By the looks of them, your nails can look super strong and sparkly on the surface – but are they really healthy underneath? Strengthening your nails means having resilient and breakage-resistant nails, which can be done through following a few proactive steps dedicated to protecting them. If you’re curious to learn some nail strengthening techniques for building resilient and breakage-resistant nails, then this article is for you!
1. Strengthen Your Nails for Breakage-Resistance
Are you having a hard time with your nails breaking on you? It’s time to take action with these tips that’ll help you get your nails healthy and strong for breakage-resistance.
Tip 1: Hydrate and Oil Up
To strengthen your nails, it’s important to hydrate them properly with cuticle oil to ensure they receive enough moisture. If your nails are brittle and prone to breaking, opt for products that are infused with Vitamin E to strengthen your nails.
Tip 2: Reach for Calcium and Protein
These two essential nutrients promote strong and healthy nails, so make sure your diet includes plenty of both! Whole grains, nuts, dairy, leafy greens, eggs, and lean meats are all excellent sources of Calcium and Protein that will help keep your nails strong.
Tip 3: Invest in a Good Nail Strengthener
If natural methods don’t seem to be working, look into buying a nail strengthener. Fortified with essential vitamins and oils, these products help strengthen and nourish your nails against future breakage.
Tip 4: Keep a Reasonable Length
Growing your nails too long doesn’t make them strong, it makes them weak and brittle. Keep your nails at a reasonable length to prevent breakage, but not so short that you’re damaging the nail bed.
Tip 5: Take Breaks from Manis, Pedis, and Artificial Nails
- Manicures and Pedicures can damage nails if performed too often.
- Take breaks from Manis and Pedis to give your nails a rest.
- Opt for a Natural Manicure and Pedicure routine.
- Artificial nails can also cause damage – avoid using them if it’s not necessary.
Tip 6: Wear Gloves for Protection
Protect your hands and nails from harsh chemicals by wearing gloves. Wear heavy-duty gloves when cleaning, gardening, or doing any other activities that involve chemicals. This will help prevent nails from getting brittle.
2. Advanced Techniques to Build Resilience
Having the ability to be flexible and absorb the hardships that life throws at you is a tremendous asset. Resilience is a key part of personal and professional success. Here are a few advanced techniques to help you become more resilient and navigate life’s challenges.
A good first step is to learn how to monitor your stress levels. The sensation of stress can be very intense in times of difficulty, and if not dealt with can have negative impacts on both your mental and physical health. Regularly analyzing the degree of your stress can help you identify warning signs, and learn strategies to manage it.
Another way to strengthen your capacity for dealing with stress is to build up emotional intelligence. Developing self-awareness, emotional regulation, problem-solving, and self-motivation can help you more easily recognize and address triggers of distress and reflection how best to respond to them. There are many ways to boost emotional intelligence, one of which is through engaging in mindfulness practices.
Goal setting can also be a way to cultivate greater resilience. Working towards goals can help you stay focused and motivated, while creating a space to make sense of thoughts and feelings. When establishing goals, make sure to consider a variety of contexts plus the resources and constraints you have, and clarify both long-term and short-term goals. And remember to celebrate successes along the way.
Finally, don’t forget to tap into the power of supportive relationships. Connecting with family, friends, colleagues, and mentors can help to build resilience. Having someone to lean on for emotional or practical support during difficult times can make a meaningful difference.
Practicing the above techniques can help you become more resilient to life’s ups and downs. Relying on your own inner strength will eventually become second nature, and you can learn to observe, accept and manage the ever-changing reality.
3. Strategies for Healthy-Looking Nails
We all want strong and healthy-looking nails. But without proper nail care and maintenance, our nails can become brittle, dull-looking, and hard to manage. Fortunately, there are several strategies that can help us achieve our goal.
1. Trim and file your nails regularly
Keeping our nails properly trimmed and filed is essential for healthy-looking and neatly groomed nails. When trimming our nails, use nail clippers or scissors that are specifically designed for this purpose. Afterwards, use a file to shape the edges. Make sure to move the file in one direction and be gentle, as filing too aggressively can damage the nail bed.
2. Nourish them with oil
Nourishing our nails with oil keeps them hydrated and helps prevent them from becoming brittle. Apply a small amount of oil (e.g. castor, almond, or coconut oil) to the nail beds and massage it in gently. For best results, apply oil to the nails before bed every night and wear gloves to help the oil absorb.
3. Avoid the use of harsh chemicals
Harsh chemicals, such as acetone or nail polish removers, are the enemies of healthy-looking nails. Try to avoid using them as much as possible. If you do need to remove nail polish, look for alternatives such as water-based removers.
4. Don’t bite or pick your nails
The nails are made of a protein called keratin, which provides a protective layer that keeps our nails strong and healthy. When we bite or pick our nails, we are taking away this protection and weakening our nails. Not only that, biting and picking our nails can also damage the nail bed and introduce harmful bacteria underneath.
5. Keep them clean
To keep our nails looking healthy, we must take measures to keep them clean. We can do this by washing our hands regularly and gently drying them with a towel. Additionally, never forget to remove all traces of polish before going to bed.
4. Prevent Damaged Nails with the Right Practices
Having strong and healthy nails is an important part of having a positive beauty routine. To ensure that your nails look their best, you’ll need to take some practical steps to protect them from damage. Here are a few tips on how to prevent damaging your nails:
- Limit nail polish: Wearing nail polish can make them look good, but too much can lead to dry and brittle nails. To protect your nails, choose a non-toxic polish and remove it regularly.
- Be gentle when filing: File your nails in one direction to prevent splitting, and use a coarse grit for shaping and a finer grit for smoothing.
- Hydrate regularly: Moisturize your nails with a nutrient-rich oil or cuticle cream. Not only will they look beautiful, but they will also be satisfactorily hydrated.
- Protect from water: Exposing your nails to too much hot/warm water will strip away natural oils, weakening the nails. So, when washing dishes or taking a shower, make sure to wear gloves to prevent drying.
Protecting your nails from damage takes a mix of self-care and the right products. If you experiment with different techniques to see what works best for you, you’ll soon find that you have the best-looking nails around!
Always use the right type of nail remover and acetone-free nail polish remover to avoid further damaging your nails. While acetone-based removers may be quick, it can damage your nails in the long run.
When it comes to keeping your nails healthy and strong, don’t forget to take precautions and use nails-safe practices. These tips will help you keep your nails looking their best. Regularly assessing your nail health will help you stay informed, and you’ll quickly be able to identify any potential problems. With the right practices, you’ll have strong and beautiful nails for years to come.
By utilizing these nail strengthening techniques you’ll be well on your way to healthy, resilient nails. With a bit of patience and practice, you can learn to create a strong and beautiful foundation for the manicures of your dreams. Your nails will thank you for it!
