Unless you're devoted to your weekly manicure, the overall health of your fingernails might slip past you. Your fingernails serve vital functions, protecting and supporting the top part of your fingers and letting you scratch a persistent itch. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, the health of your nails may even tell your doctor about the health of your body. Healthy fingernails start with good nail hygiene.
Step 1
Keep your fingernails short. Longer nails may look more glamorous, but they can also collect dirt, germs and even parasites like pinworms, cautions the Centers for Disease Control. Trim your fingernails regularly, advises MayoClinic.com. Use manicure scissors or clippers to clip them in a straight line. Buff away sharp edges with an emery board.
Step 2
Don't nibble your nails or pull at hangnails. Not only will your fingernails have a distinctly raw appearance, it's unsanitary, states MayoClinic.Com. If you bite into the skin on the side of your fingernail, this is an invitation for bacteria or fungi to enter and cause infection. If you have a hangnail, clip it with a sanitized nail trimmer, urges the CDC.
Step 3
Wear rubber gloves for household tasks that require you to submerge your hands in water, such as dish washing or cleaning the tub. Keeping nails clean and dry dissuades bacteria and other infection-causing organisms from entering your nails, according to MayoClinic.com. Also, dry well after bathing or washing your hands.
Step 4
Give your fingernails their own "spa day." Weak, brittle nails may benefit from a coating of nail hardener or a once-weekly coating of nail polish, states MayoClinic.com. But don't use nail polish remover more than once a week, and avoid brands that contain acetone, as this can dry out your nails. Moisturize your fingernails frequently with hand lotion, especially right after you use polish remover.
Step 5
Take a biotin supplement, also known as vitamin H. The University of Maryland Medical Center states that there's evidence to suggest that biotin can benefit thin, brittle, unhealthy fingernails, as well as the health of your hair. MayoClinic.com suggests taking 2.5 mg of biotin a day.
Step 6
Don't ignore abnormalities in your fingernails. See a physician if your nails are yellow, white or opaque in color; if they appear to be separating from the nail bed; if they're curled or pitted; or if you notice horizontal indentations. These abnormalities may be symptomatic of a condition that requires medical treatment, states MayoClinic.com.
Tips and Warnings
- You may have heard that eating gelatin or soaking your nails in gelatin will make your nails healthier and heartier–this is a myth, according to MayoClinic.Com. If nail-grooming tools are shared, make sure you sterilize them each time before use, advises the CDC. Nail trimming is generally easier right after you've bathed or soaked your hands.
- When choosing a nail hardener, avoid products that does contain toluene sulfonamide or formaldehyde–these ingredients are irritating, notes MayoClinic.Com.
Things You'll Need
- Manicure scissors
- Emory board
- Hand lotion
- Rubber gloves
- Nail polish, nail hardener and polish remover (optional)
- Biotin dietary supplement (optional)
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