Grow Long Nails Naturally

I often hear women say their nails won’t grow, or that their nails break before they get very long. Of course this is related to diet and environment. Here are some tips that will help you grow your nails long and healthy –

• Moisturize. Take time to moisturize your hands and nail beds at least once a day. Keeping your nail beds healthy and moisturized will help keep nails from growing dry and brittle. For a inexpensive natural way to add moisture, try massaging in some high quality extra virgin olive oil.
• Break bad habits. Chewing and picking at your nails not only presents a bad self-image, it also does damage to your nails leaving them weak, prone to breaking, and looking unkempt. There are all kinds of tips you can use to break yourself. Try putting a rubber band on your wrist and snapping it every time you catch yourself biting.
• Be gentle. When cleaning nails, it’s usually an easy option to dig out dirt and grime with a file, but this can not only thin and damage your nails, it can also cause damage underneath making them more susceptible to fungus and infection. Instead, use soap and a soft nail brush to gently clean away dirt. It may take longer, but it will be well worth the effort.
• Leave your cuticles alone. A thick cuticle growing over the nail isn’t really attractive, but cutting and pushing cuticles can actually do more damage to your nails. When you trim and push cuticles with harsh implements, you can do damage to the nail bed. And if your nail bed is unhealthy, so are your nails. Moisturizing daily may be enough to keep cuticles soft and manageable. If not, try a natural cuticle softener to help out.
• Avoid back and forth filing. When filing or buffing, it’s natural to use a back and forth motion. This actually creates heat that can damage your nails. Instead, file from outside to middle and buff from the nail bed to the tip. This will help keep your nails strong.
• Remove Gently. Use a non-acetone nail polish remover than contains oils. It will help hydrate your nails rather than dry them out like normal removers.
• Nourish from the inside. Whether it comes to skin, hair, or nails, the first rule to looking good on the outside, is staying healthy on the inside. Eating right, drinking plenty of water, and exercising regularly are the first steps to healthy beautiful nails.
• Get your vitamins. While a balanced diet is good, it still often doesn’t include enough vitamin E, which is essential for growing strong, healthy nails (and beautiful skin). Find a quality E supplement from your local health food store.
• Take time. If you want your nails to look good, you’ll need to look after them regularly. Just doing it once or twice isn’t going to cut it. Make it a habit of regularly keeping your nails trimmed, filed, moisturized, and well groomed.

When it comes to your nails, remember that they’re for more than decoration. Nails are an external sign of your internal health. If they’re not growing or breaking off, take a look at your diet.