Caring for Your Nails

Like some romantics believe the eyes are the windows to our souls, nutritionists and doctors alike will tell you that your nails are the windows to your health. It is important to care for your nails because they play a small, but important role in your body. Not only do they help protect your fingers and dexterity but they reflect your overall health. If you're a fast-food junkie, your nails will be flimsy with dents and dots, but if you're a health nut, strong, healthy nails are an added bonus. Broken, brittle nails are not only unattractive but they don't feel attractive.

Proper nail care is a simple way to lighten your nail-biting spirits. Not many people stop and pay close attention to their nails. So, for a second, take a long hard look at your nails. Are they strong, healthy nails? Or do they have ridges, dents or discolorations? Does the skin around the nail look irritated or have hangnails? Many undesirable nail conditions can be avoided but certain discolorations are a clue toward more serious illness. In cases of severe discoloration (green or yellow), you should seek medical attention.

Let's first go over the basics of the nail. Nails are laminated layers of keratin, a protein that is also found in your hair and skin. Each nail has several parts:

Nail Plate - the hard, laminated coating of the nail that is most visible.

Nail Folds - the layers of skin that surround the nail on all three sides, connecting to the finger's skin.

Nail Bed - the skin underneath the plate.

Cuticle - the tissue that overlaps the nail plate at the base and shields the new keratin cells as they surface from the nail bed.

Healthy nails are smooth without splits or ridges. They are identical in color and consistency and are free of spots or discolorations. A dead nail can take up to six months to regenerate because the nail only grows about .1 millimeters a day.

No single nail care product can help you completely maintain healthy nails. However, there are some simple guidelines to help you properly and healthily care for your nails:

Wear Gloves - Your nails take a lot of absent-minded abuse. Daily chores such as dishes can really do a number on your nails. Take a moment and think about how long your nails are underwater daily. It's more than you would imagine. When cleaning or gardening, take advantage of your rubber gloves and protect your nails.

Moisturize - Moisturize your hands and nails daily, if not more! It's not only soothing after a long day, but nails need moisture just as much as your skin - they're made from the same protein, don't forget.

Leave them Alone - Don't bite your nails or pick at your cuticles. Not only has your mother told you not to, but now, so are some doctors. These habits can damage the nail bed and nail folds. Even a small cut around the nail can take months to heal because of the cell's slow growth process.

Routine Maintenance - Make sure to trim your fingernails and clean underneath them regularly. This prevents bacteria from seeping into a cut and causing an infection in your nail.

Do not pull hangnails - As tempting as this might be, it can cause damage to your nail and invite an infection into your finger. It also rips away living, healthy tissue. Instead, clip the hangnails off, leaving the root of the hangnail attached to the skin.

These tips are just small additions to your day and won't throw off any routine. The nail is an important part of your body and if it is neglected, this could lead to serious illness or disease. Also, trendy tips to help strengthen your nails often do not work. Most dietary changes will not help your nails unless you're body is lacking protein. Just the same, soaking your nails in gelatin won't help them either - sorry Cosmo!

- Brittany Allen

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