Be Mindful Of Your Polish Choices
Make sure the polishes you use contain nourishing, conditioning ingredients rather than drying additives like formaldehyde, camphor, and toluene. Since the polishes are sitting on your nail for a week at a time, it’s vital that they’re not actively weakening the proteins while doing so. And if you have a favorite shade that isn’t 7-free or higher? Well, at the very least make sure you are using a clean base coat as that’s what’s touching the nail. Try sundays’ B.01 Hydrating Base Coat.
How To Make Your Nails Grow Longer And Stronger
Buh-bye, brittle nails.
Maybe its been the lockdown boredom , but it seems so many of us are attempting to grow our nails longer and stronger right now.
If youve ditched the acrylics and taken a much-needed break from the gels, yet your nails are still brittle and flaky, we feel your pain.
On a mission to achieve the long, resilient talons of our dreams, weve tried out all the hacks and enlisted some of the best experts to reveal exactly how to make our nails grow longer, stronger and healthier for good. Stay with us for everything you need to know..
How To Grow Longer And Stronger Nails
Take Biotin Or Collagen Supplements
So much about nail health and growth comes down to diet. In fact, your nails can act as something of a canary test to your overall health, with breakage or slow growth signaling dietary, mineral, and vitamin deficiency. “Pay attention to your diet,” explains Amy Lin, the founder of sundaysa nail care brand focused on wellnessabout strong nails. “Your nails are made of proteins and naturally need a lot of vitamins.”
Well specifically, your nails consist of the protein keratin , so it’s important to make sure you’re getting your fill of keratin-building amino acids. Two of the most popular ways to do so are biotin and collagen supplements, as they tend to be the most effective in supporting nail health.*
First up: Biotin has been shown to support thickness and firmness of nails in several human studies.* One study, in particular, found that those who took biotin supplements had 25% thicker nailbeds than the placebo group.* In terms of collagen, another study showed that when patients took collagen daily for 24 weeks, their nail health was better maintained, including faster growth rates, reduced breakage, and improved appearance.*
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Keep Them On The Shorter Side
If youre having trouble with weak nails, consider cutting down the length while you build up their strength, suggests Dr. Solomon. Shorter nails are less prone to breaking because there are fewer exposed edges to tear, and less surface area where water and chemicals can be absorbed. Once trimmed, prevent snags by gently rounding the edges with a nail file.
Pick The Right Emery Board
Regular filing is essential to keep nails strong, prevent tears, and promote growth.
An ideal emery board shouldn’t be too rough, as this can lead to small fissures and cracks that cause your nail to tear. Instead, go for something semi-smooth that can be used to gently and slowly file your nail down into the desired shape.
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Dont Overdo The Hand Sanitizer
Because hand sanitizers are typically alcohol-based, constantly applying the stuff can dry out your nails and leave them super brittle. If you have to use hand sanitizer, try not to get it on your nails, and dont overdo it, says Dr. Solomon. Using hand sanitizer wipes can make it easier to avoid the nail area during applicationor if you prefer the liquid variety, make sure to slather on moisturizer afterward to balance the scales.
Home Remedies For Nail Growth
Here are a few steps and tips that will help you to strong and healthy your nails:
1) Lemon juice-
Lemon juice could help to brighten your nails and remove stains.
Now the question is, how to use lemon juice for growing nails faster?
Soak your nails in a mixture of three tbs of olive oil and one tablespoon of lemon juice for 10 minutes. Follow this home remedy for about 10 minutes every day to strengthen your nails. Simply applying warm olive oil to the ends of your nails also serves as an effective treatment to grow your nails.
2) Garlic for nail growth-
Advocates suggest that their nail growth comes from the selenium in garlic. Garlic is rich in selenium, which helps promote nail growth.
In my opinion, If you Rubbing garlic on your nails. Wiggling your fingers. your nails can be grown easily. I have adopted this recipe and It works very fast. If you think its a good idea, you can try it.
Also, You can try this recipe Sauté chopped garlic in a pan with some olive oil in a pan for 10 minutes, taking care that the oil does not bubble. Let the oil cool, and strain the oil into a glass container, discarding the garlic pieces.
You can massage this oil into your nails and cuticles every night, Before rinsing off in the morning.
Remember, massage stimulates blood flow which helps deliver nutrients from your bloodstream to your nails.
3) Nail Grow With Apple Cider Vinegar-
4) Coconut Oil-
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Biotin Supplements Are Linked To Long Stronger Nails: True
You won’t make your nails grow more quickly if you take this dietary supplement. But several studies show that biotin can strengthen brittle nails, making them less likely to split or break, so you may be able to grow your nails longer after taking the supplement regularly.
Biotin is often sold by itself as a dietary supplement or as an ingredient in vitamins sold to improve the look of the skin, hair, and/or nails.
“They all have significant amounts of biotin in them, plus calcium and silicon in some form,” says dermatologist Amy Newburger, MD, of St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital Medical Center in New York.
The Institute of Medicine has not determined a safe upper limit for this dietary supplement due to lack of information about its possible side effects. Although it seems unlikely that someone could get too much biotin, don’t take large doses unless you’re under the close care of a dermatologist or other doctor.
“I take it myself and do feel it helps with nails, says D’Anne Kleinsmith, MD, a dermatologist in West Bloomfield, Mich.
Take Breathers Between Manicures
Bottom line: Your nails need to breathe. Constant use of polish, even non-toxic polish, can weaken the nail, says Dr. Solomon. If you find that your nails have become especially fragile , give them a month off from nail polish to allow them to grow and strengthen. Applying a keratin treatment between manicures, such as CND RescueRXx, can help nourish your nails during the hiatus.
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Does Nail Polish Help Or Hurt Nail Growth
There’s nothing quite like the experience of kicking back at the nail salon and getting a colorful mani. But does nail polish help or hurt nail growth in any way?
As it turns out, lacquer doesn’t play a role in nail growth, but it can assist with overall nail health:
- It shields them: “Nail polish can act as a barrier against nails splitting or cracking. It makes the nail a little bit thicker and protects them with a coating,” Jaliman said.
- It discourages picking: “It can help you from picking or biting at your nails so they can grow,” Bank said.
Then again, using certain types of nail polish too frequently can do more harm than good:
- Too much red polish: “Nail polish can be the cause of brittle nails and discoloration, which is more common with red nail polishes and can cause a yellowish discoloration of the nail,” Gonzalez explained.
- Go slow on the gels: “Shellacs or gel nail polishes can sometimes be the cause of brittle and unhealthy nails,” Gonzalez said. Acrylics can also cause damage when used too often.
- Choose your polish remover wisely: “Using nail polish remover too frequently can be too drying for the nails, therefore causing damage to the nail. When using nail polish remover opt to use a non-acetone remover and apply cuticle oil afterward,” Bank said.
Protecting Your Nails From Damage
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Tips To Grow Long Strong Nails Naturally
Cuticle oil is the popular choice for nail health, but Ive used either Vitamin E oil or coconut oil since the beginning of this journey, so I tend to stick with that. Keeping your hands moisturized by applying lotion after every wash and massaging oil into your cuticles every morning and evening is your first line of defense against brittle nails.
When I began to grow out my nails, I would massage Vitamin E oil into my nail beds at night to help me break the cycle of biting in the evenings. The taste of the oil also served as a reminder of my goal whenever I went to bite my nails throughout the day. Lo and behold, it turns out that I was doing one of the best things I could to grow long strong nails.
Be sure to file the nails in an inward direction, toward the center. Avoid the back and forth motion, especially with an emery board nail file. The back and forth motion weakens the nail and was definitely the main culprit for my breakage.
When growing out my nails the first time, I knew nothing about the proper use of a nail file. I simply went to Walgreens and purchased the cheap emery board style nail file. That may have been my worst nail care infraction. Now I own a crystal file for gentle care.
Instead, avoid chipping by applying thin layers of polish. Always allow the polish to dry down before applying the next coat to avoid thick layers of polish that easily peel away.
Do You Skip The Base Coat
As for makeup, priming your face is of utmost importance for the makeup to stay longer, likewise, trust base coat to let your nail paint stay for a long time. Be it a neutral shade or a bright one, before putting on any nail color, applying a base coat is a must. This will provide a protective layer to your nails and will help your nails stronger and healthier.
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Do You Bite Your Nails
Are you the one who starts biting fingernails at the hint of any anxiety? Here is the time to tell you to absolutely stop this practice. If you want your nails to grow faster, you need to stop biting them. Not only biting nails is unhealthy for your body and stomach, but it may also lead to bacterial infections. Biting nails can also lead to chipped nail paints. Now, who wants that? No one, right!
