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Natural nail treatment
Nail damage can happen for any number of reasons. Cold weather can weaken nails, as can improper removal of gel manicures. And if you bite your nails, you could be impeding future growth and harming your nail bed. Enter: nail strengthener, which is vital in bringing life back to your nails. And luckily, nail strengtheners are fairly easy to DIY with products you might already have in your pantry.
Benefits of Nail Strengthener
There are so many ways that nails can become damaged. Kalnina says, "the list is endless." Correa points out that silk wraps, acrylics, and gel nail polish may look fabulous, but end up wreaking havoc on your nails. "Also if you work with your hands a lot like washing dishes or heavy lifting," you're more prone to nail damage. She adds that you can damage toenails from physical trauma, doing exercises such as running, hockey, and tennis, or wearing shoes that are too tight.
Nail strengtheners can restore nails to optimal health while "replenishing lost nutrients and restoring the keratin needed to keep your nails growing and healthy," says Correa.
"With a small amount of care, you can keep your nails strong and healthy very easily," says Kalnina. Results are pretty immediate, too. She says you can start seeing stronger nails "within just two weeks of application, usually much earlier."
How to Apply Nail Strengtheners
If you're used to using over-the-counter nail strengtheners, Correa explains, "they are applied as the first coat to any polish. Some clients skip polish altogether and opt for nail strengthener alone." She notes that people don't usually remove strengtheners you buy on the market. If you do, be sure to use non-acetone remover.
For the recipes below, leave on as directed. Kalnina adds, always apply to "clean, prepped nails on a regular basis." She recommends using strengtheners "in conjunction with a cuticle oil which also supports nail health too."
DIY Nail Strengthener Recipe
This recipe comes from Trabazini at The Spa at Monteverdi Tuscany with an add-in provided by Correa.
Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons of olive oil
1 Tablespoons of lemon juice
1 Teaspoon of chopped garlic (optional add-in)
Instructions:
Mix the ingredients in a bowl. Soak your nails in the mixture for about 10 minutes. "The nails will be deeply nourished due to the moisturizing and strengthening properties of the olive oil and the disinfecting power of lemon," says Trabazini. Correa likes to add a teaspoon of chopped garlic to the recipe and make a paste. "The garlic contains selenium which promotes nail growth and strength as well as vitamin E." Repeat two to three times per week.
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