How to keep your fingernails healthy
Similar to healthy hair, strong, strong fingernails are considered an expression of beauty and well-being. They are part of a well-groomed appearance and therefore deserve special attention. In our guide you will find out which signs of nutrient requirements can appear on your fingernails and how you can best care for your nails.
What nutritional requirements can be identified from the fingernails?
Longitudinal grooves, white spots or brittle nail tips: blemishes on the fingernails are mostly harmless, but they can also indicate that the body has an increased need for certain nutrients.
Longitudinal grooves in the fingernails
Can you see ridges in your fingernails when you hold them up to the light? Then there is usually no reason to worry. Longitudinal grooves on the fingernail are the result of our body’s normal aging process. This means: the older a person is, the more often the longitudinal grooves can appear on the fingernails. It is also assumed that frequent dehydration promotes the formation of the grooves.
What do white spots on fingernails mean?
If your nail is healthy, it has a matt shine and a soft pink shimmer. From time to time, however, white spots can appear on the fingernails. They are reminiscent of clouds in appearance and migrate upwards with nail growth. This discoloration is nothing to worry about and, contrary to popular belief, it is not due to a calcium, zinc or magnesium deficiency . They are usually caused by small bumps and injuries. In order to reduce the white spots on the nails, you should be particularly careful with manicures and do not remove the cuticles, but rather push them back carefully.
Brittle nail tips.
Healthy fingernails are firm and strong. However, if your nails appear brittle, it may be that you wash them too often with soap – because the latter dries out your fingernails as well as your skin. Nail polish remover can also strip your fingernails of moisture and make them brittle.
The perfect care for healthy fingernails
The right manicure not only contributes to the long-term health of your fingernails, but also turns your hands into real eye-catchers. In order to carry out nail care correctly, you should pay attention to a few important points:
Cuticle care
You should not cut the cuticles. This protects the nail bed from bacteria and fungi. For a nice cuticle, it is better to use a wooden stick to gently push back the skin. If you apply a nail oil or cream to the cuticles beforehand, pushing back works even better.
Take care of brittle nails
To keep your fingernails healthy and avoid brittleness, you can use oil baths or hand packs with healing earth, for example, as these make the nails more elastic. In the short term, special mineral varnishes that strengthen your nails with a protective film can also help.
nail polish
Varnishing is less harmful to the health of your fingernails than removing them afterwards. You should therefore preferably use a gentle nail polish remover that is free of acetone and contains moisturizing substances. For dark polishes, it is recommended to use a clear base coat and when removing, place a cotton pad soaked in nail polish remover on the nail for 30 seconds. This will loosen the paint and make it easier to remove. Attention: You should definitely wash your hands thoroughly afterwards!