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What do you do to keep your nails healthy?

What do you do to keep your nails healthy? Share your routine!

I trim with nail clippers or file with a glass file, but otherwise, I don’t do much.

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46 Comments

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Janet Avatar

I just cut and file them, although I’m on the lookout for a good, cheap nail strengthener because my nails are very weak and always peel and break. 🙁

Kimber Y. Avatar

I use a glass file and always use Nailtek Foundation 2 base coat when I wear polish. I started using Burt’s Bees Lemon Butter cuticle cream recently and it’s doing wonders!

AnieJ Avatar

I’ve picked my nails since I can remember, so about four weeks ago I made a promise to myself that with a lot of the downtime I have after just moving, I would stop…finally. And I did thanks to A LOT of attention to my nails. I cut them short so I could start making them strong, filed, cleaned, etc, then I use Sally Hansen’s Grow Nails now. It rubs in and makes me feel like I’m using a mask on my cuticles or something (though it’s more serum-y). Then it’s the usual base coat, polish, top coat, but it’s the bit about actually giving my nails vitamins or even just positive attention that’s making the difference.

Mary Avatar

I trim and file my nails weekly and use CND cuticle cream to clean around my nails. Then CND cuticle oil. And frequently (at least 3 times a day) apply a good hand and nail cream. I work with my hands a lot and wear a lot of latex gloves so I try and take good care of my nails the best I can.

Renally Avatar

I DON´T cut the cuticles… it´s really bad for the nails and the skin
I DO use lemony flutter by Lush every saingle day , so the cuticles are softer and the nails grow beautiful
I DO EAT properly, to feed my nails and body
I use Sally Hansen Nail Miracle (the blue one) to fortify and prevent from chipping
I always paint my nails and do my own manicure spa with my own scissors , etc.. to prevent getting any “fungus” or something like that
I always always always have them well done… there´s nothing more disgusting for me to see dirty , crappy nails without any polish at all (even a fortifying base coat, for “Godsake”)

Jennie Avatar

You know those stupid kiosks at the mall? Well, I got suckered into buying the Seacret nail set (buffer, file, cuticle oil, lotion) when I was on my way to the MAC store. It’s supposed to have Dead Sea minerals in it to make it work better. I’ve got to admit it does make my nails look nice & shiny, but I probably could have gotten everything for cheaper at Sally’s.

Emily Avatar

haha meee too! Some exact thing. But the nail buffer and the file that it comes with are both amazing, and eveything smells good, so I’m happy(:

Ru Avatar

LOL I too got suckered (the guy came down on the price quite a bit). I really love the cuticle oil even though it only works temporarily. I like the buffer- the effect of the shiny nails was worth the suckering 🙂

Sarah Avatar

I use a nail clipper and a glass or sand(?) file. And I always use microcell 2000 as a basecoat because my nails are so brittle. Now they don’t peel off anymore.

Antoinette Jackson Avatar

Please Please!!!
Where do you get this Microcell 2000 a nail repair polish for soft and split nails? I’ve been looking all over even online and can not find it. Can you please tell me where I can get it?
I live on the Big Island of Hawai’i Thank you, Antoinette Jackson 15-159 North Puni Paka Loop Pahoa, Hawaii 96778

kristina Avatar

I have extremly fragile nails, so I do have to take good care of them. I just got a set from Trind which is a Nail Balsam and a Nail Repair. I higly recommend this to anyone with fragile and soft nails like myself! What you do is apply the balsam on the nails, let is soak and then rub it in and then apply the nail repair which has formalehyd. It is really important that the balsam covers the skin around the nail because of that. This has to be done daily (!) for atleast two weeks, but it is a life saver!

Marjan Avatar

I’ve just started using the Trind Pefect System. My nails feel a lot softer and stronger and I feel more groomed overall. This is the first time I’m taking care of my nails and I like the results.

I’m on the lookout for a nice nail file and a good nailpolish remover. I’m using Herome’s Caring Nail Polish Remover at the moment, but it feels a little drying. If anyone knows a nice nail polish remover that’s not too expensive, I’m all ears =P I would get the Zoya one, because Christine raves about it, but I can’t get it in Belgium.

