How to care for clean and healthy hand and foot nails

It is no longer common knowledge that long, dirty nails become a den of germs that can cause disease. So, so that this doesn't happen to you, get to know how to care for nail health here.

Healthy nails

Before knowing what nail care needs to be done, of course you need to recognize how healthy nails are. Look again at the appearance of your fingernails and toes.

Are the colors clean or dull? Does the tip grow unevenly or do you have uneven grooves on the surface? These are all one of the many characteristics of problems with the nails.

Nails are made of a protein called keratin and are produced by the nail matrix at the nail bed, just below the cuticle. Then, healthy nails should have the following characteristics:

strong and not easily broken,
the nail surface is flat and smooth,
looks clean, too
clear nail color, namely clear white at the tip and pink on the nail bed.

If you experience changes in the color, texture, and appearance of your nails, you should check with your doctor because nail health reflects your overall health.

How to care for nails

In order for you to get good nail health, of course you need to know how to care for your nails properly.

1. Keep nails dry

One way to care for healthy nails is to keep them dry. This is because nails and the skin around them are moist and can become easy targets for fungi and bacteria. If left untreated, of course it will cause a fungal infection of the nails.

In addition, nails that are exposed to water for too long can make them break easily. You can keep your nails dry by using gloves.

Gloves can be worn when washing dishes, washing clothes, or being exposed to harsh chemicals.

2. Cut nails as needed

Nail cutting is one of the many treatments that need to be done to maintain healthy nails. However, you need to know how to cut nails properly.

Cutting nails is important so that it looks neat and free of dirt. Even so, this must be done carefully. For example, it is not recommended that you cut the cuticle part of the nail. This can cause ingrown nails (hooks).

In addition, cutting your nails should not be too short, as you can cut your fingers and make trapped dirt difficult to remove.

3. Avoid biting nails

Nail biting is certainly a thing that can damage nail health. This habit that is often done when feeling anxious or boring can cause the texture of the nail to be damaged and make the tip of the nail uneven.

In fact, this habit also makes you susceptible to disease due to the entry of bacteria that sticks to your nails into your mouth. That is why, avoid the habit of biting your nails to stay healthy.

4. Don't wear nail polish too often

Another way to treat nails that you need to pay attention to is not to use nail polish or nail polish too often.

It's okay if you want to decorate your nails with nail polish. However, doing it too often can actually damage your nails due to frequent exposure to chemicals.

One sign of nail damage caused by using nail polish is yellowing of the nails. Therefore, it's best to use nail polish every now and then and choose products with light ingredients.

Also, use acetone-free nail polish remover. The reason is, acetone can damage the color of the nail surface and make it chapped.

5. Consumption of nutritious foods

Nail care to stay healthy and strong will not be complete without eating nutritious foods. What is the relation?

To create strong and healthy nails you need to meet nutritional needs, especially iron. For example, iron deficiency is often associated with nails that break and fall off easily.

If these nutrients are filled, you can certainly have strong and healthy nails.

Apricots, bananas and kiwi

Fruit is known to be beneficial for body health, especially nail health. The vitamin content in it can certainly beautify your nails while doing the treatment manicure while making him healthy.

Some sources of fruit that can be used as food for nails are dried apricots because they are high in vitamin A. In addition, kiwi and banana are good for nail health because they contain vitamin C and vitamin B6.

These three vitamins are believed to strengthen nail growth, so as to produce nails that are not easily brittle

Meat as a source of iron

Iron is a major component of red blood cells. These red blood cells carry oxygen to every cell of the body, including nail cells. Without enough iron, enough oxygen won't get to your cells.

Even though the presence of oxygen is needed to promote healthy nail growth. Lack of iron can cause nails that are not supposed to be, such as wavy nails and tend to be brittle.

That is why humans need iron as a way of caring for nails to stay healthy. You can get iron through food, such as:

red meat, chicken liver, or beef
chicken meat,
seafood, such as fish and squid,
green leafy vegetables, such as kale and spinach, as well
peas.

Other sources of nutrition

Apart from vitamins and iron, of course there are other nutrients that you need to fulfill as a way to beautify your nails, namely:

zinc for complete nail growth (nuts),
protein to increase keratin production (eggs, meat, tofu, and tempeh), as well
magnesium for stronger nails (wheat, almonds, and peanuts).

6. Use oils from natural ingredients

Nail care will not be complete without using natural ingredients. There are a myriad of natural ingredients that you can use as a topical oil to strengthen nails, such as:

Linseed oil

Flaxseed is a natural oil that is believed to be good for nails because it contains omega-3 fatty acids. Flaxseed natural oil is also believed to improve nail cell health by reducing inflammation in the nail bed.

Jojoba oil

The oil, derived from the seed extract of the jojoba plant, contains essential and non-essential fatty acids.

Both have been known to help moisturize nails and increase the strength of the nail bed. You can use it as a way of treating nails by rubbing it directly into the cuticles.

How about taking care of long nails?

Some of you may want to beautify your nails by making them long. Basically, having long or short nails is everyone's preference and doesn't really affect nail health much.

Even so, long nails are more prone to injury, especially when you get used to tapping your nails against the table. As a result, blood clots can occur on the nails and produce black nails.

If you still want to grow your nails, you may want to start with your fingers first. The reason is, the growth of fingernails is much faster than that of toes.

You see, the nails on the fingers grow by about 0.1 mm per day. This means that the fingernails grow as much as 3 mm in a month. This happens because the fingers are used much more frequently than toenails.

As a result, your fingernails grow faster than your toes. In addition, there are also experts who say this phenomenon occurs because the fingernails are closer to the heart. That way, fingernails get better blood circulation.

However, other factors that also affect nail growth, both hands and feet, are: