Peeling fingernails

I work in the nail industry and I am amazed at just how many people still believe the wive's tale that eating jello or gelatin will help them improve their fingernails. Every self-help website on the internet has people giving advice to take vitamin E or gelatin. I am here to remind people that don't know yet, that buying an oral supplement to help your fingernails is a complete waste of time and money.

WASTED MONEY SPENT ON ORAL NAIL SUPPLEMENTS

It is generally accepted that unless you are malnourished, no supplement will help you grow stronger nails. Dry, brittle, cracking and peeling fingernails are in most cases caused by environmental factors. Fixing the problem is usually simple, straight forward and relatively inexpensive.

THREE BIGGEST FACTORS EFFECTING NAIL HEALTH

Three of the biggest factors that effect the health of the fingernail (excluding injury and fungus) are water, the weather and efforts to make them look prettier (polish / fake acrylics). These factors act to strip the lipids out from the protective coating. This "dries" the fingernail out and makes it brittle or susceptible to peeling. I will briefly explain each factor and then tell you how to get the best bang for you nail care efforts.

Water: Health care professionals or teachers or anyone that washes their hands many times a day are giving their nails a beating. Nails in water strips out the lipids and raises heck with its protective barrier.

Weather: Living in a harsh, dry, cold (or hot) climate also dries out the nail and hurts the nail's protective coating.

Nail Polish and Fake Nails: Excessive use of nail polish doesn't give you nail a chance to "breathe". The frequent color changes and the harsh nail polish remover strips the nails. I won't waste a lot of time on what happens to your nails under the acrylics.

SIMPLEST, MOST COST EFFECTIVE WAY TO IMPROVE YOUR NAILS

Use a lipid-rich, penetrating nail conditioner to remedy peeling fingernails.

Don't cheap out and buy some oil that will just sit on top of the nail. Spend a few extra dollars and get a formula that will penetrate into the nail and through its protective coating. If you don't, you are again wasting your time and effort. When you consider how long a small amount of nail conditioner actually lasts, the added cost is really insignificant.

An excellent penetrating nail conditioner is the simplest and best thing you can do to help strengthen and make your nails naturally gorgeous. It literally costs just pennies and takes only seconds a day.

Outside cushions

Due to the resilient nature of the job it has to do, outdoor furniture is not always as comfy as we would like. Sitting for long periods on materials that are pretty much indestructible, may take its toll on your backside. However outdoor patio furniture, be it made from wicker, teak, metal or plastic, is an expensive investment, and so manufactures, at least good ones make the furniture to last. The solution to making this furniture comfortable and stylish, is to add the right outside cushions.

Buying the right outdoor furniture cushions is very important, not only has the style got to fit your eye, but you need to be mindful of practical issues, such as will the cushions be left outside at the mercy of the weather, or will your really put them away at the end of use? Buy the wrong outside cushions for your chairs or chaise lounges, and you will soon grow tired of them. So let's see if we can help you get this decision right...

First consideration goes to the colors and patterns you may consider, ideally your outside leaving area may draw from themes you may have indoors, alternately you maybe looking to create an outside oasis of your dreams, either way note down colors, styles and themes that interest you. There are many retailers of outdoor furniture cushions, and the vast selection may become mind blowing. I would suggest looking through decor magazines or ideally the Internet, where you will able to browse through all the variations and compare prices at the same time.

There can be a vast difference in price between outside cushions, the main reason for these differences is the level of hardiness the outdoor cushion, pillow or pad may possess. If you opt for cushions made from marine grade fabrics designed to handle the hardships of a sea faring life, you'll pay a lot more than for a cotton cushion designed for use in perfect weather and lucky enough to be stored in a dry airy storage area.

If your climate is warm and wet, you know your battle is with mold and mildew, If you have to endure blistering sun you will need cushions with UV protection. No fear though as there are now cushions designed and manufactured that seem near indestructible, and are guaranteed accordingly! I would again suggest a little homework on the web to discover the level of protection you will need manufactured into your perfect outdoor cushions, pillows and pads. I also believe that buying the cheapest cushion will become a false economy, and would suggest getting the best quality outside cushions your budget will allow.

Should you cushions encounter any spillage, clean immediately before the stain can lock in, gently rubbing with soap and water, will deal with most stains, you can use commercial stain remover, if the stain is more oil based, but adhere to the manufactures instruction, as if the cleaning agent is too strong it may damage the cushions finish or treatment.

