Nails are made of keratin, which is a protein building block of the body. It is found in hair and skin. Nails are a protective surface to help the ends of the fingers and toes from becoming damaged from trauma.

But over the last 100 years nails have become a part of beauty treatments for women. Even men receive manicures, and much less often pedicures.

Nail care recommendations help to preserve the health of the nails while at the same time showing off their beauty.

Basic nail care should be done at least once weekly. Especially if you have a good vitamin and mineral intake your nails will grow fairly quickly. Keeping your nails long, healthy and beautiful doesn’t require a weekly trip to the manicurist. Once every 6-8 weeks you may want to treat yourself to a complete manicure during which your cuticles and nails will be pampered.

Your nails are a good indication of your overall health. You nails take several weeks to grow completely out from cuticle to the end of your finger. During that time the nail is attached to the finger but is actually dead tissue. The nutrients that went into the formation of those cells happened weeks ago when they were still within the nail bed.

Making changes to your diet and vitamin intake will make a difference to the health of your nails, but like the rest of your body, it takes several weeks to see a difference to the health of the new cells being developed.

Take a good look at the nails and nail beds. Are the nails ridged, white, splitting or yellow? These are good indications that you may have a vitamin deficiency or a nail fungal infection.

Basic nail care recommendations begin with clean hands and nails. A good hand scrub is a wonderful addition to your weekly routine. A simple solution of sea salt and olive oil mixed with a drop of your favorite oil essence scrubbed over your hands for a minute and then washed with warm water will leave your hands feeling soft and supple. Finish off with a light moisturizer. This will give your healthy well-manicured nails a wonderful backdrop against which to shine.

Use a nailbrush several times a week to clean out the daily grime and dirt that accumulates over the day. Especially if you keep your nails long this dirt and grit will detract from any shaping or buffing you may have done.

Trim your nails each week to the same length using an emery board to buff any jagged edges. Use the board in the same direction. Don’t use a sawing motion because it tends to weaken the nail. If your nails are different lengths you have a greater chance to break one of the longer ones and it presents an unkempt appearance to those who notice your manicured nails. This isn’t the appearance you are aiming for.

Apply hand cream each day to keep your hands soft and smooth. Don’t forget to use sunscreen daily to protect your hands from sun damage. Your hands receive UVA and UVB rays through the windshield every time you are in the car, or sitting next to the window in the house or even UVB light when you are under fluorescent lighting.

Don’t bite your nails! All this time and effort shouldn’t be wasted on nails that are chewed to the quick. Nail biting is a bad habit that isn’t well received by many people, especially those you are trying to impress such as the new guy, the kids soccer coach, the boss or just your friends and relatives who love you.

Nail care recommendations are not time consuming or complicated to keep your nails clean, dry, free of infections and looking healthy. And looking healthy is looking beautiful!

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Use Nail-Rx to treat fungal infections of the nail; to treat flakiness and discoloration of the nail; to encourage healing and healthy nail growth; to prevent recurrence of nail infections and to treat pain, discomfort and redness around the nail. Formulated by a clinical psychologist, Nail-Rx is pharmaceutically manufactured to the highest standards.