Healthy Nails: Learn the Basics & Do It At Home!

It's Time to Give Your Nails Some TLC

Healthy nails are a great indicator of your self care routine. Not only do they show people you know how to present yourself well, they also keep your internal health balanced.

Nails are like tiny shields that protect the most sensitive part of our bodies, our fingers, and toes. We are constantly using our hands and feet to do anything and everything. We are also constantly touching our face, nose, or eyes, eating or scratching an itch on our body using our fingers.

Not only that, but nails are also important indicators of our overall health. Many health conditions first show their early signs on our nails. If our nails are healthy, we can detect them early on and get them treated promptly. Nails play an equally important role as our fingers, but more often than not, we end up neglecting our nails.

Here’s why healthy nails are important and deserve some tender love and care:

Healthy Nails, Healthy Body

Our fingers are in ongoing communication with our brain. A huge network of nerve endings connects our fingers with our brains. We touch many things during the day that can transfer a lot of germs and bacteria to our fingers. These germs can cause many fungal infections that can spread in touch and infect other parts of our body as well. We also use the same fingers to eat and due to that germs may find a way inside our body too, leading to serious health issues. Therefore, not only is it important to trim the nails regularly but also it is important to maintain the health and hygiene of the nails.

Cosmetic Conditions

Regular nail care also prevents many painful fungal nail infections, as well as the dreaded ingrown finger and toenails. Both, fungal infections in the nail and ingrown finger and toenails can cause the formation of pus in the nail bed and the cuticles surrounding the nails, which if not treated on time can snowball into bigger issues. Proper and prompt nail care is even more important for people with blood sugar. Infections and small cuts and bruises, especially on the feet can prove to be very dangerous. Those with diabetes should seek regular, expert nail care by their doctors.

Presentation Matters

Taking time out to care for your nails by getting regular manicures and pedicures at the salon or even at home is an act of self-care and a positive step towards self-love. Getting your hands and legs massaged, nails cut, shaped, and cared for is almost therapeutic and helps you relax, rejuvenate, and recharge. When you cut, shape, paint, and care for your nails, they not only look good but also make the person look more presentable. Not just other people, even we notice our hands and nails so many times throughout the day. When you have well-groomed nails, or just clean well kept nails, it feels pretty great. Changing the color of your nail paint can instantly uplift the mood. It is a simple joy of life that instantly brightens gloomy days.

So, to gain healthy nails, just remember:

Keep Clean

Wear kitchen gloves while washing dishes, while handling any harsh chemicals or while gardening. Dish soap can cause discoloration of the nails and harsh chemicals can weaken the nails, making them brittle and prone to chipping. Gardening, again, can cause dirt to deposit under the nails that can cause infection. While cleaning, cutting, and shaping the nails regularly is important, it is also necessary to give the nails a break from nail polish. Nail paints contain many chemicals that, upon prolonged application lead to yellowing of the nails and lead to damage.

Hydration, Hydration, Hydration

If you have a brittle nail that is prone to chipping, splitting and peeling, make it a habit to hydrate your nails with a good hand cream or moisturizing cuticle oil. If you do not want to spend on cuticle oil, just use coconut or almond oil to hydrate your nails and cuticles. It will significantly improve nail health.

And, if you can’t go to the parlour, just DIY it

To maintain regular nail care and enjoy clean and kempt nails you do not have to dish out your hard-earned money to a fancy salon. You can enjoy a session of manicure and pedicure at home with a basic mani-pedi kit, some hot water, and nail lacquer of your favorite color.

Just dip your hands and feet in hot water for about 10-15 minutes to soften your nails and cuticles. You can also use mild soap in this step. After soaking your feet, cut and shape your nails while they are still soft. With a cuticle pusher push the excess skin back and remove it using a cuticle remover. Once you are happy with the shape and size of your nails, go ahead and paint your nails in the color of your choice and voila! Beautiful, clean, and healthy nails at home!

Just like skincare, healthcare, and oral care, nail care is vital for a healthy body and a healthy life. Nail care can seem quite tedious, but the results are worth the effort. Make it a part of your self-care routine and see your nails transform from weak, brittle, and dirty to strong, healthy, and hygienic.

Sarah Mitchell, RD, LDN

Sarah Mitchell is a Registered Dietitian and Licensed Dietitian Nutritionist (RD, LDN) based in Austin, Texas, with over 12 years of experience in women's health nutrition. She earned her B.S. in Dietetics from the University of Texas at Austin and completed her clinical dietetic internship at St. David's Medical Center. Sarah specializes in hormonal health, PCOS management, and weight-neutral approaches to nutrition for women in their 30s and 40s. She spent seven years as a clinical dietitian at a women's health clinic before transitioning to private practice and health writing, where she focuses on making evidence-based nutrition accessible to everyday women. Her work has been featured in Everyday Health, Women's Health Magazine, and Healthline. She is a member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the Women's Health Dietetic Practice Group. All nutrition-related articles on Living Healthy Life are reviewed by Sarah to ensure accuracy and clinical integrity.