Amazing ways on how to care for chipped & weak nails

Do your nails keep breaking and chipping and you don’t know what to do to stop that happening? Are you looking to have beautiful and healthy nails everyday? In this modern society where there’s always so much going on and our day is packed with things to do, we often neglect our body and how important it is to take good care of it. Brittle and weak nails are a classic example of how little time we spare in our day to look after ourselves and make sure that our diet includes all the proteins which our body needs in order to keep it healthy and strong. What I am looking to do in this post is to first of all share all the causes of damaged and broken nails and then after that I would like to guide you through all the things that you need to do to ensure a good daily nail care.

What are the causes of chipped, cracked or weak nails?

Protein deficiency can result in brittle and weak nails and signs to look for are white and brown patches. Keratin plays a very important role in your nail health as it protects it and boosts its internal strength. Milk and dairy products which are high in zinc, calcium and B12 contain the main nutrients for strong and healthy nails. Other foods are eggs, green leafy vegetables, legumes and don’t forget to drink plenty of water to keep your nails nourished, hydrated and helps to prevent the cuticles from peeling. Vitamin C is an essential vitamin for our nail’s health and it is important that we have plenty of it as the body can’t produce it by itself. It helps to produce collagen which is important to keep the strength of our nails and ensure a good growth. I believe though that not many people are looking to grow their nails as long as Shridhar Chillal which according to the Guinness World Records his thumbnail alone measures an unbelievable 197.8cm and curls into a tight coil at the end! A record set in 2008 was for the female Lea Redmond on TV show Lo Show dei Record in Madrid with all her nails measuring a total of 8.65m with the longest nail on her right thumb which according to the Guinness World Record was 90cm long!! The interesting thing is that it took her 20 years to reach that length!

Other causes are continuous washing and drying of your fingernails, frequent use of nail polish or nail polish remover, stress, iron deficiency, cold weather, washing dishes, using heavy cleaning products, age and some diseases such Raynaud’s syndrome (causes blood circulation problems), anaemia, cancer and Hypothyroidism (low thyroid).

How to take care of my nails?

Having a diet rich not only in high protein food but especially in iron is something to add to your nail care daily routine. Foods which are rich in iron such as shellfish, lentils, spinach, quinoa, legumes etc. are essential for your nail’s health as lack of that can affect your nail shape (koilonychia) and its appearance.

If you are looking to boost your immune system plus trying out a vegan & delicious smoothie recipe check out the post “Feel amazing: how to boost your immune system”

- Moisturising your nails is another way to care for your nails as if they become too dry they will break and chip. You can either moisturise by soaking your nails in some bath oil or olive oil or you can apply some moisturising cream (especially in the winter season) such as Trind nail balsam, Coconut creams, Eucerin cuticle oils and many others. One which I personally find effective is Vaseline and Nivea Intensive nourishing cream which deeply moisturise and nourish your nails softening the cuticles too.

- Avoiding stress and taking care of your body and mind is a great way to look after your nail’s health too! Of course in this fast-paced life stress is not always easy to avoid but there are so many ways that we can reduce it. Check out the post “Healthy life: how to manage and prevent stress effectively”

- Clipping them regularly is a way to keep them strong just as we would with our hair. Of course sometimes we would like to have long nails and hair but in order for that to happen we need to trim them regularly to keep them in good shape and health. An interesting fact is that the more you use your hand (like typing) the quicker your nails will grow. It is for that very reason that your nails will grow faster in your dominant hand! Did you know that? Let me know by writing a comment down below or if you know any other interesting facts about nails!

- Carrying a nail file with you at all times can be really handy as in our busy days in work or in any other place we can easily chip our nails or it can get caught in something. So having a nail file can really be a life saver!

- Don’t cut or remove the cuticles as it protects our nails from bacteria but instead push it back once a week and apply some oil and finish by giving it a little massage to promote blood circulation.

-Don’t skip the base coat as that stops the polish to stain our lovely nails and in my personal experience I found that my nails are also stronger.

- Protect your hands with gloves! When you do the washing up remember to wear gloves to protect your nails from being in the water for too long. Also when you go out in the winter, especially when it is windy, wearing gloves will protect not only your nails but also your skin.

- Do not use your nails to peel off something, take something off an item or for anything else which could end up damaging them

If you would like to find out how to care for your feet & toenails too check out the post “Amazing ways on how to care for your feet & your toenails”

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