Though some nail yellowing is inevitable as you age, in many cases, you can brighten up your yellow nails and keep them clean and white by making a few simple changes, according to New Orleans dermatologist Deirdre O'Boyle Hooper, in "O, The Oprah Magazine." If your nails are yellow because of age, Hooper says running a white nail pencil under the tips can make them look instantly whiter.
Step 1
Stop smoking if you smoke---it's a prime cause of yellow nails, according to Hooper.
Step 2
Clean your nails once a week if you frequently wear nail polish---combine hydrogen peroxide and baking soda to form a slushy mixture, recommends nail expert Fran Manos, author of "Beautiful Hands" in "Marie Claire" magazine. Apply the mixture generously beneath your nail tips and over the surface of your nails to prevent yellowing.
Step 3
Remove nail polish with a nonacetone nail polish remover, recommends Mona Monaghan, senior vice president and general manager of Sally Hansen Group, in "Cosmopolitan" magazine.
Step 4
Avoid dark polish colors such as red, burgundy and brown-based colors, recommends Monaghan. Dark polish can leave a residue that turns your nails yellow.
Step 5
Apply a protective base coat polish before applying nail polish so your finger nail is less likely to be stained by colored polish, recommends Hooper.
Step 6
Give your nails a break from nail polish for a few weeks each year to prevent yellowing, recommends Hooper.
Things You'll Need
- Nonactone polish remover
- Base coat polish
- 1 tbsp. hydrogen peroxide
- 2 1/2 tbsp. baking soda
- Cotton swab
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