We put a lot of emphasis on cleanliness and hygiene, but one area a lot of us overlook while tidying ourselves up is our nails. While we remember to trim our nails every week or two that is where nail care ends for most of us.

Shrijana Aryal, beautician at Shrijana Beauty Parlor in New Baneshwor, Kathmandu, mentions that this isn’t enough to keep our nails shiny and healthy. She shares a few tips to help you take better care of your nails.

Manicure is a must
To have strong, clean, and pretty nails in general, you have to get a manicure every two to three weeks. Although a professional nail technician or a beautician will give your nails a clean finish, if going to a nail (or beauty) salon sounds too much of a hassle then you can always do it on your own. 

Start by removing any polish you might have on your nails. Then, fill a big bowl with warm water and add a pinch of salt. Soak the tip of your fingers into the warm salt water for about 15 minutes. If your nails are especially dirty then add a teaspoon of hydrogen peroxide before soaking your fingers in it. Look for any lingering dirt in your nails after taking it out of the warm water and clean them using a nail brush. Then trim and file your nails and the dead skin cells around them. 

Home remedy
If you do a simple Google search, then you will find a lot of websites giving out their own home remedies for stronger and healthier nails. But most of these so called remedies are not legitimate and don’t work at all. One remedy that definitely works to strengthen your nails is rubbing garlic cloves on them. You can cut a garlic clove into two and immediately rub it into your nails or mince it and apply it gently over your nails. Both of these techniques work. Wash your nails thoroughly after 15 minutes. Make sure you wash your hands properly though because the garlic leaves a strong odor that might linger in your nails for a long time. 

Apple cider vinegar and baking soda are known to whiten your nails too. Add them (separately and on different occasions) to warm water and dip your nails into the solution. In 15 minutes, you will have clean and white nails.

Clean up around your nails
It’s not just your nails that get dirty and look neglected. The skin around your nails also suffer the same fate. So make sure you clean and take care of that too. Scrub this area once every week to avoid calluses and bumps from forming. You can also dip your hands in warm water with a few drops of lemon juice squeezed into it. This washes away dead cells from your skin and prevents it from drying out or hardening. Soak your hands in the lemon water for about 15 minutes everyday.

Make sure you moisturize your nails – and the skin around it – daily too. Various cuticle oils are easily available in the market these days. Pick one and lightly massage that gently onto the cuticles. Doing this regularly makes the nails healthy and they also grow faster. Aryal also suggests applying a generous amount of lotion or hand cream on your hands as this also moisturizes your nails and keep them looking good.  

 
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