Just the same as with skin and hair, nail care can project beauty but requires some special care apart from having a balanced diet and good hygiene.
In terms of eating, vitamin-rich foods will strengthen your nails and complement your nail care – especially those belonging to the vitamin A, all of the B group and also mineral salts, calcium, iodine, zinc and proteins. That is why it is recommended to eat dairy products, such as milk, yogurts and cheeses, as well as some seeds, like sesame.
A part of hygiene and health care, full nail tip care implies correct manicure, which completes the clean and neat look of every person. The following steps and products relate to cleaning, preparation and decoration both at home or at the nail salon. For best results, always use professional nail care products.
Nail Polish Remover: Remove polish by wiping the nails with a cotton soaked with quality nail polish remover. It is recommended to do it in just one rub. Dispose of the cotton, along with all polish traces.
Nail File: Nail files give the most adequate shape for every type of nail. Making the edge smooth is best, nail filing from top to bottom and the other way round in order to avoid nails scabbing.
Cuticles: Apply a cream for cuticles (usually a product of the liquid alkaline type or in the creamy emulsion form. The most common is potassium hydroxide from 2 to 5%). It must be applied in small quantity in the lunula area.
Give the nails a massage, spreading the nail care product on all edges. Then, lightly push the cuticle towards your hand with a small nail stick. After that, soak your fingers for some time in tepid water to remove the cream. Cuticles must never be cut, otherwise they may grow strong and hard or allow for nail infections.
Revitalise: Apply a revitalising cream in order to regenerate and help the healthy growth of your nails, giving a light massage with this nail care product until it’s completely absorbed. This way, nails gain resistance and elasticity. Revitalising creams are highly recommended for brittle nails.
Strengthen: A nail hardener should be used according to the product’s instructions, but always with the nails totally dry. In general, hardener products – such as resin – increase resistance against brittle and prevent nails from breaking as easily.
Polish Application: Finally, polish should be applied by three brushstrokes. The first one should be in the middle and then to both sides from the base to the border. For best results, first apply a fine layer and then another a little denser, but please be patient and let the first one dry completely before applying the second layer.
Acrylic nail care should be performed by following the steps above. They are the same for nail preparation with the exception of the polish step. The acrylic nail is then attached from the free border of your natural nail with a special adhesive. During that process no matter the type of salon, you should make sure the nail technician is using an antibacterial solution since it prevents future fungus and bacteria.
Once the acrylic nails are done, the following fingernail care tips may help to keep them in excellent condition:
- No Acetone: use nail polish remover for acrylic nails, instead of the regular acetone remover. This principle is essential for perfect acrylic nail care.
- Smoking: If you smoke, be careful. The bright white nail colour may be ruined if nails are to close to smoke.
- Heat: It is not advisable to expose them to very high temperatures.
- Damage: In case of natural damage, by an accident or a nail disease, acrylics can be used after a complete recuperation. If your artificial nails got damaged, go to the nail care salon as soon as possible to have it repaired in order to prevent any infections.
