Winter is here and the change in weather, coupled with constant hand washing and sanitizing, can be harsh on your nails so here are a few tips to keeping your nails healthy this winter.
Moisturise
The cold weather can make your nails dry and brittle so ensure that you keep your hands and nails well moisturized. It is very difficult to avoid hand sanitizers right now so carry some hand cream or cuticle oil in your handbag and apply some after being sprayed with a sanitizer.
Give your cuticles TLC
Take extra care of your cuticles by massaging them with cream or a cuticle oil daily, this helps stimulate nail growth and helps protect and strengthen your nails.
Protect your nails
Be gentle with your nails, avoid using them as picking and scraping tools and go out of your way to protect them. Put on gloves when washing dishes as excessive exposure to water can weaken your nail structure. Keep your nails polished as this seals in moisture and use a nail hardener to help keep nails strong.
Skip the Acetone
If it is at all possible try and give acetone the skip. Use an Acetone-free nail polish remover as removers with acetone can cause nails to dry out. Keeping your nails a little shorter in winter reduces the chance of breakage but it also means that you can forgo the false nail trend and reduce your exposure to acetone-heavy products.
File your nails the right way
Try and avoid filing too deep into the corners of your nails as this can weaken the nail. Also file in one direction slowly, with a gentle nail file to reduce breakage. Remember to eat healthily because a balanced diet keeps your nails healthy and promotes growth.