Nails can get damaged quite easily, due to a number of reasons. The different types of damage and abnormalities that your nails may undergo are discolouration, the appearance of dark streaks or white streaks, changes in nail thickness, change in shape of nails, brittle nails, pitted nails, bleeding around the nails etc. If you see any kind of damage on or around your nail, the first thing you will need to do is to identify the kind of damage it is. Consult a doctor and follow his advice.
In this article, you will read about a few different techniques you can try at home to help heal damaged nails.
Keep your nail clippers handy:
Some people have very soft nails, which get broken and chipped quite easily. Such nails look very unsightly. You should keep your nails short so they don’t break too easily. Also, you should consult your doctor and get started on some calcium supplements for stronger nails.
Visit the salon regularly:
Some people get quite lazy when it comes to visiting the salon, but proper care is necessary to maintain your nails. If you don’t take proper action on time, the damage to your nails may get worse. Do your research and book yourself an appointment at a salon which uses the IBX system, so that you can get intense conditioning treatment done for your nails. This procedure entails pouring a heat serum on your nails. Ask around and book an appointment at a salon which comes recommended by friends and family.
Nail strengtheners:
Most girls love painting their nails with bright and colourful nail polishes. However, you need to make sure that you give your nails a break between different applications so that your nails can breathe. Regular and continuous usage of nail polish can damage and discolour your nails. Most nail polishes have a number of chemicals in them. Try and use nail strengthening oils and related products on your nails between different application of nail polish.
Hydrate:
Just like your skin, your nails also need moisture and hydration. When you moisturise your body, make sure you apply moisturiser on the skin around your nails as well. You can use different types of cuticle oils and creams so that you can get rid of dry and damaged nails and cuticles. This will ensure that the cells in your nails are taken care of properly. This will also enhance the appearance of your nails.
Also, you should not cut your cuticles as they protect the nails and they have no ill-effects. Cutting your cuticles can damage your nails.
Yellow Tint
If your nails appear yellow in colour, it could be due to over-use of dark colours of nail polish. You need to use a buffer to remove the yellow layer and expose new skin cells. After buffing your nails you need to gently scrub your nails with a mixture of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide. This will help remove the yellow tint. If the yellow tint still does not go, you will need to consult a doctor, as it may indicate a fungal infection.
Also, reserve the use of dark coloured nail polishes for special occasions. For regular application, choose light pastel colours and change the nail paint regularly, with breaks in between.
Ridges:
Vertical ridges are generally caused due to the ageing process. To prevent this you should consume a diet which is rich in Omega 3 fatty acids. It is also a good idea to massage your nails with Vitamin E oil. In fact, you should make this a regular habit, rather than waiting for the appearance of ridges first. Massage your nails twice a day to fix this problem at the earliest.
While almost every girl likes to apply nail polish, it can become the cause of damage to your nails. You don’t need to stop applying nail polish, but you should use it smartly. You don’t keep make-up on your face 24X7, so why let nail polish be on for days at an end? Use your nail polish bottles smartly and judiciously and you will not face any damage to nails because of the application of nail polish. Also, you must try and use nail polish that has the fewest of chemicals and from reputed brands. There are many stores in Australia that stock such nail polish bottles.
