I love getting mani-pedis once a month – it’s a treat and although I can paint my nails in between, there’s something about a professional job that is really hard to beat.
They file (which I really dislike!) and do some kind of amazing clippy thing with the cuticles. Then, they buff and polish your nails into these perfect, tiny little candy-looking things. While I completely endorse the professional job (when you can), here’s my tips to keeping your nails delicious-looking in between.
Five tips to maintaining gorgeous nails
1. Keep a hand cream in your handbag.
This is for use any time you wash your hands during the day – I like to keep a stash on my desk. My hands get really dry after the use of harsh soaps and while being in air conditioning for most of the day. I love Crabtree & Evelyn’s Pomegranate, Argan & Grapeseed for the antioxidants and the scent.
2. Keep a nail file at hand
I’m constantly catching my nails on something, and it only takes a couple of days before they start to lose shape or get a small break. I think I mentioned before, I dislike filing my nails but I can manage small doses to maintain the shape. Any time you get a catch or feel things are going awry, it’s great to have a file in your handbag you can whip out to fix the issue before it gets worse. Also – I find that if my nail has a tear it can cause havoc on my skin if I ever dare to scratch it – particularly in my sleep!
3. Keep a stash of high-quality polishes
OPI colours are great, but if you find that after a while your polish becomes too thick and gluggy, thin it out with a dash of nail polish remover directly into the polish, close the lid and shake it up. Works wonders! When you have polishes at home, you can whip them out and redo them in a different shade in between mani-pedis.
4. Any issues with nasty-looking fungal infections, fix ‘em up quick
There’s a bunch of solutions, but your manicurist is not going to love you if you come in with a nail infection. There’s quick fixes though – try a treatment like Excilor for fast results and nip it in the bud before it gets worse.
5. Keep your nails strong with your vitamin intake
It’s best to get your vitamins from food, but if you’re finding that your nails are brittle it could be a sign of vitamin deficiencies and you may need to supplement your diet until you get back on track. If your nails are brittle and weak, and break easily, this may be a sign of iron deficiency. I’d recommend getting a blood test with your GP to ensure you’re not lacking iron in any major way. You can also try a hair and nail supplement – there’s a few on the market, so you could ask at your local chemist.
How do you keep your nails gorgeous?
Note: I partnered with Excilor as the sponsor for this post.
