It is important to look after your nails on a daily basis, many nail disorders can result from poor nail care. Developing good nail habits will help strengthening and maintain the health and look of them. Healthy nails are smooth, evenly colored, and strong, with a pale pink flesh colored nail bed.

How to strengthening and maintain the health of your nails

To strengthen your nails- try, alfalfa, black cohosh, burdock root, dandelion, gotu kola, and yellow dock, silica and zinc, they are all rich in minerals and vitamin also add B vitamins, all of which strengthen the nails. You can also soak them in warm olive oil or apple cider vinegar for ten to twenty minutes on a daily basis.

For a good source of silica try, horsetail and oat straw, silica is essential for healthy nails.

To nourish the nails-a good sources of essential fatty acids are, borage seed, flaxseed, lemongrass, parsley, primrose, pumpkin seeds, and sage.

For good circulation in keeping the nails fed and nourished try butcher’s Broom, chamomile, ginkgo biloba, rosemary, sassafras, and turmeric

Protein is also essential for maintaining your nails health; add to your diet grains, legumes, oatmeal, nuts and seeds are great natural sources of protein.

Eat a balanced healthy diet- packed with fruit and raw vegetables to ensure that you get enough vitamins and minerals. Also, eat food rich in sulphur and silicon, such as fish, broccoli and onions and food rich in biotin like soy, cauliflower and eggs. Eating a healthy diet will significantly improve the health of your nails. Supplement your diet with royal jelly or kelp that are high in silica, zinc and some B vitamins

Cuts and cracks in the nails could mean that you are consuming an inadequate amount of liquids. Drink plenty of purified water and fresh carrot juice daily. Carrots are high in calcium and phosphorus both of which strengthen the nails.

Excessive intake of citrus fruits, salt or vinegar can result in a protein/calcium imbalance that may adversely affect the health of the nails.

Hangnails or splitting nails, try taking two tablespoons of brewer’s yeast or wheat germ oil daily. Keep your hands well moisturized to avoid hangnails. Do not pull at hangnails. Cut them with sharp clippers or scissors.

Yellowed nails or brittle nails, you can try making a mixture of equal parts of avocado, honey, and egg yolk, and add a pinch of sea salt. Rub the mixture into your nails and cuticles. Leave on for 30 minutes then rinse. Repeat once daily. Results should be in about two weeks.

Keep your nails relatively short this will keeps breakage and damage to a minimum. Cut toe and finger nails straight across and rounded slightly at the top for maximum strength. If your toenails are thick and difficult to cut, try soaking them first in warm salty water for five to 10 minutes or cut them after a bath.

File nails regularly with an emery board, using the rough side to shorten and the smooth side to shape. Work upwards in one direction; sawing back and forth can weaken the nail layers causing them to split. Avoid metal nail files as they can make nails flake.

Cuticles-soak your nails with warm water or you can use olive oil to soak them. Then gently push them back with a moist towel. When you clip cuticles, you’re breaking the barrier to bacteria and moisture, and that can lead to an infection. Also soak your nails before trimming them and always use hand cream after immersing nails in water.

To protect your nails against the damaging effects of harsh chemicals, wear cotton-lined gloves. Harsh chemicals can damage the nails, and can cause the skin around the nail bed to dry out and crack, which can lead to bleeding, pain and split nails.

Keep nails clean and dry to stop bacteria and other infectious organisms from collecting under the tips.

Try to avoid the use of nail polish removers on a regular basis. They make your nails brittle. Nail polish remover is also highly toxic, and can be absorbed through the skin.

Artificial nails, the chemicals and glues are dangerous to your health, and are easily absorbed if the nail or nail bed is damaged. Artificial nails can lead to fungal infection of the fingernails, which can be very difficult to cure.