Treat Your Fingernails To A Nail Treatment
Are gel polishes inherently bad for your nails? No. But if you got fed up and picked yours off instead of removing gel nail polish the right way, your nails are probs the furthest from healthy. And guess what? You’re gonna need to fix that if you want to grow them out any time soon. One way to restore your sad nails is with a nail hardener or nail-strengthening treatment. A key ingredient to look for is pantothenic acid, which studies show can help keep your nails flexible and less prone to breakage. If your nails could use a little reinforcement, try one of our favorites below.
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How To Make Nails Grow Faster
Want larger-than-life nails without using acrylics? You can encourage growth in a few different ways, but first, you’ll want to determine why your nails seem to be growing so slowly in the first place.
“If it is a condition such as psoriasis or onychomycosis where the nails can get deformed and grow slowly, a medication which treats the condition would encourage the nails to grow faster,” Gonzalez said.
On the other hand, if your nails are just a bit brittle and need some TLC, you can give them a boost in a number of ways:
- Maintain a balanced diet: Much like your hair, nails need vitamins and minerals to stay healthy.
- Try a supplement: “Supplements like Biotin are an option. However, Biotin has not been proven to increase growth, but rather overall nail health,” Gonzalez said. Dr. Debra Jaliman, a New York City-based dermatologist, also suggests collagen supplements.
- Massage your nails: “Just like brushing your hair promotes growth , massaging your nail beds does the same!” nail artist told TODAY.
- File nails regularly: It can help prevent splits and breaks, according to Kandalec.
Cut Back On Gel And Acrylic Manicures
They may be touted as an easy alternative for people who have trouble growing their nails, but frequent gel or acrylic manicures can cause your nails to peel, weakening them in the process. These manicures also expose your digits to excessive amounts of acetone in the soak required to remove them, which is very drying to the nail, says Dr. Klein. If you prefer to keep these types of manicures on rotation, make sure to either give your nails time to breathe between applications or save them for special occasions.
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Go Natural With Soaps And Shampoos
Detergents and other cleaners arent the only chemical products your nails are exposed to. Soaps and shampoos are also commonly made with chemicals including sodium lauryl sulfate, phthalates, and parabens. Theyre designed to strip away oils from your scalp and hands, so it stands to reason that theyd also dry out your nails, leaving them weak and brittle.
Its not practical to wear gloves when dealing with these products, so choose more organic, natural alternatives instead. Soaps and shampoos all list their ingredients on the packs to help you make a more informed choice.
With these tips for growing long, strong nails in mind, you need never resort to those damaging gel and acrylic alternatives again!
Tips To Promote Nail Growth During The Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a lot of changes in most peoples daily routines – everything from working from home and taking on childcare 24/7 to missing out on happy hours, nights at the movies, and important life events. One thing that many people are missing is the ritual of the nail salon – everything from chatting with the nail technician to getting the care needed to keep nails strong and healthy.
At Texas College of Cosmetology, we have your back. We understand that you might not be able to or feel comfortable going back to your regular nail technician just yet. Thats why we put together this list of tips to help you grow strong, long, and healthy nails at home!
Grow those nails with these tips!
Fascinated by this topic? Consider nail technician school!
If youre finding that quarantine life has only increased your interest in beauty and nails, and if youve been considering a career change, it might be time to take the plunge and sign up for classes at Texas College of Cosmetology! At our beauty and vocational school, we give all of our students a strong grounding in nail care as well as industry-specific communication and business skills. And needless to say, we also offer lots of real-world, hands-on training. Our graduates are excellently positioned to begin long, rewarding careers in the nail industry.
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Dont Neglect Your Cuticles
With so much focus on your nails its easy to forget about your cuticles. These are the foundations of your nails so they deserve your attention. Gently push back your cuticles with a cuticle pusher to maximize your nailbed and make your nails appear longer.
Resist the urge to snip your cuticles because this prevents them from doing their job of protecting the base of your nail. Removing the cuticle leaves an open space for bacteria and other unpleasantries to enter your body. Bacterial infections have been known to inhibit nail growth, so its not worth taking the risk. Redness, swelling, pus, and pain are all signs of a cuticle infection, so see a doctor promptly for treatment if you notice any of these symptoms. Cutting your cuticles can also lead to aesthetic problems, including unsightly ridges and white spots and lines in your nails.
