Medizines

It's that time of year for spring cleaning and outdoor gardening. While our hands and fingernails are an integral part of these chores, you don't have to ruin your manicure.
Consider the following nail care tips and your nails will never show that you have been digging in the dirt or scrubbing that kitchen floor.
1. For spring cleaning and daily household chores that require you to get your hands wet, wear cotton-lined rubber gloves to protect your nails. Why? Our fingernails swell when they get wet and shrink as they dry, which causes our fingernails to have less strength. Cotton-lined rubber gloves will help absorb moisture while keeping your hands and nails dry.
2. While working in the garden, it is important, as with cleaning, to wear the right kind of gloves. When dealing with damp soil, chemicals, or liquid fertilizers, it is best to wear rubber gloves that are water resistant. For gardening projects such as digging or weeding, consider wearing thicker gloves made of cowhide.
3. Before putting on cleaning or gardening gloves, apply some lotion on your hands or apply cream on your cuticles to moisturize. Try hand creams that contain oils such as shea butter, eucalyptus, flower or jojoba.
4. To help prevent cracks in your nails, rub moisturizer that contains alphahydroxy acids or lanolin into nail tips. For another moisturizing agent, you can also massage vitamin E oil into your cuticles. Tip - keep a bottle of vitamin E oil next to your bathroom sink to remind yourself to apply it to your cuticles.
5. When filing or buffing your nails, always go in one direction. If you file or buff your nails back and forth, this will cause splitting.
6. To promote nail strength and flexibility, eat foods that contain folic acid such as whole grains, berries, kale, and citrus fruits.
7. It is also important to drink plenty of water. This is necessary for fingernail health because it keeps the body hydrated.
8. To avoid breaking nails, don't use them as tools, such as digging or picking.
9. Use products containing alcohol sparingly. These products can make fingernails prone to breaking.
10. Do you file the corners of your nails? This may weaken the nails and cause them to break more easily.
Nail Polish Tips:
* To prepare your nails for polish, wipe them with nail polish remover. This will remove any grease from your nails and help your polish last longer.
* Be sure to let nail polish dry completely before applying another layer.
* Apply several thin coats of nail polish to your fingernails instead of one thick coat. This will allow the polish to dry faster and last longer.
* To avoid drying out your nails, try not to remove and reapply nail polish more than once or twice a week.
* Consider using a nail polish remover that contains moisturizers. This will help moisturize your nails while limiting the damage of the product.
* To keep your nail polish bottle from becoming glued shut, use a cotton ball and wipe the top of the bottle with nail polish remover after each use.
* The experts believe the best place to store your nail polish is in the refrigerator. If you store your nail polish in a warm place, it will change the consistency.
* If you don't have time to polish your nails or choose not to wear polish, you can rub on a buffing cream and then shine them with a chamois buffer. This is a very pretty and natural look.
By following the above tips and making an effort to have healthy and beautiful nails, you will have better-looking hands. You might also want to consider getting a hand massage. This will help boost circulation, encourage nail growth, and best of all pamper you, your hands, and your fingernails!

By Lesley Dietschy

Finding a quality nail care system is very important!
Why?
When it comes to making a good impression, well kept fingernails rank highly. Poorly kept nails are almost immediately noticed and can greatly impact a person's image and the all important first assessment when meeting someone for the first time.
Use these 12 care tips as part of a fingernail care system that ensures your nails serve as a good advertisement and help build a positive image:
1. Healthy looking fingernails should be smooth, curved, void of any spotting, and should not have any hollows or ridges.
2. Make sure your fingernails are completely dry before you file them.
3. Shape your nails with a fine emery board, do not use any type of metal file.
4. When filing, try to keep the shape of your fingernails oval not pointed, thus making the nails less susceptible to breakage.
5. The cuticle acts as a seal between the finger and the nail. Gently exfoliating the dry, rough, cuticle skin layers by actually sloughing off the dead outer layers exposes new and vibrant skin.
6. This new healthy skin protects the nails matrix which is the growth center of the nail and should be treated with care.
7. Don't over manicure your cuticles. Over-grooming the cuticle damages the cuticle and causes it to thicken and overgrow.
8. Never use metal or sharp instruments on your cuticles.
9. Wear rubber gloves if your hands are going to be immersed in water for any length of time. Extensive periods in water can dry out the fingernails making them brittle.
10. Apply colorless nail polish or a nail strengthener to the tip of the nail to provide a protective shield.
11. Apply a base coat before putting on nail polish to avoid the nail polish staining the nails. Sometimes the dye in the nail polish can leave a residue and stain the nail.
12. If your fingernails carry stains you will need to let them grow out to remove the stain. Alternatively, lemon juice applied around the tips of the nails can remove some stains.
Nail Biting
If fingernail biting is a problem, setting up a good nail care system can do much to conquer the habit. Those who have the nail biting habit often neglect their hands and give up on them altogether.
As a first step, using a fingernail biting deterrent such as a bitter tasting coating which is applied to the nails can help. Patience is needed while nails grow out to eliminate the effects of mistreatment
Then, investing in quality fingernail care products as part of an overall nail care system will gradually help an individual take pride in having attractive hands.