Though we have talked about some of these modern outdoor furniture cushions being near impervious to extreme weather, if you can your cushions will thank you for be stored when not used, and if they could ask for a dry airy environment, they'll gratefully serve you for many, many years.

Well I wish you all the best for your replacement outdoor cushions hunting project, and that you enjoy your outside space as much as I do, do take the time for a little research on the web if you can, the vast amount of choice, and competition for our money, is reducing prices substantially, and there are subsequently some fantastic bargains to be found

Peeling fingernails

I work in the nail industry and I am amazed at just how many people still believe the wive's tale that eating jello or gelatin will help them improve their fingernails. Every self-help website on the internet has people giving advice to take vitamin E or gelatin. I am here to remind people that don't know yet, that buying an oral supplement to help your fingernails is a complete waste of time and money.

WASTED MONEY SPENT ON ORAL NAIL SUPPLEMENTS

It is generally accepted that unless you are malnourished, no supplement will help you grow stronger nails. Dry, brittle, cracking and peeling fingernails are in most cases caused by environmental factors. Fixing the problem is usually simple, straight forward and relatively inexpensive.

THREE BIGGEST FACTORS EFFECTING NAIL HEALTH

Three of the biggest factors that effect the health of the fingernail (excluding injury and fungus) are water, the weather and efforts to make them look prettier (polish / fake acrylics). These factors act to strip the lipids out from the protective coating. This "dries" the fingernail out and makes it brittle or susceptible to peeling. I will briefly explain each factor and then tell you how to get the best bang for you nail care efforts.

Water: Health care professionals or teachers or anyone that washes their hands many times a day are giving their nails a beating. Nails in water strips out the lipids and raises heck with its protective barrier.

Weather: Living in a harsh, dry, cold (or hot) climate also dries out the nail and hurts the nail's protective coating.

Nail Polish and Fake Nails: Excessive use of nail polish doesn't give you nail a chance to "breathe". The frequent color changes and the harsh nail polish remover strips the nails. I won't waste a lot of time on what happens to your nails under the acrylics.

SIMPLEST, MOST COST EFFECTIVE WAY TO IMPROVE YOUR NAILS

Use a lipid-rich, penetrating nail conditioner to remedy peeling fingernails.

Don't cheap out and buy some oil that will just sit on top of the nail. Spend a few extra dollars and get a formula that will penetrate into the nail and through its protective coating. If you don't, you are again wasting your time and effort. When you consider how long a small amount of nail conditioner actually lasts, the added cost is really insignificant.

An excellent penetrating nail conditioner is the simplest and best thing you can do to help strengthen and make your nails naturally gorgeous. It literally costs just pennies and takes only seconds a day.

Fingernail problems

There are many fingernail problems you can suffer from, this can be nail problems such as the thickness, texture, nail shape and your fingernail color. Other problems which can be embarrassing are nail infections like fungus. Problems such as brittle fingernails, weak, soft and peeling nails, can be fixed quite easily. A lot of these problems are superficial and maybe contributed to dehydration.

Curled fingernails can be contributed to dehydration, just like your body, your nails need moisture. Massaging your nails with olive oil or sunflower oil daily helps to replace moisture and strengthens fingernails. Taking certain vitamin supplements can help many fingernail disorders as well, in fact taking the right supplements can make a huge difference to your fingernail health.

If you suffer from thin, weak fingernails take a biotin supplement. You will start to notice a difference to the thickness of your nails within a few months. People who have their fingernails exposed to harsh chemicals risk drying nails out by striping fingernails of their natural oils, this in turn will cause brittle fingernails.

If your nails are continuously in water you will have weak, peeling, split or brittle fingernails. Vertical ridges in fingernails can be as simple as being deficient in iron. If this is the case, take an iron supplement first thing in the morning before breakfast and with a vitamin C supplement, to help with absorption. Some people will experience fingernail problems which can be hereditary, this can be your growth rate, thickness of fingernails and strength.

Hang nails can be very common if you handle paper a lot, as paper absorbs the natural oils from your skin and drys out your hands and nails. Hang nails are also common if you have your hands in water a lot. Other common fingernail problems are nails which break easily, pitted fingernails (small indentations), wide square nails, fingernail biting, ingrown/curving down nails, white spots on fingernails and nails changing color. Nail colors you can experience are blue, black and yellow fingernails. Black lines in fingernails can be caused by a trauma to the nail.

