How to Get Healthy Nails: 8 Helpful Tips

Your nails are a reflection of your overall health as they can show diseases and deficiencies within your body. Luckily, it is easy to see abnormalities using your nails as a guide. 

If you have discolored nails, brittle nails, or infections on your nails it could be a sign that you need either external or internal treatment. 

Read on for 8 ways how to get healthy nails and improve your health.

Keep Hands Dry

You may think that wet nails will absorb the water, making them less dry. However, the opposite is true as too much water exposure will pull the moisture from your hands and nails. 

Limit the time your hands and nails spend in the water by leaving them out of the tub or pool and wearing gloves while washing dishes. Also, make sure you dry your hand completely after getting them wet.

Take Vitamins and Other Supplements

Healthy fingernails are a sign that you have proper nutrition. But, if your nails are suffering then you may be deficient in vitamins and minerals. 

Taking a multi vitamin can help improve these deficiencies which will eventually improve your nails. Since your nails are mostly protein waste, taking biotin to increase vitamin B7 in your body is a good idea. 

Another important supplement to consider is collagen from ProBody Warehouse. Collagen benefits healthy nail growth because it includes amino acids glycine and proline which oxygenates the body’s tissues.

Drink Plenty of Water

While you want to avoid external water on your nails, taking water internally will hydrate your nails. Drink water with electrolytes so that your body can hold onto the water and distribute it to your cells. If you don’t add electrolytes to your water then it will act as a diuretic, meaning your body won’t hold it and will release it as urine. 

When your nails have enough water then they become less brittle and thin. Moisture lubricates the nails and makes them stronger and thicker.

Eat a Healthy Food

Caring for nails begins with your diet. Eating a wide variety of organic, unprocessed foods will ensure that you don’t acquire a vitamin or protein deficiency. 

Specific foods for healthy nails include water-dense foods like fruit and foods with amino acids, including:

• Eggs
• Salmon
• Lentils
• Grapefruit
• Flaxseed

Be sure to not overcook or fry your foods because this significantly reduces their nutritional value. Instead, steam or bake your food until it is cooked and never charred or burned.

Use a Moisturizer

Applying vitamins and herbs to the outside of your body can also improve nail health. Use high-quality moisturizers or oils that contain no added chemicals for the best effect. 

Natural oils like coconut, castor, and olive oils absorb quickly into your skin and cuticles, making them go directly into your cells and bloodstream. 

Creams that contain added vitamins are also useful. For example, vitamin E is one of the most popular hand cream additions because it penetrates your skin, adding additional moisture. Also, vitamin D is useful to enhance the calcium in your nails.

File Your Nails

Keeping your nails trim and/or short helps them go stronger. Your nails stay in a particular shape, reducing uneven growth, hangnails, and chips. 

You can also make your nails more manageable and reduce the risk of hitting them or breaking them on objects doing common tasks. 

Keep your nails neat by using a nail file to round the tips and smooth the edges near your cuticles. If you prefer short nails then use a nail clipper to gently trim your nails but never go past the fingertip. Cutting your nails short will also prevent any bad habits like biting nails. 

A nail buffer or polisher is helpful for shining the tops of your nails. This will improve the circulation in your hands, fingers, and nails, making it easier for nourishment to reach them.

Avoid Harmful Nail Polish

Most nail polishes are filled with harmful chemicals that you wouldn’t dare eat. However, most people don’t know that putting chemicals on your external body is just as, if not more, harmful to your health. 

Chemicals like alcohol and formaldehyde in nail polishes absorb through the skin, bypass the liver, and go directly into your bloodstream. In addition to being toxic, alcohol and acetone (used to keep nail polish from being permanent) drastically dehydrate your nails. 

If you have thin or weak nails then use a natural essential-oil-based nail polish that doesn’t deplete the moisture on your nails. You will also keep chemicals out of your body which will improve your overall health.

Skip the Hand Sanitizer

Another toxic application for your hands and nails is hand sanitizer. Most hand sanitizers contain alcohol and ethanol to kill germs, however, that’s not the only thing that they are killing. 

They are also removing moisture from your hands and nails while destroying your natural microbiome which helps protect your skin from things like infections. 

Using an organic soap with added vitamins when necessary will keep your hands clean without stripping them of their natural oils.

How to Get Healthy Nails and Keep Them

The only way to know how to get healthy nails is to understand your body’s needs. You can look at your nails to determine what your body is lacking. Then you can decide which method in this article will work best for you. Because all the moisturizers in the world won’t help you if you are dehydrated internally or have a vitamin deficiency. 

Continue improving your health by reading more related articles on our blog.