By Mike Jones

Your nails may turn yellowish due to various causes, but two of the most common reasons why your nails will turn yellow is because of smoking, as well as the repeated, regular application of nail polish.
If you are one who is suffering from yellow nails, in this article you will find some all-natural home remedies you may want to try to help restore the color of your nails to their bright, beautiful whiteness.
1. Real Lemon Juice
Whitening yellow nails is just one more thing you can do with the juice of a lemon, in addition to making lemonade and using it in baking.
Squeeze the juice from a fresh lemon into a small, shallow bowl. Alternatively, you can also use reconstituted lemon juice - just don't use bottled lemon juice that has added sugar or contains any artificial flavors, sweeteners, or chemicals.
Spend a few minutes letting your nails soak in the bowl of lemon juice. Repeat whenever needed.
After soaking, wash your hands and then apply a moisturizing lotion.
2. Denture Tablets
Denture tablets are formulated to keep dentures white and bright. Now, do you know that they work great to help restore the "whiteness" of your nails as well?
All you need to do is to simply dissolve some denture tablets in water according to the directions on the package, and then soak your fingernails in the water for a few minutes.
Repeat this treatment every day and before you know it, you have the bright, white nails that you very much desire!
3. Light Buffing
Lightly buffing your fingernails can remove some discoloration from the nails. On top of that, it can also help to improve blood circulation in the area, which can help to promote healthy nail growth.
However, this process must be undertaken with care, because buffing your nails too often or incorrectly can make them weaker, and broken nails are far worse than discolored nails.
Here's what you should do: You need to make sure that you're using a high-quality buffing tool, and that you should only buff your nails in one singular direction.
4. Whitening Pencils
Did you know that there were pencils just for making the tips of your fingernails whiter? Look for them in your neighborhood pharmacy or discount store, near the other fingernail care products. They are easy to use, effective, and most importantly, they are inexpensive as well!

