We Heart Nails: Your Guide To Perfect Nails by Kara Bell - HTML preview

Nail Care Techniques

The Do’s and Don’ts of Nail Care

Do’s

• Leave your nails without nail polish once in a while at least in order to al ow them to breathe.
• Keep a pack of hand lotion or cream near the kitchen sink and use it each time after washing your hands.
• Wear gloves while doing housework or gardening and rub some hand cream or lotion before putting on the gloves.
• Apply oil to your nails whenever possible in order to strengthen them.
• Include ample quantities of calcium and vitamin A in your daily diet.
• Keep your manicure set clean in order to prevent any infection.
• Have a professional manicure done at least once a month.
• Prolonged exposure to the sun is not good for nails and a lot of swimming will dry them.

This can be encountered by keeping the nails and cuticles well moisturized.

• Before doing chores like dusting or gardening, first dig the nails into a soap bar. This prevents dirt from getting embedded under them and also make them easier to clean later.
• To keep nail polish intact in the bath, smooth a little skin cream on it before going for a bath.
• If a nail breaks, we can get, professional help in fixing ‘false’ nails. Otherwise, try to file them down. If the break is bad, remove all the polish from that nail and mend the break with a small piece of cell otape, cut to fit. Then reapply polish.
• If nails are brittle and break or split easily, keep them oiled.

Don’ts

• Don’t use your nails on a job that can be done just as well with a pair of scissors, pliers or a hammer
• Don’t file nails when they are damp.
• Don’t cut cuticles
• Don’t wash clothes or dishes in very hot water
• Don’t bite or chew your nails.
• Don’t clean your nails with a sharp metal instrument – use a nail brush and orange stick instead.
• Don’t be seen with chipped nail polish – it is a sign of careless grooming.
• Don’t leave your hands in detergent for long.
• Don’t peel off your nail polish as you wish to – always use a nail polish remover.

Nail Polish Selection

Whenever we use nail polish, we should select the shade careful y. Deep toned polish looks good on long and slender nails. Pale colors make short nails look longer and they also look good on small , delicate looking hands.

Nail- Length Decision

As regards the nail length, not everyone can manage long nail. If we do a lot of typing or housework , play the guitar or are a sports freak, long nail are not for us.

File, rather than cut, as cutting weaken the nail and cause it to flake. File in one direction only from sides to center, using the softer side of an emery board, not a metal file. Aim for a rounded tip: the shape at the tip should reflect the shape at the base to make a perfect oval.

Bonus Tips For Beautiful Hands

• If your elbows have been darkened, apply a mixture of lemon juice mixed with milk cream. Wash off after 30 minutes.
• To get rid of elbow darkness, you can also apply a mixture of cucumber juice and lemon juice ( in equal quantities). Wash off after 15 minutes.
• If there is a lot of hair on your hands, apply a smooth paste of gram flour and oil on them.

Wash off after 30 minutes.

• Massaging hands with almond oil is most ideal in order to maintain them in a good condition.
• If the hands are stained or discolored, rub a little lemon juice or hydrogen peroxide on the stain after washing and before drying the hands. This lightens the stain.
• For big hands, wear exotic bracelets high on the arm and wide ornamental rings.
• Slim, small hands call for daintiness in the choice of jewellery and nail polish shade.

Narrow bracelets and rings with delicate elongated settings look the prettiest.

• To suit small square hands use small and simple jewellery.
• On wrinkled hands, use rich cream after steaming the hands
• As one matures, one tends to get freckles on the hand. Use a good bleaching cream for this. Although the results are temporary, they are quite effective.

Even More Nail Care Techniques

There is no substitute for a healthy diet as you are what you eat. Radiant health shows not only in the rosy glow of your skin and the healthy bounce of your hair, but also in the vitality of your nails. When the balance of health is disrupted, the first signs actually appear on your nails.

Have a look at your nails. Are they discolored, brittle or jagged around the edges? If they are, you just may not be getting the right nutrients into your body despite eating well and consuming supplements.

Here are a few tips that will help you have great nails and good health.

