All women irrespective of social strata or age desire to have beautiful and nicely done nails. As far as weddings and engagements go, the ladies know to keep their nails looking great for all the pictures that will be taken of the huge diamond and shiny gold rings!

This leads to some questions that some of us ask ourselves when we look at other women with their gorgeous nails – “could they be real and could i have my nails look like that for my engagement and wedding??” The answers: YES and YES! You can have your own real nails look beautiful and healthy that you wouldn't feel the need to fix for your big day.

Essentially, nails are very useful for protecting the fingers; they enable us to do the simple things of life such as picking up small things, scratching your nose and whatever else our nails let us do. Nails are very hard workers and therefore need to be pampered, it is imperative for us to treat them with care.

There are various salons that offer beautification and care of the nails but the basic care of your nails has to start from home.

Well maintained finger and toe nails reveal and reflect good aesthetic sense. Clean nails are also a true reflection of good hygiene and healthy nail beds are pink to dark pink, which show a rich blood supply.

HOW CAN I GET AND KEEP GREAT LOOKING NAILS??

If you truly desire stronger, less brittle and shining nails, then the following tips will definitely come in handy:

·     Your nails are a true reflection of what you eat. Eating fast foods will in no way make your nails healthy and strong. Yogurt and milk have been proven to be healthy for the nails.

·     Whenever you need to dip your hands in water, ensure you do so with gloves (this doesn't apply to a lot of naija people, which brings us to the next tip).

·     Hand lotions help to moisturize the hands and strengthen the nails, so be sure to use them after your hands have been in water.

·     Ensure that you do not use nails or blades to remove nail polish this will do a lot of damage to the nails.

·     You can put your nail polish in the freezer so as to keep the nail polish smooth and perfect for the next use.

·     An inexpensive and quick way to fix dry or brittle nails is to use petroleum jelly. Ensure that you carry a small jar everywhere, massaging it into your cuticles and nails as you deem fit.

·     While filing nails, begin with the sides and brush towards the center, using light strokes in the same direction. Please try as much as much as possible to avoid filing nails back and forth, it weakens or breaks the nails.

·     To get glossy and gleaming shine, rub  olive oil over nails.

·     A good hand massage will boost blood  circulation and encourage nail growth.

·     Ensure while cleaning the nails, you  remove all traces of nail polish.

·     Drinks lots of water. If you can,  you could try out carrot juice which  is rich in phosphorus which is beneficial to strengthening the  nails.

·     Applying artificial nails over your own is not usually recommended. They may look nice for a while, but they destroy the underlying nail. The chemicals and glue used are dangerous to the body, and are readily absorbed through the damaged nail and nail bed. The use of artificial nails has been known to contribute to the development of fungal infection of the fingernails.

PICK YOUR NAIL SHAPE

Please find below a diagram of the different nail shapes, and details on how to achieve each one, its pros and cons:

a) Straight sided with a slightly oval tip - Allow the sides to grow straight and slightly round the tip, this shape provides the maximum support for the nail (as this is provided by the sides of the nails), also if either side of the nail is damaged it can be filed into a slightly oval shape to maintain the length.

b) Oval - File to tip of the nail into an egg shape, and file away some of the side of the nails, this does weaken the nails to some extent but is ideally suited to nails that are thick or wide as it gives them a more delicate appearance.

c) Square oval - As above, but followed by squaring off the tip, this gives the nail tip strength over the oval shape

d) Almond - Thought of as the classical nail shape the nail is filed away at the sides and softly pointed at the tip. This shape is not very strong and if the nail is damaged some of the length will have to be filed away to rectify. Although attractive, this shape does not allow nails to grow to their maximum length, if this is what is desired.

e) Round - Ideal for shorter nails, the nail is allowed to grow out straight at the sides for approximately 1.5mm and then the tip is filed into a rounded shape. This is a strong shape which is great for those who keep their nails short.

f) Square - Created by allowing the nail to grow out straight and then filing the tip straight across at right angles with the rest of the nail plate. This is again quite a strong nail shape. Short square shaped nails can make hands look blunt and heavy. This is best for drawing attention to long nails.

g) Square with rounded corners - As above, but followed by rounding off the corners of the nails. A softer look than severely square shaped nails and less likely to catch on clothing etc. This is also very flattering on long nails.

h) Pointed - Nails are filed away at the sides to a point at the tip; this shape is very weak as the sides of the nail (which provide the strength) are totally lost. I don't suggest you to shape your nails like this.  If you want this look get acrylic Stiletto Nails.

**Squoval- (2nd red nail) The squoval nail is essentially a conservative square with the length of a square nail but the softer edges of an oval.  Squoval nails add versatility, enabling short, wide nail beds to carry the length without appearing oversized.

COMMON NAIL PROBLEMS

Brittle or Dry Nails 

Dry skin gets worse in winter or in colder-weather months and so does the condition of some nails. Some get brittle, which is why you have to be careful about soaking them in water with chlorine, soap or detergents. Rubber gloves and warm gloves worn outside in cold weather can help.

White spots

These are caused due to zinc deficiency or excessive intake of sugar. Take lots more seafood and meat as these are rich in zinc and reduce sugar intake.

Discoloration

Cigarettes, hair dyes and even tints sometimes discolor the nails.

Greenish Nails

Greenish nails are usually a result of a localized fungal infection. If you find greenish nails under your nail polish, consult your health care provider as there are treatments for this kind of fungal infection.

Ridges 
Ridges can appear either vertically or horizontally. Horizontal ridges called Beau's lines, can result from severe stress. Some of these ridges are genetic (inherited) and get worse as you age. Vertical lines can indicate poor nutrition, or iron deficiency.

Sometimes your nail looks like it's going to literally lift off from the nail bed. It's scary and could be a sign of psoriasis, a skin disorder. Or it might be because your hands are spending too much time in water, detergents or soaps. If this is caused from having your hands in water too much, you might want to consider wearing rubber gloves when washing dishes or doing house work.

Having said all that, it is left to you to make the extra effort to get and maintain beautiful and well manicured nails, which gives you that extra confidence you need to complete the Diva in you and also totally flaunt your rings *wink*.

……Source: Yemisi Dada – N’sure Beauty