It can be fun to decorate your nails with different polishes, designs, and long acrylic artificial nails, but to do them, it is essential to have healthy nails. Have you ever wondered what makes healthy and unhealthy nails.

Beyond aesthetics, healthy nails are an indicator of good health. Some of them talk about vitality and wellness while others feel distressed. So let’s shed some light on what healthy nails mean and the signs of unhealthy nails.

Healthy Nails

How do Healthy Nails Look like?

 Healthy nails are not only aesthetically pleasing, but they can also perform much better than unhealthy nails.

Appearance

• Smooth Texture: Healthy nails have a smooth texture, without any ridges and pits. Nail ridges are white lines across the nail, while the pits are small dents. Vertical ridges run from the base of the nail to the tips and are generally harmless as they indicate signs of aging. Horizontal ridges run from one side to the other of the nail and are signs of concern as they indicate underlying illness or stress.

• Pinkish color:  Healthy nails have a natural rosy pink color they get from the nail tissue underneath the Nail Plate(the topmost and the hardest part of the nail). The pink color of the Nail Bed (part of the nail beneath the nail plate ) indicates healthy nail tissue and reflects the status of blood circulation.

• Healthy Cuticles: Cuticles are a thin layer of clear dead skin that grows at the base of the nail. They play an important role in keeping nails healthy as they act as a protective barrier between the skin and the nail. If they have been damaged like picking, cutting, and pushing back, it will lead to nail infection. So remember to take care of it by moisturizing, wearing gloves while doing household things, and don’t disturb it during a manicure.

• Healthy Nail folds: The skin around the nail is Nail Fold and it should be smooth with a similar color to the overall skin. It gives support to the nail and protects it from bacteria, and viruses. When damaged, it can lead to injury and infection.

• Don’t Break Easily:  Everyone has different nails, some have long and thick nails while others have thin and brittle nails, but healthy nails are strong enough that they don’t break easily. Some reasons lead to brittle nails like aging, more use of harsh chemicals, and low iron levels.

Unhealthy Nails

How Do Unhealthy Nails Look Like?

Nails are a good indicator of issues happening in the body, which is why we have to pay close attention to any noticeable changes.

Appearance

• Discoloration: Unhealthy nails have unusual color. Anything other than a pinkish color indicates underlying health issues. Different colors of nails or different streaks tell us about different problems.

• Brittleness: Brittle nails are rough, uneven, and breaks easily. It can be caused by fungal or bacterial infection, nutritional or vitamin deficiency, inflammatory conditions, or simply aging. Too wet or too dry fingernails also lead to brittleness.

• Peeling: If the nails are soft, they start to peel off layer by layer. This is due to excessive exposure to harmful chemicals, too much gel or acrylic manicure, over-buffing nails, and removing nail polish by picking it rather than using nail remover.

• Separation From Nail Bed: A nail separates from its nail bed due to infection or injury. Some other causes include the reaction to a medicine or products like hardeners, and adhesives. It can be treated by cutting the separated nail as it grows out.

• Ridges: Ridges are the visible lines in the nail. It can be vertically or horizontally across the nail. The causes of vertical or longitudinal ridges are not generally harmful as most cases it is related to aging. Horizontal ridges are due to Beau’s line and it happens when something interrupts the nail growth. It can be caused by using artificial, or gel manicures for a longer time.

How To Keep And Maintain Healthy Nails

Nails may be a small part of our body, and we often overlook them. But once it begins to hurt or show some changes, concerns set in. so it’s important to pay attention to them and dedicate some time to tasks like shaping, trimming, and moisturizing. Everyone should have a nail care kit and every kit should include the following:

• A Nail Filler
• A Nail Buffer
• A Nail Clipper/Scissor
• Cuticle Pusher
• A Nail Polish Remover
• Moisturizing Cream/Oil

Maintaining your nails can be easy if you know how to do it.

• Cut Your Nails: Do you think you know how to cut your nails properly? Well, there might be some mistakes you’re making. Dr. Sweta Rai, a top dermatologist, suggests starting by soaking your nails in warm water to make them softer. Then, use a nail clipper to cut your fingernails in a curve (toenails should be cut straight). Don’t cut your cuticles too much because they protect you from infections. After you’re done, put some oil on your cuticles and use hand cream to moisturize your hands.

• Shape Your Nails: When it’s time to shape your nails, you might feel like using clippers, but hold back and opt for a nail filer and buffing block, instead. These tools allow you to delicately shape your nails into the exact style you like. Follow this to file your nails into oval, almond, square, round, or any other shapes.

• Remove Nail Polish: Removing nail polish is easy, thanks to various products designed for gentle removal available in the market. No need to rely on harsh acetone anymore! Just soak a cotton pad or ball in acetone-free nail polish remover and carefully swipe it across your nails, making sure to get into the edges. After removing the polish, give your cuticles and nails a nice massage with olive oil or any nail oil.