This will allow your nail beds to breathe, which can help prevent yellowing of the nails and also promote growth.

2. File correctly! Many people don’t know that there is a correct way to file your nails! Every time you file your nails, you are actually tearing them rather than cutting them. The best way you can do this is by filing in only one direction – either back and forth or side to side (not both). If you file both ways, your nails become weak and susceptible to breaking or chipping much easier.

3. Wear gloves when washing dishes/cleaning house! Doing this will protect your hands from harsh cleaners or hot water which could damage your nails or skin on your

First, let’s look at what can cause nails to break. As I mentioned in my last post, nails are made up of layers of a protein called keratin. The nail grows from a root underneath the skin at the base of the nail and is pushed out as new cells are formed. Nails will normally grow at an average rate of 3mm per month, but this can vary widely depending on age and health.

When water is absorbed into the nails they swell and when they dehydrate they shrink. This constant swelling and shrinking weakens the layers in your nails causing them to become brittle and eventually split or crack.

The most common causes of nail breakage are listed below:

* Too many manicures (the chemicals in acrylic and gel nails cause dryness)

* Exposure to hot or cold water (this dries out the nails)

* Swimming in chlorinated pools (chlorine dries out the skin and nails)

* Sun exposure (extreme heat from the sun can dry out skin and nails)

* Biting or picking at your nails (these habits damage cuticles and make your nail susceptible to fungal infections such as paronychia)

* Using harsh cleaning products such as bleach (

1. Buy the right tools.

When purchasing nail care tools, look for ones that are stainless steel and make sure that they are sharp and precise. Professional manicure instruments should be sharp, smooth and sturdy. The right tool is important to not damage your nails.

2. File correctly.

When filing your nails, never file in a back and forth motion. Always file in one direction, this will prevent breakage and splitting of your nail.

3. Keep them dry.

Soak hands in warm soapy water instead of hot water to prevent drying out cuticles and keep nails from becoming brittle.

4. Moisturize daily with a quality hand lotion or cream for hands and nails (ideally with lanolin). Eucerin Intensive Repair Lotion is great for this!

5. Do not soak your nails in acetone nail polish remover! This will dry out your nails causing them to be brittle and prone to breaking or splitting! Try using non-acetone remover to lessen the drying effect on the nail plate, cuticle, and skin around the nail plate (the eponychium). Also try using gentle removers such as Cut

We’ve all heard the saying, “healthy hair starts from within,” but I say why limit it to your hair? Healthy nails start from within too. Taking care of your nails is just as important as taking care of the rest of your body, so here are some tips to help you keep your nails strong and healthy:

Nails are made of a protein called keratin. They are produced in the nail matrix, which is beneath the cuticle. Nails grow at an average rate of 3 mm (1/8 inch) a month. Fingernails grow faster than toenails.

Exposure to chemicals and detergents can cause nails to weaken and break easily.

Wearing cotton-lined rubber gloves when washing dishes or cleaning can help protect nails from drying out.

Nails should be filed regularly with an emery board or nail file, not clipped with scissors or bitten, as this can damage the nail plate and make it more susceptible to infection.

Acrylic nails can be used to strengthen nails and make them grow longer, but they should be removed by a professional every two months, taking care not to damage the natural nail underneath.

It’s best to avoid artificial nails if you have a weak or damaged nail bed or suffer from chronic nail infections.