Get a healthy nails

Nail color and texture indicate how healthy you are. Healthy nails should typically sport a pink tonw, but sometimes they may change in tone and texture, signifying a deficiency in certain vitamins, minerals and nutrients. The nail is made of a hard protein called keratin. A protein is one of the building blocks which make up the body. With just a little time and care you can get healthy nails.

You nails speak about your health:

Role of food for healthy nails: Eating healthy foods is very much necessary for your nails. Always try to have enough protein in your diet. Even if you are a vegetarian you can get plenty of protein with beans, nuts and tofu. Take zinc supplements or food rich in zinc such as whole wheat, oatmeal, spinach, peas and dairy products. The appearance of white spots on your nails indicates zinc deficiency. Increase your intake of Vitamins A, B, C, D and E and eat fewer saturated fats.

Great food for your nails:

Are you drinking enough water? Water is very necessary for your nails. Nails that are weak, splitting and fragile can be a result of not drinking enough water.

Tips for healthy nails:

• Always keep your nails clean and dry. Water makes the nails softer, which will make it easier to break.
• Regularly trim your nails and keep them short in order to avoid breaking of nails. Trimming dry nails will cause them to break or tear. So a good time to trim your nails is after taking a bath or shower. Apply moisturizer after trimming and then use a nail filer to soften rough edges after trimming.
• Once every two weeks avoid using nail polish. This helps nails to breathe. As the strong toxic chemicals in the polish can leave the nails unhealthy and discolored over time.
• Keeping the cuticles pushed back will also help keep nails healthy. Using an orange stick with a cotton ball wrapped around it that has been dipped in vitamin E oil to gently push the cuticle back. The oil actually strengthens the nail. Try rubbing vitamin E or shea butter cream into the cuticles every night, as this will also keep the cuticles from cracking.
• Be careful with harsh chemicals. Wear rubber gloves whenever using anything having chemicals, especially during doing house work.Use a nail polish remover that does not contain acetone as they dry out the nail, leaving it brittle.
• Don't bite your nails. This habit can actually do harm to your nails and cause mouth problems.
• Don't remove hangnails by pulling at them. Gently clip them with manicure scissors to prevent damage to your skin and tissue.
• Don't use your nails as a tool such as picking at things, poking or prying. Using your nails as a tool will weaken them.
• When the nails have slits or small tears, repair them using nail glue or clear polish.
• For toe nails always wear cotton socks. As they're best for absorbing dampness, thus preventing fungal infections.
• Keep two pair of shoes and switch between them so you're never putting your feet into damp, sweaty shoes, which could lead to fungal infections.

Home Manicure you can do it yourself!

You will need:

Steps:

Nail polish removing: Use cotton balls to douse each fingernail with nail polish remover. Whichever fingernail polish remover you choose, swab your fingernails one by one until they are your natural color.

Trimming your fingernails: Use fingernail trimmer during your home nail process to reshape or shorten your nails more efficiently. You can also make your fingernails shorter using fingernail clippers. You should trim your nails at least once a month if they are healthy.

Cuticle removing: Use your cuticle remover to remove your cuticle, or actually push it down. Your cuticle is that soft skin that forms at the bottom of your fingernail at the place where your fingernail cartilage and your skin meet. It is just like a foreskin. Push back your cuticles one at a time using the cuticle removing tool.

Filing your nails: Now you will need an emery board. An emery board is usually a very inexpensive fingernail board used for filing down rough nail surfaces that is rough on the surface at least on one side. Smooth the tips of your nails in a uniform manner using emery board.

 Apply nail paint: Now you are ready to pick out a nail polish color from your own home nail polish collection. Unscrew the fingernail polish bottle, and scrape off the excess fingernail polish on the fingernail polish brush applicator on the side of the bottle itself. You can use a paper towel for this process. Make sure you apply nail paint only on nails and not on your skin. If you make a mistake, take a paper towel and douse it with nail polish remover, then if you need to re-coat that fingernail, go ahead.

Second coats of nail polish: Wait at least ten minutes before applying a second coat. You should not paint over your nails another time unless your nail polish is dry the first time. Without air, or low to medium speed fans blowing on them, it will take about five minutes for your fingernails to dry. And you are done.

(Sources: hintsandthings.co.uk, beautyden.com, ehow.com, webmd.com, beauty.tips.net)