Cindy Avatar

For those of us who have nails as dry as our skin, cuticle oil can be used all over the nail plate, not just on the cuticles. So much of hair, skin and nails comes down to moisturizing the right way for your body.

ali Avatar

i have really thick fingernails, which are a pain in the butt because its so hard to clip them, so i just try to file them down as much as i can..

Rebecca Avatar

I’ve made a resolution to use a nail oil throughout the day as much as possible. I’ve been using sally hansen diamond strength. I read it will help my dry nails from peeling. They are also badly ridged. I’ve been using it constantly for 2 weeks. Hopefully it will make a difference.

Pat Avatar

I do professional manicure once a week and use moisturizer on my hands (cuticles included) daily. I try to remove the nail polish one day or two before returning to allow the nails “to breathe” and to be moisturized too. From time to time, I use a vitamin complex of FDC called “vitamin for your Hair”, which considerably improves the health and appearance of nails and hair.

Laura Avatar

I use a cuticle oil with olive oil for my cuticles, apply some hand cream that works on nails, use sometimes a buffer and finally a nail strengthener (Diamond Strength by Sally Hansen) 🙂

Arantzazu Avatar

I let them rest with nothing on for a week or so, every month and a half (more or less).
And everyday, I moisturize my hand and nails.
Very simple =)

Miss Silver Avatar

Eat as much healthy food as possible, and keep a bottle of hand lotion that’s not too greasy nearby and apply as often as needed. 😀

AnGeLwInGz Avatar

My nails have never gone a day without polish, but when I remove it in between color changes they look pretty healthy. You’d think that lack of oxygen would make them brittle. IDK… O.P.I. base coat and a calcium rich diet?

Voly Avatar

A Nail is a protein, so it’s not alive (at least when it grows out where you can see it), so it doesn’t need oxygen. The nail bed gets it’s oxygen from blood (getting it through the nail by diffusion would be awfully ineffective anyway), so it doesn’t care what’s on the nail.

Ever since I started wearing nail polish without a break, my brittle and peeling nails mostly stopped breaking. I still have tips peeling occasionally, that’s just how my nails are, but thanks to glass nail file (thank you NB) that was reduced significantly, and since I wear my nail polish thick, it really reinforces even thinned nails.

Voly Avatar

It’s literally nail file made of glass. You can find one in most beauty stores. It smooths nail edge better than even paper file, works quicker, and lasts forever (or until you step on it). Personally I don’t really like Sephora one, I find its grain too coarse.
I do recommend Essie glass nail file.

Sharron Avatar

I recently started taking Biotin (which is also doing wonders for my complexion), and using Zoya polishes and Qtica’s Natural Nail Growth Stimulator.

Rengirl Avatar

Frequent application of Burt’s Bees Lemon Cuticle Butter. My nails have become so much stronger since I started caring for my cuticles. I also put a drop of olive oil on my cuticles after completing my manicure.

Ter aka bobbysgeel Avatar

Solar oil,file never clip nails,file in one direction,hand cream for nails,non-acetone polish remover & manicures with olive oil 🙂

leesie Avatar

I use Vaseline Healthy Hand and Nail hand lotion and use a nail buffer. I also use a base coat and nail polish remover that are supposed to help keep my nails healthy.

Ru Avatar

I try to file them only after I cut them (which is not very often because they grow quite long) or right before I’m about to paint them. I buff them smooth before I do my nails (once every few weeks). I try to put cuticle oil on atleast once a week. I put on hand lotion often.

Courtney Avatar

I use a glass file and keep them painted as much as possible, especially with OPI Nail Envy to help keep them strong and prevent breaking.

lisanne Avatar

I always had splitting nails, then when I started to moisturize them with Dream Cream of Lemony Flutter, they didn’t split that much. So that really works for me. When I take off my polish I apply some cream and that evening when I go to bed I apply soms more and it seems to work wonders for my nails. They are less brittle and don’t break off that easily anymore. I use a nailfile to make them shorter.

Aloix Avatar

Nothing?
I keep mine short, I can’t stand the feeling of having nails (feels dirty). I cut all the white bits off approx. once a week with clippers and then smooth rough edges with a file.
Even though I keep them as short as possible I’m still a nail polish junkie, I almost always wear polish and change colors 1-3x a week.

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