If you have read our previous post about, Healthy Nails Mean A Healthy You, you already know how important nails and their health is for us. Not only they are pretty accurate health indicators, well groomed nails are also confidence boosters. Let’s start by looking at the nail beneath the polish and then move into techniques that can help your nails look like you’ve just been to a marathon beauty session — even though you’ve done them on your own.

#1. Practice Good Nutrition

Like our body, healthy and beautiful nails are the result of good nutrition. Following a balanced diet with a variety of fruits, veggies, whole grains, lean protein, healthy fats and low-fat dairy is the best way to ensure nail growth and health. Especially, protein and iron, a mineral, are important to nail health. For protein sources, you can eat meat, poultry, fish and other sources such as soy, while iron can be found in oysters, lentils and iron-fortified cereals. Along with protein and iron, think about biotin. Biotin, a water soluble B vitamin, may help strengthen nails; Biotin can be found in foods such as eggs, broccoli and fish.

#2. Moisturize Your Hands

While moisturizing is more of a preventive measure against dried out fingers and nails, it’s an integral step to perfectly polished nails. Moisturizing your nails could prevent cracking or breaking. A good practice to keep your hands and fingers moisturized is to lotion after each time your hands come in contact with water, whether you’re cleaning dishes, jumping in the shower or just washing your hands. At home, an occasional massage with an intensive hand moisturizer and an overnight respite in a pair of cotton gloves can hydrate your hands.

#3. Shape Your Nails Accurately

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For a beautiful nails, you need to correctly shape your nails by cutting and filing before applying color. One of the most flattering shapes is a squared-off oval, or squoval. When shaping your nails, start by clipping straight across to a manageable length of about 0.3 centimeters to 0.6 centimeters past the tip of your finger. To achieve the desired shape, file down the nails. Make sure that you file in one direction — the direction the nails grow — to prevent splitting. Just make sure NOT to overdo it, though; the less filing, the better.

#4. Learn To Apply Nail Polish Correctly

How to Apply Nail Polish —powered by eHow.com

#5. Don’t Rush Into Drying It

While you may not want to wait to add several coats of polish, taking it easy for a bit longer while your nails dry can provide a cleaner look. Always apply a base coat for adhesion and to prevent staining of the color onto the nail. Adding a top coat can take more time as well, but its benefits include locking in your polish color and helping to prevent chipping. There are even top coats that come with UV protection to reduce fading or discoloration of the polish. Above all, don’t rush the drying time. All your hard work could be spoiled by starting to use your hands too early, causing you to chip or smudge your polish.

Let’s start with keeping your nails healthy.