Caring for your Fingernails

Your hands and nails are a reflection of your well- being, revealing your age, the kind of work you do, even your self-esteem or nervousness.

Like your hair, nails are primarily composed of keratin, a fibrous, porous protein, whose cells stretch when nails are exposed to water. Constant wetting makes nails soft and opaque, and chemical detergents and varnish removers decrease levels of moisture in the nail. All this leads to swelling and shrinkage of keratin cells, and the bonds that hold together the nail weaken, causing brittleness.

Though nails are lifeless, the nail matrix - the `womb' of the nail, from which it grows - is richly supplied with blood capillaries and nerve endings. The half moon or lunala separates the living nail, which is below the cuticle, from the nail you can see.

Each fingernail grows about an half inch every three months, and toenails about a third of that rate. Growth varies with individuals, however, and is said to vary between winter and summer.

Are you a nail biter?

It takes a tremendous effort to stop, so:

• Be determined. Try bribing yourself.
• Keep an emery board handy in case of nail snags, so your teeth do not get to them first!
• Start by allowing one nail to grow and take pride in it. Then grow a second.
• Apply a bitter-tasting nail-biting deterrent.

How to handle a manicure

A regular home manicure need not take too long, but it can make all the difference to the condition. and looks of hands and nails.

Remove old polish with varnish remover and cotton wool. Apply the pad, and soaked in remover, to the nail for a second or two and how to softening before swabbing off thoroughly.

Use a fine emery board to shape the nails into rounded ovals, filing from side to centre in one direction only. See-sawing leads to rough edges. Do not file nails too far down at the sides.

To soak or not to soak? Although manicurists in salons often do, the new thinking is don't; soap and water may soften the cuticles but can be a cause of brittle nails. Apply cuticle remover all round the nail and gently push down the cuticles with a rubber-tipped hoof stick, a cotton bud, or cotton wool wrapped round an orange stick.

• Clean under the nails, too. Wash off cuticle remover.
• Apply cuticle cream and massage round the nails thoroughly.
• Swab the nails with nail-varnish remover to take away any grease.
• Apply a base coat to fill in ridges and give a smoother surface.
• Apply nail varnish, at least two coats.
• Seal with a top coat of colorless varnish for a longer-lasting shine.

Too much varnish remover can make nails brittle. So top up when you can, rather than stripping off old varnish and starting again.

Kitchen chemicals, such as detergents, are bad for nails because they strip away natural oils. Apply a barrier cream for dirty, wet jobs, or use rubber gloves.

Always keep hand cream available in kitchen and bathroom and rub it in frequently.

Learn more about Surfing Fitness and Surfing Skincare