As you age, you may experience many problems, growth rate is slower, nails can become more brittle and ave an increase in yellow color. Eat healthy, drink plenty of water, take vitamins, have a good fingernail care regimen and you will easily overcome any fingernail problems.

Fingernail ridging

Men and women can have fingernail ridgings, they are quite common and can signify a health risk, or just be plain annoying.

These ridges may extend from the cuticle to the tip of your fingernails, or they may run across your nails horizontally, from one side to the other. If you have ridges running across your nails in this way, you would be wise to see a doctor, especially if the ridges are slightly darkened and deeply grooved.

Horizontal fingernail ridging could also be a sign of Beau's lines, these lines often happen if you are suffering from malnutrition, have an iron or zinc deficiency, or an injury which has damaged nail growth. Some medications can cause these types of ridges, especially if you have had a major illness and are undergoing chemotherapy.

If you have no other fingernail problems and are discovering ridges in fingernails for the first time, then they can probably be fixed.

Vertical fingernail ridgings are quite common with older people it is a common sign of aging. Your fingernails and cuticles can dry out very quickly as you age, so it is important for your fingernail care to massage an oil into your nails daily.

Always use a hand and nail cream at night before you go to bed, and use one that is not full of chemicals. You are not helping your nails by rubbing in chemicals, massage cream into your hands and fingernails, put on a pair of cotton gloves and go to sleep.

If you do this for a few months, you will definitely see an improvement to your ridged fingernails. You should starts to see new nail growth without ridges, don't stop when you see an improvement, and continue to regularly moisturize your fingernails daily.

Ridged nails may be caused by dehydration, your nails are lacking moisture and you can be deficient in certain vitamins and minerals. Your body may not be absorbing nutrients, and sometimes taking a digestive enzyme can help. This can help with ridges and other minor fingernail problems such as, weak fingernails. Suffering from skin conditions like psoriasis can cause ridges in fingernails.

To help minimize fingernail ridging, use a nail buffer and buff lightly in the direction of the vertical ridge. Be careful not to over buff as you can cause thin fingernails.

If you like to wear nail polish, always put on a ridge filler first. One coat of ridge filler is fine, allow to dry then apply nail polish.

Take a good multivitamin and zinc supplement daily.

Always wear gloves when washing dishes, cleaning around the house and working in the garden.

Avoid nail hardeners, and soak your fingernails in warm olive oil daily for about 20 min, this will also help with your nail strength.

Drink water every day.

Sometimes doing all the above you may still have ridges in fingernails, only they should be very slight and with continual fingernail care you will have beautiful healthy fingernails.

Soft fingernails

To combat your soft fingernails, learn what causes them! Know all about your nails and what caused your soft fingernails! It must have been troublesome applying strengtheners but have you been really taking care of them? Find out what went wrong!

Too many of use look at our nails like built-in tools. If they were, then why were actual tools needed? Oh unscrew that little screw on your spectacles, you use your nails. Open the stubborn lid of that bottle of jam, you still use your nails! However, what most people do not know, our nails should never be used to do such things. This is the main reason why people have weak nails is because after prolonged periods of exposing your nails to such activities, they weaken and that leaves them vulnerable to injury. Sometimes, when the damage is bad enough, it can pave way for infection, leading to nail fungus.

We often neglect our nails as they seem inferior and useless when you compare them to other parts of our body like the skin or the heart. Many do not even know that our fingernails have to be in the tip top condition for it to carry out the duties of our fingernails as part of our bodies. They're protective layers of our fingertips, and are actually responsible for increasing and helping in our sense of touch, and also improve our ability to pick up and manipulate small objects. These are really good reasons to why taking care of your soft fingernails are important already, aren't they?

Keratin, causes our nails to be strong, just like it does for our hair and skin. Our nail grows at a very slow speed at only 0.1 millimetre a day. With that, we should stop biting our nails as it is a very bad habit. When you bite your nail every time it grows, you actually bite more than what grew and you hurt the bed of your nails. Your body and mind actually accustomed to that causing your nails to become unable to grow. In addition, the nail area can contain a lot of bacteria. When you bite them, you are actually consuming these bacteria that could cause harmful effects on your body.

Something that most people do not know as well is that our soft fingernails can tell us what is going on in the rest of our bodies! Most of the time, a change in colour or quality in our nails can mean a onset of disease. For example, thick and yellow nails can indicate a problem with the thyroid, lymphatic system or respiratory system. White horizontal lines, also known as Mee's lines, on the other hand can occur due to heart attack, kidney failure, Hodgkin's disease or sickle cell disease.