Tips to Help Grow and Care for Fingernails

While not a 'girly-girl', I do have a few vices when it comes to beauty. My two biggest vanities are my hair, which is long enough I sit on it, full, thick, and properly wavy - not to mention a nice auburn red. The second vanity I currently have is my fingernails. They are long, manicured, and very pretty.

I don't say this actually to be vain, because the truth is, I work very hard at keeping them healthy and presentable. I do tend to go through spells where I don't do much to my nails, and a few years back, I used to go every week for a manicure and polish change, but here recently, I've just been too busy and preoccupied to do that.

So I decided to take matters into my own hands, so to speak, and see what I could learn about caring for my own nails, without expensive manicures and treatements.

This article will fill you in on the tips I've found that work for me and provided me with the fabulous fingernails I now have.

Plop-plop, Fizz-Fizz

Did you know that Alka-seltzer is wonderful for your cuticles and nails? I didn't either until I actually saw a friend of mine, at a nail salon, popping two of the Alka-seltzer tablets in a dish and soaking her nails in them.

Apparently, the fizz and baking soda helps soften and smooth jagged cuticles, making them easier to push back and shape. Be sure to use warm water and soak for at least two minutes, then brush or buff the nail and cuticle lightly with a soft bristled toothbrush or nail brush, then shape your cuticles like you would normally.

Push - Don't Cut

Be sure when shaping your cuticles that you push the cuticle back instead of cutting it. The only time you will need to cut a cuticle is if you have a hangnailed cuticle, that is, a cuticle where a piece of the cuticle has broken off and is sticking up or out from the nail bed.

When this happens, cut only as far back as necessary to remove the hanging part of the cuticle, but do not cut the cuticle itself. This can lead to serious infection, pain, bleeding, and also slow down nail growth.

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