Make Your Fingernails Look Good

Having clean, healthy nails makes your hand appear elongated and graceful. To know how to keep your nails healthy, read the following instructions below carefully.

Steps

Keep Your Nails Healthy

  1. Don't bite, pick, or peel! The first step to having healthy nails is to avoid biting them. This will increase the chance of having those nails you so desire! Moreover, damaging the nail bed can invite bacteria and fungi and can cause infections.[1]
  2. Clean your nails. Cleaning with a nail brush is a gentle way to remove dirt, dead skin, and bacteria from underneath your nails. This is especially important if you bite your nails. You could also make a scrub with 2 spoons sugar and 2 spoons olive oil to make a scrub to exfoliate your hands and the matrix and cuticle areas. This will keep your hands clean and soft and also improve blood circulation in them.
  3. Take biotin supplements. Although there isn’t much evidence to indicate that taking additional vitamin supplements will improve your nail health, some research suggests that biotin may strengthen weak nails.[2]
  4. Moisturize your hands. Get in the habit of using moisturizer, which it helps feed moisture to your nails,[2] preventing hangnails and keeping your hands soft. Also, you can massage any kind of oil like coconut or olive oil around your cuticles to hydrate them and provide moisture to them enabling your nails to grow faster.
  5. Don’t pull off hangnails. This often tears the healthy tissue around the nail bed, which looks unsightly and can lead to infection.
  6. Keep your nails dry. Excessive moisture can cause your nails to grow brittle and split, so wear gloves when you wash dishes and avoid soaking your hands in the tub.[2]
  7. Wear gloves when using harsh chemicals. Strong cleaning agents like bleach and laundry detergent can weaken nails.
  8. If you have brittle nails, apply clear nail polish. This will help your nails retain their natural moisture.[2] If you tend to have paper-thin nails, there are nail hardeners that have fibers in the liquid which help tremendously.
  9. Consider growing out your nails. Long, strong nails are the envy of every girl who sees them. Note that once you begin growing your own nails, it can take months to get them where you want them.
    • If you’re looking for a quick fix, wear fake nails. Although acrylic nails aren’t likely to damage your real ones, avoid applying them with unsanitary tools or allowing them to separate from the natural nails, both of which can invite infection.[3]

Apply Nail Polish

  1. Wash your hands in warm soapy water. Make sure your nails are clean by washing them for 30 seconds. Dry them well.
  2. Remove polish using a soft cotton ball. Dribble a small amount of fingernail polish remover onto as many cotton balls as you need to fully remove all nail polish. If you have a spot that's difficult to reach with a cotton ball, use a q-tip; alternatively, pinch off a small piece of cotton, wrap it around the flat end of a cuticle stick, soak it with nail-polish remover, and use it to reach those troublesome places.
    • To keep nails healthy, use acetone-free nail-polish remover (acetone dries out nails) and don’t apply it more than once a week.[1]
  3. Clean your nails. Scrutinize the state of your nails. With the polish now gone, you can see any dirt that has accumulated under your nails. Use a good fingernail brush to wash away the dirt under the nails. Again, if you have a spot that is being stubborn, gently use your cuticle stick to get the hard-to-reach areas.
  4. Trim your nails evenly. You should cut your fingernails by following the natural curve of your fingers. Rounded tips look better on most people rather than square, softening the hand for a more delicate look. It is important to trim the nails to prepare them to be filed.
    • If you intend to grow your nails, cut them all down to the same length beforehand so that they grow in evenly.
    • Though fingernails should be slightly rounded, always cut toenails straight across, which prevents them from becoming ingrown.[4]
  5. File your nails with a finely-textured nail file. Like sandpaper for furniture, there are different grits of nail files for different purposes; with natural nails, you want a fine grit file. Gently slide the file along the edge of the nail, moving only in one direction only to prevent splitting and cracking.
    • Be sure to remove any dust particles generated by the filing.
  6. Apply a thin coat of clear nail hardener. There are a number of excellent nail-hardening products that will keep your nails strong and healthy.
  7. Once the nails are fully dry, paint them with colored polish. Steady your hands and paint each nail individually, starting at one side and working your way across in three or four strokes. Do only one hand at a time to prevent bumping and smudging. If polish gets on your skin, use remover to get it off.
    • Don't make the mistake of applying it too thickly. To keep your polish looking crisp and professional, you want each coat to go on nice and thin; thick polish takes longer to dry, has a greater chance of smearing, and creates bubbled, warped contours.
    • If you are one of those people who just can't stand sitting still, paint one finger at a time. When one nail is completely dry, paint the next. The bonus here is that, even if you do have an accident, you've only ruined one nail and not all of them.
  8. Once the nails are fully dry, apply a second coat of color if desired. You can either reapply the same color or use a second one to create a unique shade.
  9. Once the nails are fully dry, apply a clear topcoat. This will create a protective shell over the colored polish, which tends to be weaker.

Tips

  • Make sure to keep your nails filed and trimmed. Consistently maintaining a nice nail shape will allow you to grow them out more evenly.
  • If biting is a habit that you have, then apply a clear coat of nail polish that tastes bad. You can get one at a local store for cheap costs.
  • Clean your nails daily, it will make them look cleaner and keep them healthy.
  • When your nails get too long, trim them; otherwise, they will chip and break.
  • It is also not a good idea to cut your cuticles. At most, you may push them back with a dull stick, but cutting will allow bacteria to enter your nail bed, causing infections.
  • Put olive oil and a nail strengthening lotion onto your fingernails and let it soak in for about 5 minutes. Clean underneath your nails then paint two coats of a clear polish on top of your nails.
  • Drink plenty of water and milk. Rub fingernails daily with vitamin E oil. Eat fruits and veggies.
  • When you get a hangnail clip it off. If skin around the nails has a cut put rubbing alcohol on it. The alcohol cleans the cut and seals it up fast.
  • Do not apply harsh nail polishes. It may damage your nails.
  • Wash your hands with soap and water.
  • If nail polish gets on your skin, it will wash off within a couple days when you wash your hands.
  • When you're clipping and filing and cleaning under your nails don't use a sharp tool to clean under the nails; your overgrown nails will instantly be longer and your fingers will be sore for a while.
  • Make sure your nails are even.
  • If a nail does break, you may want to clip all of your nails down to the same length.
  • Filing your nails will make them even and smooth.
  • Keep your nails clean, this will make you look more presentable.
  • Stick your nails' tips in vinegar to make them whiter.
  • You may also buff your nails.
  • You must moisturize your hand and nails daily to make them nice and smooth and also healthy.
  • Make sure not to bite your nails. It can cause them to grow unevenly.
  • Make sure your nails are clean.
  • Stay away from fake nails, for they can damage the nail underneath.
  • To make your nails even more healthier, whiter and even stronger, get clear nail polish, chop 1 garlic into pieces and put the garlic inside the clear nail polish.
  • Avoid nail polish removers that contain acetone.
  • Use hydrogen peroxide for cleaning nails after trimming.

Things You'll Need

  • Nail trimmer or file
  • Cotton balls or swabs
  • Nail colors (base and top coat)
  • Lotion
  • Hand soap
  • Gloves
  • Biotin supplements (optional)
  • Nail Polish Remover

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Sources and Citations