Let's be honest, a beautiful set of, long, natural healthy nails looks classy and sexy. Immaculately manicured long nails say a lot about your personal style and confidence. We know growing long, healthy nails can be a challenge. Our simple tips show how you too can have a beautiful set of long natural nails.
First a quick biology lesson:
Your nails grow from the area under your cuticle called the matrix. The matrix is the living part of the nail. Your cuticle is the layer of skin that protects the matrix so the cuticle is very important for nail health and growth. As new nail cells grow in the matrix, older nail cells are pushed out toward your fingertips and become hard and compacted. Heredity and health determine how fast nails grow but nails typically grow about 0.1 millimeter a day, which means that it takes a fingernail about four to six months to fully regenerate. Healthy nails are smooth, without ridges or grooves. They're uniform in colour and consistency and free of spots or discoloration.
Did you know: Nails grow faster in the summer than in the winter, nails on your dominant hand grow faster, and men's nails grow more quickly than women's, except when a woman is pregnant when nail growth speeds up.
How long should my nails be ?
This is obviously very much a matter of personal choice but a couple of things to bear in mind:
The optimum practical length for your nails depends on your activities and your lifestyle. In general the nail tip should extend no further than one third of the body of the nail.
Nails break less often when they are all of equal length and shaped square, oval, or round.
Tips on growing, long and healthy natural nails:
Long nails tip 1: Don't use your nails as tools.
Rather than using your nails use other parts of your hand, or a pen, to perform tasks like dialing the phone. Don't pick, poke or scrape with your nails and especially avoid opening soft drink cans with your nails.
Long nails tip 2: Wear gloves.
Detergents are particularly harsh on your nails and can cause splitting and peeling. Wear gloves when washing dishes or cleaning. You should also wear gloves when gardening to protect your nails from infection and prevent dryness, damage, and loss of natural oils.
Long nails tip 3: Don't bit your nails or pick at your cuticles.
Aside from the obvious reason of biting shortening your nails these habits can damage the nail bed. Even a minor cut alongside your nail can allow bacteria or fungi to enter the nail bed and cause an infection. Remember your nails grow slowly so an injured nail retains signs of damage for several months.
Long nails tip 4: Look after your cuticles.
The cuticle is a barrier that keeps bacteria from the nail matrix, where new cells are generated, so it should not be cut or trimmed. On the other hand you do want to keep cuticles from becoming overgrown, which suffocates nail growth. If your cuticle has grown out on to the nail plate, after sufficiently softening your cuticles in warm water, very gently use a cuticle pusher to push your cuticles back. As well as pushing your cuticles back this will help to remove dead skin and debris that may have accumulated. Hold the cuticle pusher at an angle, and use tiny circular movements, so that you are as gentle and careful as possible and do not damage the cuticle. When you have finished doesn't forget to moisturize your hands.
Long nails tip 5: Look after your nails.
Trim fingernails and clean under the nails regularly. Use manicure scissors or clippers and a nail file to smooth nail edges. Never pull off hangnails - doing so almost always results in ripping living tissue. Clip hangnails off, leaving a slight angle outward.
Long nails tip 6: Caring for brittle nails.
Trim brittle nails after a bath, or a 15 minute hand soak in bath oil, and then apply a moisturiser. Don't use nail polish remover more than twice a month. Instead, touch up the nail polish. When you do need to use a nail polish remover avoid those that use acetone, which dries out nails. Also consider using a nail strengthener and growth formula.
Long nails tip 7: The role of diet.
Unless your diet is deficient in protein and vitamins dietary changes that supposedly strengthen nails won't work. Your nails can however offer telltale signs of dietary problems such as:
Lack of vitamin A and calcium causing dryness and brittleness.
Lack of protein, folic acid and vitamin C causing hang nails
White bands across the nails caused by protein deficiency.
A lack of sufficient hydrochloric acid causing splitting nails.
Insufficient intake of vitamin B12 leading to excessive dryness, very rounded and curved ends and darkening of nails.
Insufficient zinc causing development of white spots on the nails.
Red skin around your cuticles can be caused by poor metabolism of essential fatty acids.
If you are concerned that your diet may not be balanced and healthy you should consult a medical or nutritional professional.
Long nails tip 8: Moisturise your nails.
Nails need moisture just like your hands do. Rub lotion into your nails when moisturising your hands. Be sure to apply moisturiser each time you wash your hands
Long nails tip 9: Use coloured nail polish.
Use coloured nail polish while you are growing your nails. If you prefer a softer look, try a sheer shade. Coloured nail polish helps you become more aware of your hands and how to use them in a way that keeps your nail polish undamaged and hence your nails protected. It also makes chips easier to spot so that you can make immediate repairs.
Long, beautiful natural nails take commitment and special care to grow and maintain. Be patient, the average nail takes 3 to 6 months to grow.
Frequently asked questions:
My nails are weak. What can I do to strengthen them?
Unfortunately, if you have naturally weak nails then it's probably hereditary and you can't permanently change them. You can, however, do things to make them stronger. Try a nail strengthener and growth formula. Many women are confused about how to use these products, so here are a few tips:
Make sure you apply a thin coat. Because you'll be applying it daily you don't want it to build up too much. If you're at the very beginning stages of growing out your nails only use a strengthener and growth formula on your nail plate and apply it every day. Once your nails start to protrude, and you want to apply nail polish, use the strengthener and growth formula as a base coat and as a top coat.
Why do I have ridges in my nails?
Ridges or corrugations (referred to as beau's lines) in nails occur when nail growth is uneven, usually because of illness or injury. Gentle buffing can minimize ridges. A Ridge Filler will also help to level the nail surface, smoothing out shallow ridges and other imperfections.
What causes my nails to turn yellow and how can I get rid of the yellow stains?
Darker coloured nail polish can cause a chemical reaction between the nail polish's coloring agent and the nail plate. This can cause nails to develop a yellowish color. While it is different for every person this reaction can occur in a matter of days or within weeks of wearing the nail colour. To prevent nails from yellowing always use a base coat before applying nail polish. Not only will this prevent staining but it can also extend the life of the nail polish. For already yellow nails soak nails in a solution of 1/2 cup of water and the juice of one lemon for up to 15 minutes, once a week
Why are my nails so flaky around the cuticle beds? What causes this?
Unless you have an allergy to something you are handling it is likely to be dryness which is the cause. It is important to correct this since, as mentioned, cuticles are very important for nail health. You should regularly moisturize your cuticles, and hands.
My nails can grow, but after a while they begin to peel and stop growing. What can I do to stop this?
Many women want long, well-shaped nails, but the stresses of daily life and work may make them a challenge to grow. Your nails could potentially benefit from additional protection when they reach more vulnerable lengths. A nail strengthener and growth formula could assist.
What causes thin nails and what can make them stronger?
When your general health is good and you are not handling strong chemicals that might affect the nails, it is likely to be heredity that produces thin nails. Your nails could also potentially benefit from a nail strengthener and growth formula.

By Donna Kelly