How To Keep Your Hands And Nails Beautiful

During these colder winter months, our nails tend to crack and break and the skin on our hands becomes chapped and feels tight. This often leads to dry skin, dry cuticles, and brittle nails that just won’t grow.

But just when you thought that there was nothing you could possibly do to keep your hands and fingernails in their best shape possible, you have stumbled upon this article that will tell you exactly how to keep your hands feeling hydrated and your nails strong and hydrated all year long.

Start form the Inside Out

The best way to keep your skin moisturized and your nails strong is to have a healthy and balanced diet. It’s important that you take care of your health and really focus on eating a balanced, nutritious diet. Foods that are particularly great for our skin and our nails are:

• Tuna
• Eggs
• Onions
• Nuts
• Grains
• Grapes
• Cucumbers
• Apples
• Brown rice

What you should avoid are any alcoholic beverages (these zap the moisture right out of our bodies), sugars, and saturated fats.

If you don’t think that you are receiving all of the nutrients that you should be on a daily basis, invest in your health and take a multivitamin every day. During the winter months, you may want to load up on the vitamin B and take an additional vitamin B tablet to help keep your nails strong (though do ask your physician prior to taking any supplements).

Stay Moisturized

Nothing is worse than stepping out of the shower and not replenishing the moisture in your skin with a quality lotion. Not only should you be moisturizing after every shower, but you should also be using hand lotion on your hands several times a day. When you apply the hand lotion to your skin, take care to rub it into your nails and into your cuticles.

TIP: To really keep your nails strong, try rubbing petroleum jelly into the cuticles, or olive oil or castor oil if you do not have petroleum jelly on hand.

Keep your Hands Covered

When ever you are doing any sort of housework, especially when chemicals are involved such as washing the dishes or cleaning the washrooms, you need to wear rubber gloves. These cleaning agents are extremely drying and damaging to both the hands and the nails, so wearing rubber gloves creates a strong barrier for your hands.

It’s also a good idea to wear gloves when ever it is cold outside, not just to keep your hands warm, but to also prevent your skin from drying out and your nails from becoming brittle due to the large degree of temperature changes (going from hot to cold in a few seconds really dries out your skin).

Dry your Hands Correctly

Whenever your hands come in contact with water, whether it is after washing them or doing the dishes, make sure that your hands are completed dried with a soft towel. It is important to get rid of any dampness that may be around the nails or on your hands.