Friday, July 17, 2009

Healthy & Beautiful Nails


Everyone likes clean, well-manicured and polished nails.
In fact, strong and healthy nails serve as the perfect representative of the overall health and fitness of a
person. Though most of the people are unaware of the
fact, nails too need to be taken well care of. Eating a
healthy diet is as important for your nails as for the
vital organs of your body. It is important to include certain vitamins, minerals and
other nutrients in your daily diet to ensure that your nails remain healthy and look
beautiful. At the same time, you need to make sure that you do not put undue stress
on them, by using them as tools for picking, plucking, and so on. To get some more tips for healthy nails, go through the following lines.

Tips For Healthy & Beautiful Nails
  • If your nails are too brittle and dry, you should increase the consumption of food that are rich in vitamin A (such as apricots, broccoli, carrot and cheese) and calcium (such as milk, yoghurt, cheese and almonds). However, do consult a doctor beforehand if you are allergic to the listed food.
  • Before you go off to sleep every night, wash your hands thoroughly and wipe them dry with a towel before applying a hand moisturizer. You can also rub a small amount of petroleum jelly into the cuticle and the skin surrounding your nails.
  • Whenever you are indulging in any kind of housework, be it whether you doing the dishes or scrubbing the bathroom, do wear hand gloves. This will prevent unnecessary chipping and save your nails from the harsh chemicals which may potentially harm your nails and hands.
  • Drink plenty of water and fresh fruit juices. It will help keep your body, and in turn your nails, well hydrated.
  • Carrot juice is rich in calcium and phosphorus and helps strengthen your nails. So, try to consume as much fresh carrot juice as possible .
  • Never ever use an acetone-based or formaldehyde-based nail-polish remover. Rather, stick to a remover that has acetate in it.
  • Do not file you nails just after you have had a shower or have washed your hands. This is because wet nails tend to break easily.
  • File your nails in one direction only. Do not move the filer in a back-and-forth motion, as it makes your nails brittle.
  • If you want to keep your nails strong and shiny, resort to nail buffing. It augments the blood supply to the nail, in turn stimulating its growth.
  • If you are suffering from the problem of hangnails, it is advisable to eat food rich in protein, vitamin C and folic acid.
  • Ensure that half of your diet is made up of fresh fruits and raw vegetables. This will supply your nails with the required vitamins, minerals and enzymes.
  • Supplementing your diet with spirulina and kelp will help make your nails strong and healthy.
  • Deficiency of vitamin B 12 can lead to dryness, rounded and curved ends and darkening of nails. So, make sure to include enough of the vitamin in your diet.
Extracted from :-
http://beauty.iloveindia.com/nail-care/healthy-nails.html