Pretty Nail Art

Tips nail strengthener

Trim your nails regularly. If you let your nails grow too long and get jagged and rough, they are more likely to break off and get weaker. Your nails are kind of like your hair - without regular upkeep, they start to get weaker at the tips. Trimming your nails regularly is one important way to help them stay strong.

• Trim your nails with a nail clipper or nail scissors - not a regular pair of scissors or any other type of trimming instrument. And make sure your clippers or scissors are sharp!
• Don't trim your nails too short. Trimming them to the quick can leave the tips of your fingers prone to hangnails and infections. Leave a little white edge at the tips of your nails.

Filing the nails in a sawing motion is one of the most damaging things you can do, since it destroys the fibers in your nails. This can actually weaken the entire nail, not just the tip! To file the right way, use an emery board and lightly run the file in one direction only, instead of sawing back and forth. Be careful when trimming your cuticles. Some people like to trim their cuticles all the way back, but this can leave your nail beds prone to infection. Instead of trimming your cuticles, consider soaking them and then lightly pushing them back using a cuticle pusher. This way they'll be out of the way when you paint your nails, but they'll still protect your fingers from getting infected with bacteria.

• Soak your nails in warm water for about 5 minutes to start. You can add a little oil if you want to.
• Use a cuticle stick to push back the cuticles toward the base of the nails. Don't press down too hard, and don't force them back. Don't rip or shred the cuticles.

Use oil or lotion to hydrate your nails. If your fingers and nails tend to get dry, using some oil or lotion is a great way to strengthen and hydrate them. Put on lotion each time you take a shower. You can also cover your fingers in lotion before you go to bed at night, so your fingers and nails will be hydrated by morning. Here are a few hydrating products that will help your nails get strong:

• Aloe
• Chia gel
• Olive oil
• Coconut oil
• Argan oil
• Castor oil
• Almond oil
• Jojoba oil
• Tea tree oil
• Shea butter
• Cocoa butter

Consider trying nail strengthener. Nail strengthener is said to form a hard shield-like protection for your nails so that they aren't exposed to things that can weaken them. Some strengtheners are meant to be applied weekly, some monthly. Give it a try, but keep in mind that relying solely on a strengthener probably isn't going to be your best bet, since brittle nails are often caused by harsh treatment and not getting enough nutrients.