Fingernails are just another type of skin, but not all nails are created equal. The nails protect the nerve-rich fingertips and tips of the toes from injury. Nails are a substructure of the outer layer of the skin and are composed mainly of keratin, a type of protein. Nails grow at the rate of about 0.05 to 1.2 millimeters per week. The nail bed is the skin on the top of which the nail grows. Healthy nail beds are pink to dark pink, which show a rich blood supply.

Fair skinned people have pinkish nails, while other people have brown or black ones. But one thing is sure: Nails often tell a story. The nails can reveal a lot about the body’s internal health. Healthy nails are often a sign of good health, while bad nails are often a tip off to more serious problems. A high protein diet can help your nails grow stronger and healthier.

Common Nail Problems:

Brittle Nails
These often occur from iron deficiency, circulation problems and other problems of the body’s endocrine system.

Discoloration
Cigarettes, hair dyes and even tints sometimes discolor the nails.

Dry nails
Dry skin gets worse in winter or in colder-weather months and so does the condition of some nails. Some get brittle, which is why you have to be careful about soaking them in water with chlorine, soap or detergents. Rubber gloves and warm gloves worn outside in cold weather can help. White spots. Don’t believe what you hear. You probably don’t have a mineral or calcium deficiency. White spots usually develop because you’ve hit your nails against something.

Greenish Nails
Greenish nails are usually a result of a localized fungal infection. If you find greenish nails under your nail polish, consult your health care provider as there are treatments for this kind of fungal infection.

Ridges
Ridges can appear either vertically or horizontally. Horizontal ridges called Beau’s lines, can result from severe stress. Some of these ridges are genetic — they’re inherited — and get worse as you age. Vertical lines can indicate poor nutrition, or iron deficiency.

Sometimes your nail looks like it’s going to literally lift off from the nail bed. It’s scary and could be a sign of psoriasis, a skin disorder. Or it might be because your hands are spending too much time in water, detergents or soaps. If this is caused from having your hands in water too much, you might want to consider wearing rubber gloves when washing dishes or doing house work.

Tips For Healthy Nails

To help keep you nails healthy, read the following tips:

• Use nail polish remover with caution. It can dry the nails and your cuticles. Try not to repair nail enamel every day.
• Watch out for signs of nail infection, including redness, pain or pus. The nail plates are porous and dry quickly. Nail polishes waterproof the nails and cause the skin under them to stay wet longer. This makes them more open to infection.
• Be careful of some nail products. Some can cause rashes on the fingers or around the eyes since buffing or filing can cause small particles to enter the air. Some of the more damaging products are in nail hardeners.
• We don’t recommend applying artificial nails over your own. They may look nice for a while, but they destroy the underlying nail. The chemicals and glue used are dangerous to the body, and are readily absorbed through the damaged nail and nail bed. The use of artificial nails has been known to contribute to the development of fungal infection of the fingernails.

“Doing” Your Nails – How to Give Yourself a Manicure

 You will enjoy having nails that look well cared for. Nice looking nails can be an accessory to any outfit. As you know nail polish comes in about a million colors glossy or metallic, with or without glitter. Nail polish can be a fun way to express your personality.

Storing nail polish in the fridge extends its shelf life (when polish is exposed to heat, it thickens and gets hard to apply). Be careful, food and chemicals don’t mix! To avoid contaminating Mom’s favorite leftovers, store polish in a plastic container before chilling. When you’re ready to do your nails, rub the bottle gently between your palms to warm it up. Don’t shake it, shaking mixes air into the polish and causes bubbles.

• Use a fine emery board to shape your nails. Working in one direction only, file from the sides to the center. See nail shapes below.
• Give your finger tips a soaking in warm soapy water, so the cuticles will soften up. Then dry your fingers.
• Push cuticles down with an orange stick.
• Buff the nails with a nail buffer from the tip to the cuticle.
• Rub some hand cream into your hands and nails. Make sure it is removed from your nails before you polish them. This will condition your nails.
• When you polish your nails, use a base coat of clear, two – three coats of polish and a top coat of clear or “top coat” that you should apply every 4 days to keep your polish from chipping and lasting longer.

Pick Your Nail Shape

Sharp-corner Square
Totally trendy now, trends change, but these nails always looks good. This shape looks great with short nails and on longer ones too.

Long & Oval
These nails look glamorous but break easily and make typing more difficult.

Rounded & Short
Good for the active gal who hates to fuss. A low maintenance manicure.

For more on toenails or how to give yourself a pedicure, see “Happy Feet!”