Nail care at home whether you work with nail polish, don’t use nail polish, or just love nude nail polish, having healthy, strong nails has a special power. Healthy nails (and the results of a good manicure too) are one of the less obvious confidence boosters, like a pair of fancy lingerie just to wear nice socks under your boots. Whether nail care is personal care, pleasure, or just routine care, keeping your nails trimmed is a worthwhile investment. And here’s the good news: healthy nails require an investment of time, not money.

The best way to get stronger and longer nails are mostly through simple lifestyle habits rather than expensive nail tools. But having healthy nails also means breaking some bad habits, like using your nails as a built-in pocket knife. For practical and helpful nail tips, we spoke to the experts about the do and don’ts of daily nail care.

Nail Care at Home and How to Strengthen Nails:

1. Hydrate Your Nails:

Moisture is a well-known secret to healthy skin, but it’s often overlooked in nail care. Although dry, brittle nails are the result of many factors, they ultimately need moisture, so consider proper hydration as the foundation of your nail care at-home routine. Pay special attention to your fingernails when applying hand lotion. There are plenty of nail Moisturizers on the market, but applying moisturizers is only half the battle. There’s more to strong nails than a fancy cream or serum.

2. Leave Cuticles Alone:

It is common to cut cuticles, push them back, or try to get rid of them altogether, but cuticles are not the enemy. In fact, the cuticle is “The nail’s natural protective seal,” according to Dermatologists and board-certified nail specialist Dana stern. Playing with your cuticles can do more harm than good, even if a nail technician does the job.

A damaged cuticle can leave nails vulnerable and prone to infection, sternly says. Cosmetic dermatologist Michele Green, MD, agrees that neglected cuticles can have a domino effect. Suggest moisturizing your cuticles with cream or cuticle oil to protect and strengthen your nails.

3. Avoid Contact With Water:

Don’t stop washing your hands or showering with gloves, look for ways to reduce the time your nails are in contact with water because too much contact with water can weaken the nail structure. (Wet hair is especially delicate, and the same careful wet-on-wet approach you take when handling wet nails can be applied to nail care.) for example, consider wearing gloves when washing dishes or cleaning.

Do you know how soft and elastic your nails become after a long bath? Think, “The nail is like a sponge. For example, it absorbs 1000 times more water than the skin, so water can easily get into the nail,” says Dr. Strict. She says that exposure to too much water can put too much pressure on the delicate nail cells (called Onycholysis), which can lead to brittleness, peeling, and breakage.

Therefore, it is a bad practice to get your nails before a manicure. According to Dr. Green, not only makes the nails more susceptible to infection. But also prevents the nail polish from sticking well or lasting as long.

4. Be Kind:

The best nail care is gentle, according to Susan c. Taylor, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and pigmented skin treatment specialist. Initially, Dr. Taylor claims it does not dig under the nails Invasively. For similar reasons, you should resist the urge to use nail care at home routine as a backup tool, however convenient.

(There are plenty of other creative ways to open a box.) and if you’re indulging in an acrylic or gel manicure, which you have to do very carefully, proper removal is key. Dr. “When you exfoliate [acrylic or gel nails], you’re really exfoliating the layers of the nail, the nail plate, and that will weaken the nails, so that’s a no,” Taylor says.

5. Treat Your Nails Like Your Hair:

This is the new golden rule. Hair and nails are both made up of keratin proteins, so it makes sense that many of the same treatment rules apply. Dr. Stern states that hair and nails can become dehydrated and damaged due to Overtreatment. Frequent removal of nail polish, gel, and acrylic is done on the nails. Just like dyes, chemicals, and heat treatment on the hair.

Hydration can help repair hair problems like frizz and split ends, as well as treat dry, brittle nails. There’s no nail care equivalent to second-day hair. But pretending there are strict rules about how to wash, care for and use your nails can help them look their best, just like your hair.

6. Watch the Time:

Winter can be a tough time for skin, hair, and nails. Not only can cool, but dry weather also makes nails more brittle. But Dr. Stern says extreme temperature swings from going outdoors to indoors can cause further damage. Moving from a heated home or office to cool outdoors can cause the nail cells to contract and expand repeatedly, resulting in weakening between the cells, which leads to breakage, he says. It’s smart to always wear gloves in the winter and, you guessed it, moisturize, moisturize, moisturize to protect both the skin on your hands and nails.

7. Think Back to Your Products:

• Nail files: instead of those old frosted boards, which Dr. Stern says “Create tiny tears in the nail that lead to cracking and peeling,” he opts for a glass or crystal nail file.
• Nail polish removal: at best, you’ll avoid nail polish altogether. But since most of us won’t completely give up the joy of a beautiful manicure, it’s best to use acetone removers that contain oils and moisturizing ingredients instead.
• Nail brush: instead of digging under the nails with tools like a file, which Dr. Taylor warns against it, he uses a soft nail brush to scrub away dirt. Or, for a resourceful alternative, he uses an extra toothbrush you have lying around.

8. Be Patient With Nail Growth:

If you are a chronic nail eater, you know the triumph of finally growing fingernails from your fingers. Healthy habits and patience pay off in nail care. But the main focus should be on finding out how to strengthen your nails, not on solving the puzzle of how to make them grow fast. If you struggle with brittle nails and constant breaking, it’s smart to keep your nails clipped short until they regain strength. Then they will have the foundation they need to grow more.