One of the most unseemly grooming bloopers would have to be unkempt nails – nails with chipped polish, frayed edges and scruffy looking cuticles. Your hands are among the most visible and noticed parts of the body and you owe it to yourself to have them looking as attractive as possible.
Applying a clear top coat can help you prolong the life of your nail polish. In fact reapplying a top coat every other day will significantly increase the length of time your nail polish will remain intact. However if you cannot be bothered to do all this, keep the following in mind to keep your hands looking attractive and presentable:
Maintain nail health
Healthy nails are stronger and resistant to chipping, cracking and other damage. Eat a healthy, nutrient rich diet not only for healthy nails but also for healthier skin and hair. So when you don’t have polish on, use petroleum jelly on the nails to nourish them and make them tougher.
Then when you’re ready to apply nail polish ensure that your nails are very clean – some experts recommend using nail polish remover to cleanup surface oils even if you’re not wearing polish.
In the interests of good nail health you should periodically leave your nails bare and unpolished. Constantly putting nail color on the nails may discolor nails.
Call in the experts
Even if you’re used to doing your own manicure, consider getting the job done professionally sometimes. They use professional quality products and techniques that will help your nails look more attractive for longer.
Protect nails from water
The one thing that does the most damage to your nails is water. So when you’re washing up or cleaning up, use gloves religiously – this will help protect your nails from softening which leads to cracking and breaking; and will also help protect the sheen of your nail polish.
Use a base coat
Many experts recommend that you use a base coat on the nails first before applying the nail polish on top. This helps the nail polish stay on better.
Maintain your nail polish
As your nails grow, that unseemly line will appear where the nails grow further and further away from the line of the cuticles. Don’t ignore that because it makes your nails look really unkempt. Rather than chipped polish or nails that have outgrown the polish, remove the polish altogether and repeat the exercise of re-polishing.
