How to get long hard healthy nails

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I'm sure there are quite a number of beautiful ladies out there who have really short nails or nails which keep slitting. And they would love for their nails to be long, pretty and healthy. Well, like the saying goes- been there, done that. A bit over a year ago, my nails were splitting all the time. I kept trying to put nail polish or nail hardener on them to get them to stop splitting, but it didn't help. 

So I started wondering how to get long hard nails. I tried different nail treatments sold in stores, but it wasn't helping much. It was the winter, and so I thought It was probably because I eat less vitamins in the winter. I decided I would wait for the summer when we have loads of yummy fresh fruits and vegetables and then I would get my nails to a healthy state.

Here is what I have found helps when you are having problems with your nails.

1. Eat a healthy diet. The vitamins from the food that you eat, also goes to your fingertips. If you eat lots of fruits and vegetables, you help to provide you nails all the nourishment they require and as such help them to grow. Eat food like apples, nuts, seeds, eggs, milk etc.

2. Drink lots of water. Everyone knows that drinking lots of water daily is good for the health. Well, it is also good for your nails because it helps keep the nails hydrated and prevents dryness and splitting.

3. Wear gloves when doing dishes. I know there are some people who don't like to wear gloves to do house chores. Well, if you want to keep your nails, pretty then you have to. The chemicals in washing fluids can affect the nails, so always wear gloves.

4. Dy your hands for at least 2 minutes. After washing your hands or doing chores, make sure you dry your hands properly.

5. Use acetone free nail polish remover. When buying a nail polish remover, try to get one that does not include acetone in it's ingredients. There are some which even say acetone free. They may be a little bit more expensive, but believe me your nails will say thank you.

6. Do not bite your nails or pick at the cuticles. I know the urge to bite off part of you nail when it breaks off a bit, or to pick at your cuticle when you see a bit loose. Don't do it! By doing this you will just make things worse. Keep a plaster in your purse at all times and cover it up if you have to. Get home and get it done properly.

7. Keep you nails hydrated. Rub a small amount of cuticle oil or petroleum jelly into your cuticles once a week or even more times if you have the time and do not forget. This will keep the nails hydrated and as such prevent dryness and splitting.

8. Use nail polish. Here it is up to you if you would like to use a colored nail polish or just nail varnish, but always keep 2 coats of some nail polish on your nails. This help protect them and keep them strong.

9. Massage you nails. Whenever you are not busy, massage your nails. You can do this while watching TV. I like to do mine by putting my nails opposite each other and moving my hands in opposite directions.

10. File your nails correctly. Don't file back and forth. The right way to file is in one direction. This way, your nails will not break.

11. Don't use you nails as a tool. Don't use your nails to scrape of anything or pick at something. I know it may be tempting in some situations to use your nails, but avoid this. When you do this, you apply great pressure to your nails which causes them to get weak and break either immediately or shortly after that.

12. Apply garlic to your nails to make them harder. You can either grate some garlic into your clear nail polish and get a homemade nail hardener. Or you can pierce you nails into garlic cloves and hold them in for about 10-15 minutes. This will help make your nails harder.

What helps you keep your nails long and healthy?