Hand and Nail Care

How To Take Care of Your Nails (And Hands)

Taking the time to care for your nails is more than just slapping on a basecoat once in a while and drinking some water. Whether or not you do nail art or paint your nails at all, doesn't change the fact that you should be taking care of them. Your hands too, in fact. You ever hear that saying passed down the grape vine by nail techs and probably your grandma? "The hands can't hide age". Now I can't teach you how to be immortal but I can give you some guidance and steps in a proper skin/nail routine that will help the health of your hands and the overall appearance!! Let's get down to it:

Step One: Oil

So this step is one of the first things that I believe you should start integrating into your nail routine even if you don't paint your nails just because of how beneficial it is. Applying oil to the cuticle area regularly keeps your nails hydrated and healthy. Oil helps to soften the skin as well so the sides of your fingers that crack, flake, and split? Good as gone!

Now, there's also a bit of debate over what KIND of oil you should use on your nails. From personal experience, I don't find that it usually matters whether you use an oil specifically for nails, manufactured by nail companies, or just DIY oil blends that you can make yourself. I do believe, however, that some oils are better than others. Rubbing extra virgin olive oil on your cuticles every day wouldn't be as beneficial as jojoba oil or coconut oil. My personal favorite is jojoba oil but experimenting on your own can really dictate which oil you feel works best for you. Some companies make nail oil pens or nail oil bottles, but if you're like me and like to save pennies here and there, you can use a CLEAN empty nail polish bottle or buy empty brush pens from Amazon (I've linked some here!) to put your own blend inside.

Step Two: Lotion/Moisturization

This step is so widely overlooked despite it being so very important!! If I'm being honest, I'd saying moisturizing your hands is one of the prime steps you should do regularly to keep up your hand health. Not to mention, this is the step that will make your hands look a lot younger. Do you ever notice your fingers getting more wrinkly and the parts of your finger around your nail getting more rough? This is because your hands are too dry! Using lotion daily helps to soften your hands so not only are they more aesthetically pleasing, but your hands physically feel better because they're not so rough and prone to cracking/flaking. 

If you have a hands-on demanding lifestyle and/or job, you might need to think more about what you're putting on your hands than other people. Bigger problems call for bigger solutions, as they say. Some people can get away with using a cheap lotion they got a Target but for a person whose hands are toughened day after day, you should look more into the ingredients to really get the best benefit for your hands. Try looking for lotions with shea butter in them! Shea butter is a hardworking ingredient that makes a difference in lotions. You don't need to buy something very expensive but looking for small things like that in ingredient lists can really help you. 

Also, something a little weird, but try a lotion designed for diabetic people. That's a strange tip, I know, but one of the biggest symptoms/signs of diabetes is very dry and rough skin. If your hands are WRECKED everyday and you can barely keep up with hand care, using something that's meant to help chronic dry skin can totally help you out. Of course, this is on the more extreme end of daily hand and nail care so this is NOT a tip for the average person. However, it is something to think about if you believe you might be one of those people with hands ruined beyond repair. 

Step Three: Cuticle Removing

Step Three is a classic, old tip that everyone has pretty much heard about but I'm going to talk about it anyways. Removing the cuticle, the dead skin that grows up your nail, makes your manicures last longer AND promote the general health of your nail bed. When the cuticle becomes overgrown, it can cause painful hangnails and splits around the edges of your nail. Do NOT pull or tug overgrown cuticles to get them off!! You will hurt your hand and make yourself bleed!! As tempting as it is, you have to instead use a cuticle remover (they're sold at grocery stores and local beauty supply stores for very cheap) and a wooden stick to GENTLY push back and scrape away the dead skin. This step should not hurt! If it's hurting, you're either doing it wrong, or your cuticles are too overgrown and you need a stronger tool. More often than not, you will not need a stronger tool. 

Step Four: Mindfulness

Mindfulness is the most important step in a hand and nail care routine. Being aware of yourself at all times changes the game when you're taking about preserving nail health. Before you open a cabinet or take out the trash, focus on where your hands are. Now, you don't have to be constantly thinking about your hands like me, a nail blogger, but half of the accidents that are damaging (and painful) to your hands and nails, start with a bad decision. Your cuticle was ripped off while you were getting dressed because you weren't paying attention to it snagging. Your hand got jammed because you weren't thinking about where it was in relation to what you were doing. Noticing small things like that can really help you put everything into perspective. You don't have to be constantly careful or never use your hands in your life, but practicing being MINDFUL and focusing on where you're at in relation to this world both physically and mentally will help you in the long run.