Long, strong, healthy nails are possible if you don’t fall prey to myths and old wives tales!
Like a great new haircut or a terrific skin care regimen, healthy, well-manicured nails are an integral part of a neat, pulled-together appearance – one that can work as an asset in both the social and the business world.
Unfortunately, experts say both men and women fall prey to myths and old wives’ tales about how to care for nails. Another pitfall: many of us rely on the guidance of salons, some of which may not be doling out the best advice or treatments.
- Don’t cut or manipulate cuticles.
- Use nail hardeners sparingly — or not at all.
- Moisturize the nail bed and the cuticle.
- Take biotin supplements.
- Limit professional manicures
- Avoid acetone-based polish removers.
- Choose nail tips over full extensions
- Watch your nails for signs of health problems.
- White nails — liver condition
- Half pink/half white nails — kidney disease
- Yellowing and thickening of the nail, slowed growth rate — lung disease
- Pale nail beds — anemia
- Yellow-tinged nails with a slight blush at the base – diabetes
Your fingernails — composed of laminated layers of a protein called keratin — grow from the area at the base of the nail under your cuticle. Healthy fingernails are smooth, without pits or grooves. They’re uniform in color and consistency and free of spots or discoloration.
Sometimes fingernails develop harmless vertical ridges that run from the cuticle to the tip of the nail. Vertical ridges tend to become more prominent with age. Fingernails can also develop white lines or spots due to injury, but these eventually grow out with the nail.
Not all nail conditions are normal, however. Consult your doctor or dermatologist if you notice:
- Changes in nail color, such as discoloration of the entire nail or a dark streak under the nail
- Changes in nail shape, such as curled nails
- Thinning or thickening of the nails
- Separation of the nail from the surrounding skin
- Bleeding around the nails
- Swelling or pain around the nails
- Failure of nails to grow out
