Who wouldn't yearn for long, healthy nails throughout the year, but especially in the winter when your hands are completely covered and your nails are the only thing left to add glam? Let's look at a few brief hints you should abide by to take good care of your nails this winter.

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1) Never leave your nails naked. When your nails have a coat of armor in the name of base coat, polish, and top coat, they're protected from water. They're also less likely to break and peel because they're protected. Always protect your nails with polish. A naked nail is a sad nail.

2) Take 1 tablespoon of almond and castor oil, mix a little hand cream in it, and now soak your nails in it for about 15-20 minutes. Take your hands out and massage the mixture into your hands. This will nourish and moisturize your nails and hands too.

3) As with everything else, our nails lose a ton of moisture during the winter season, when the temperature begins to drop. Therefore, a lack of moisture can result in dry and brittle nails. So, keep your hands, fingers, and nails moisturized to prevent moisture loss from the cold weather, and safeguard your nails from splitting, peeling, and breaking. Use a good hand cream and make sure to apply a coat of that cream on each nail and massage it well.

4) Humidifiers work wonders for making dry, cold air into warm, moist air. Warm, moist air doesn't suck the life out of your skin, hair, and nails. A drugstore humidifier works fine, and if you don't have one (and don't want to buy one) you can boil a pot of water on the stove for at least some moisture.

5) It's a common practice to cut, push back, or try to get rid of cuticles altogether, but cuticles aren't the enemy. In fact, the cuticle is the nail's natural protective seal. Moisturizing the cuticles with cream or oil helps protect and strengthen your nails.

6) Wear gloves for better nail care, when working with your hands. When you wear gloves, you protect your nails from getting dry and at the same time, keep dirt out of your nails. Doing so can protect your nails from breakage and cold weather.

7) With all that lotion you're applying now, you might find that your polish is chipping more, which leaves little unprotected pieces of the nail. That`s because the oils in the lotion are interrupting your polish bond. Before you paint your nails, make sure to clean them off with rubbing alcohol or nail polish remover. You'll remove the surface oils, but you'll lock in the oils that have been absorbed into your nail, which is what matters. And always start with a base coat and end with a top coat. This protects your nails and seals in your polish.

8) Since you'll be wearing gloves whenever you go outside, plus you`ll be wrangling more scarves and sweaters, it's especially important that your nails are free of ridges and cracks. Most of the ridges and cracks that lead to tears, snags, or breaks are the ones you can`t even see. Filing them gently two to three times per week will make sure those edges stay smooth. This is more important to saving your existing nails and adding new lengths than it sounds.

9) To give your nails the strength to endure the winter season it is really important to have a good diet. Walnuts, chickpeas, dark leafy greens, and avocados bolster nails.

10) A manicure once a fortnight is very essential for an elegant look. But before every manicure, remember to soak your hands in a little warm olive oil for 5 minutes.

11) Brittle and splitting nails are common during winter. Get a pack of gelatine, put 2 tablespoons of it in a glass of water and drink this regularly for strong nails.

12) Do light tapping of your nails on a hard surface, but not too hard.
 


(By Dr Blossom Kochhar, Chairperson Blossom Kochhar Group of Companies)