Nail Nutrition 101

• Water, the essence of life, is a must in your diet. Consuming enough water and other liquids is vital if you want to avoid chips and cracks in your nails. Fresh carrot juice is excellent for strengthening nails, as it is rich in both calcium and phosphorous.
• Broccoli, onions, soy and papaya are rich in sulfur, biotin and silicon – essential in nail building materials. Do eat more servings of vegetables and fruits at meal times as this boosts your intake of vitamins, minerals and enzymes, which will keep shabby looking nails at bay.
• Ensure a healthy daily intake of calcium, protein and zinc. White bands and spots on your nails are a clear indication that these elements are lacking in your system. They also tend to make your nails look diseased, so do include these basic nutrients to add a glossy sheen to your nails.
• Consider including royal jelly, spirulina and kelp in your intake. These supplements are rich in silica, zinc and vitamin B, which help nails grow strong and healthy.
• Do not forget to include protein, folic acid and the all essential vitamin C in your dietary intake because a depletion of any one of these nutrients can cause very painful episodes of hangnails – the annoying, little triangular splits of skin around the fingernails.
• Curved and darkish looking nails can be avoided by ensuring a sufficient amount of vitamin B12 in your system, while reddish looking skin around your cuticles may indicate that something is not quite on par as far as your metabolism rate is concerned.

Facts To Remember

You can tremendously improve the health of your nails by remembering that the greatest foes of healthy nails are harsh detergents and water.

This deadly combination actually causes stress upon nail fibers, which eventually lead to split or brittle nails. The best thing you can do – and do religiously – is to don a pair of rubber gloves while you clean or do the dishes.

You should also know that filing the corner of your nails is a big nono. This will weaken the nails and they will break more easily as a result. So if your manicurist insists that the latest trend requires you to file those corners, then it’s about time you change your nail care attendant.

Nail Varnish Matters

What would the world do without nail varnish? Just think of all the dull , terribly unattractive, colorless nails we’d all have to put up with. It’d be a disaster!

Well , alright, so I’m not entirely serious, but nail varnish does have some point beyond making nails look pretty. Many nail varnishes also contain substances that will protect your nails, by stopping them from breaking and making them taste nasty so you don’t bite them. Some even claim to make your nails grow faster.

Nail varnish comes in al sorts of colors, but the most popular by far is red, followed by pink.

While some men do occasional y wear nail varnish, it’s mostly a woman thing.

Here’s a quick science lesson: the most important ingredient of modern nail polish is a substance called nitro cell ulose. This clever little ingredient is what forms the ‘film’ over the top of the nails, protecting them and making them shiny. The nitro cell ulose will be mixed with a few other chemicals (solvents, for example, that make it a liquid that can set) depending on the brand, and then with dyes in various strengths and combinations to give the full range of colors to choose from.

When you buy nail varnish, there are several things you should look for. The one that most people think of straight away is the color, but be careful of just picking up the first one you see that comes in the color you want – you might be ignoring its downsides. You should look for an easy applicator bottle that comes with a built-in brush in a good shape, and is quick drying and long lasting.

The more you’re willing to spend, the closer you’ll get to a salon quality look – and even if you spend a lot, you’re likely to spend less than you would have at an actual nail salon. If you want to make sure that things are done exactly right for a special occasion, though, it might be worth going to one anyway.

Keep Safe At The Nail Salon

Ever left a nail salon with more than you bargained for – an infection? Some nail salons are havens for bacteria and germs, and a small cuticle cut can cause a serious fungal infection if proper hygiene techniques are not followed through.

The health risks associated with salons, according to the American Academy of Dermatology, include bacterial infections; fungal infections like athlete’s foot, nail fungus and yeast; and viral infections.

Becoming aware of your salon’s surroundings and sanitary procedures is critical to keep your experience pleasant and healthy. Here are a few tips from BTG Cosmetics Inc. on what to look for during your next salon visit:

• How are nail tools, such as clippers, cuticle scissors and files sanitized? Heat sterilization or chemical sterilization with a germicide and fungicide is preferred. Some salons take extra precautions by using freshly unwrapped nail files for every client.
• Are you receiving a thorough scrub? Nails should be soaked and cleaned with soap before the service begins. Also, make sure the soap bin has been cleaned well .
• Outer appearances matter. A neat and organized space can reveal a lot about the salon’s practices. Also, find out if your salon is operating under current licenses and that technicians are properly licensed and trained.
• When you pick out the polish color, wouldn’t you prefer it to be unopened? Many salon patrons are concerned about unsanitary tools, but what about the hundreds of people who use the same nail polish?

 “Sanitizing instruments is only part of the solution,” said Ben Friedman, president of BTG

Cosmetics. “Using a clean, fresh bottle of nail polish will ensure your nails are kept sanitary. Nail polish should be treated just like a toothbrush and I certainly wouldn’t want to share my toothbrush with anyone.”

The company has developed a new program called Toma Salon Service, which is available in various nail salons across the country. Rather than choosing a color that has been opened and used, nail services at these salons now include a new, unopened bottle of Toma SlimLine polish that you get to take home after your service is complete. And should you get a chip in the polish afterwards, you can easily repair it at home with the polish that was included with your service.