nterTwo words: moisture loss. “Healthy nails contain 18 percent water on average,” says Erin Gilbert, a New York City dermatologist. “In winter, you’re constantly moving between the hot, dry air indoors and the freezing temperatures outdoors. These extremes can reduce the moisture level in your nails, leaving them dehydrated.” Dried-out nails are more likely to break, split, and chip. Compounding the harsh climate conditions are songstress such as hot showers (water draws moisture from nails as it evaporates from skin) and drying products, like polish removers with acetone, alcohol-based hand sanitizes, and diminishing liquid. “Washing dishes is just about the worst activity for nails,” says Miami dermatologist Leslie Bultmann. Time to break out the rubber gloves.
The Protection Plan
Intense hydration is the name of the game, says Shari Statesman, the founder of Perfect Formula, a nail-care and color brand in New York City. Nails are made up of flattened dead cells containing keratin, but moisturizers can make them flexible, supple, and less likely to split and break. So when you reach for that rich winter hand cream (which you should apply after every hand washing), get in the habit of slathering your nails, too. If you have polish on, just massage the cream into the cuticles nail color polish help stimulate healthy nail growth, says Bultmann. (For polish recommendations, set Color Picks.) Look for lotions that contain urea—a expectant that helps hold moisture in the skin, says Gilbert. At night, rub on cuticle oil (in a pinch, olive oil also works). And once a week, step things up with an intensive treatment. Gilbert recommends soaking nails in lukewarm water for no more than 10 minutes, then coating them with cuticle oil and slipping on cotton gloves for at least an hour. (For product recommendations, see Nail Care Tools.)
- Whitening Yellow Nails: Prolonged use of dark nail polish colors can cause nails to turn yellow. By following the tips in this post, you can get your nails back to their natural color.
- 11 Tips for a Perfect Homemade Manicure: Get great looking paws with this awesome step-by-step.
- 5-Minute Nail Polish Routine: This isn't a long blog post, but I think it’s an overview that hits the nail on the head (LOT!).
- DIY Pedicure: A 1-2-3 post showing how to give yourself a good pedicure. Summer’s time to free your toes!
- Another DIY Home Pedicure Post: Like the link above, this post shows step-by-step how to prep and paint your toes
- Finding a Great Nail Salon: Here’s a fantastic article on what to look for when you walk in the door at your next prospective nail salon.
- How to Strengthen Fingernails: What you can do to have long and strong nails.
- Try Diamond Cosmetics Nail Polish for Summer: I absolutely love this collection. OMG! Check out Oh, Tiff and Hot Summer Pink… I think I’m in love.
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- Taking Care of Your Nails: They take a beating throughout the day. Here’s what you can do to give them a hand.
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- Tips and Tricks to Make Nail Polish Last: Getting chipped nails is about as much fun as getting cut off in traffic. Here are some tips on ways to extend the life of your polish.
- DIY Manicure Tips from Sally Hansen: Straight up — Sally Hansen knows nails. ‘Nuff said.
- How and Why to Use a Base Coat: When you’re looking for smooth color application, a base coat is the way to go.
- Cuticle Care: Keep your cuticles happy, and help your polish look that much better!
- Ever More Manicure Tips: Where, oh, where do we begin? They say that softening your cuticles and shaping your nails are great places to start.
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
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