1. Protect Your Nails with Gloves in the Water

If you wash your hands frequently throughout the day, your nails may be brittle and prone to breakage. Whether it’s because you wash a lot of dishes or you take care of kids and need to suds up often, wear gloves to prevent water from saturating your nails. This simple step keeps them from becoming waterlogged, which helps promote healthy and strong nails.

2. Keep Your Nails Trimmed and Filed

This promotes healthy growth so that your nails don’t get weird shaped or full of dents and ridges. The experts recommend using sharp nail clippers to trim your nails straight across. Then file your nails into a curved shape to prevent ingrown nails. Easy, right?

3. Apply a Nail Hardener on a Regular Basis

A nail hardener helps add strength to your nails and keeps thin, brittle nails from breaking and becoming damaged. All you have to do is brush the nail hardener on your nails according to the package directions and you’ll probably notice positive results in no time. You can find nail hardeners at any drugstore or cosmetics store.

4. Moisturize Your Nails when You Moisturize Your Hands

Anytime you rub lotion into your hands, make sure you also massage some into your nails. Pay attention to your cuticles too. Moisturizer hydrates your nails and the skin around them, which combats conditions that arise due to dryness. That includes cracked and brittle nails. Lotion also helps strengthen your nails due to the ingredients it contains.

5. Talk to Your Doctor about a Biotin Supplement

Biotin is a nutrient that research has linked to stronger, healthier nails. Because it’s not abundant in a wide range of foods, experts suggest taking a biotin supplement to fill any gaps in your diet. The dosage will depend on your health status and size, but most people can see positive results by taking 2.5 milligrams of biotin daily. Don’t start taking it before you talk to your doctor, especially if you are on any other supplements or medications.

6. Limit How Often You Wear Fake Nails

Fake nails can really do a number on your real nails. They seal it from the air and make it hard for your natural nails to breathe. Also, when fake nails are removed, they take the top few layers of your real nail with them, leaving them damaged and broken. I know that fake nails can be easier to care for and they look good, but save your natural nails by not wearing them.

7. Switch to Non-Acetone Nail Polish Products

The nail product that most commonly contains acetone is nail polish remover. However, you can buy it without and it’s much better for your nails. The cost is the same, but you’ll love how much better your nails look when you stop putting acetone on them.

How do you care for your nails? Will you be adding any of these steps to your routine?