Tips For Growing Out Your Natural Nails

There are several reasons why you may want to grow out your natural fingernails. Perhaps you love the look of long nails but don't want to spend hard-earned money at the salon for acrylics or fake tips. Or, maybe, you want to look healthier, and improve the overall appearance of your hands, or maybe you simply prefer a more natural look. Whatever the case, the following information will help you achieve your desired appearance. 

You've probably heard quite a few exciting hacks that help your nails grow. For instance, maybe someone has told you that cutting away your cuticles and letting your nails breathe is crucial to helping them grow. However, according to PopSugar, these tips are not based in fact. Instead, the best tricks are to strengthen them, promote growth, and protect them from damage. To that end, you'll find nine tips to help you grow out your fingernails below.

The first step to growing out your nails is to break any bad habits you may have that are weakening them. The most common? Biting them, and there are a few ways to remedy this issue. First, consider what's causing you to bite them, which is most likely stress or boredom. Then, take the necessary steps to combat this habit, like using breathing techniques to fight your stress or applying bitter nail polish such as ORLY's, which is sold at Target. You could even try chewing gum whenever you get the urge to bite.

Another bad habit you may be battling is playing and picking with your nails or cuticle skin throughout the day. This can be just as damaging as biting them, as you may rip off your nails or cause your cuticles to bleed, and both of these actions could worsen their appearance and strength. Try keeping your hands busy with a hobby or activity to break this habit. 

While this may not seem very important, cutting and filing down your nails is also crucial to growing them out. Why? If you don't take the time to trim them properly, they could grow in jagged or crooked. While this may only seem like an aesthetic concern, it may be causing them to snap. This is because small chips can easily get caught on fabric materials like clothes, towels, and blankets. If this happens, the fabrics could tug at your nails and cause them to break off, preventing them from growing out and being quite painful.

BestLife says it's best to trim your fingernails once a week to protect them from everyday damage. However, filing is also just as important, as you do not want any extra sharp edges or jagged ends that could get snagged. Therefore, ensure you add both of these tasks to your routine.

An essential part of growing out your nails is making sure you maintain their strength. If your nails are brittle, they are more likely to break off and not grow very long. One of the best ways to keep their strength is by wearing gloves while performing tasks that could harm them.

For instance, because commercial cleaners could weaken them, make sure you wear gloves while cleaning your home, washing the dishes, or performing any other chores that involve harsh chemicals. Other tasks could cause them to break, such as gardening or completing yard work. Further, because dry skin could also cause your nails to become brittle, do ensure you wear gloves during the winter. Each scenario will require different gloves, such as those that protect against chemicals used for gardening and outdoor tasks and types that keep your hands warm in cold weather, all sold on Amazon. 

Just like cleaning supplies can weaken your nails, other products you use every day may be doing the same. For instance, you should pay attention to your hand soap, as harsh products may cause brittle symptoms. It would be best if you also tried avoiding hand sanitizer whenever possible, as the alcohol could dry them out and cause them to break.

Investing in a more gentle cleanser is one of the best ways to protect your fingernails from damage. Those that have moisturizing properties may be the best, as they prevent your hands from drying out. For instance, you could use Dove's hand wash, sold at Walmart. Another tip is to keep hand soap at the kitchen sink to keep you from using dish soap on your hands. This is because, since dish soap is made to clean dishes, it's harsher on the skin and may dry out or damage your nails.

Ask any nutritionist, and they'll tell you: the state of your skin and nails is directly correlated to your health, and there are plenty of vitamins and supplements on the market that could help your nails grow longer. For instance, Nature's Bounty has a popular Hair, Skin & Nails line sold at Walmart. One of the essential ingredients to look out for in a supplement is biotin, which helped to promote growth. According to The Beautyholic, Vitamin E is also a crucial ingredient as it will strengthen your nails.

You could also add specific foods to your diet to help your nails to grow. For instance, the Food Network says that protein from meats, eggs, nuts, bone broth containing collagen, leafy greens, and vegetables high in vitamins and healthy oils are all essential. Staying hydrated is also important, as not drinking enough water could cause brittle symptoms.

If you are into skincare, you probably use at least a few products on your face. At the bare minimum, you most likely use a cleanser, moisturizer, and sunscreen, and perhaps you also use another product, such as an exfoliant or a serum.

While you don't need to use all these products on your hands, using just a few could help your nails grow and make your hands much softer and healthier. If you don't want to spend lots of money, Refinery29 says that you could use your face products on your hands. Or, you could invest in a moisturizer made specifically for hands, such as CeraVe's therapeutic hand cream. Exfoliants can also remove dead skin cells and help your skin and nails appear rejuvenated. Refinery29 recommends applying most of these products at night so that they have time to soak in while you sleep; However, make sure you apply SPF in the morning and at various times throughout the day.

Taking care of your cuticles is an extremely important step to growing your nails, as this delicate skin around the base of your nail is made to protect it while it grows out. Therefore, if you often remove or pick at your cuticles, this could prevent new growth. While you can push them back if desired, never cut them off.

A great way to ensure your cuticles are tip-top in shape is by using cuticle oil. According to Healthline, this product has several benefits: it helps protect and hydrate the skin, increases circulation, causes new growth, and gives your hands a healthier look. Easy application techniques are: rubbing it in with your fingertips, brushing it on, or using a cotton ball to soak it into your skin. This simple step could easily be added to your nighttime or morning routine. If you're looking for a great option, try out Cuccio's revitalizing oil, sold on Amazon.

To keep your nails looking their best and to avoid breakage, apply a coat of strengthening polish regularly. These are usually clear in color and dry quickly, making them easy to use. This is important because it will give your nails an extra layer of protection that will keep them from rapidly snapping off or chipping. For instance, your nails may often break because you wear them down with daily activities or accidentally snag them. If this often happens, a coat of this product will make them less prone to breaking off. This could also help those with bendy nails, making them feel much tougher.

Amazon sells Essie's nail polish strengthener, which can be used on top of or beneath your polish to prolong the life of your nail color. Or, if you love the natural look, you could also use this product on its own. Another benefit? This polish will cause your fingernails to shine.

Finally, if you often wear nail polish or visit the salon, it's important to remove it correctly. This will depend upon the type of polish you use.

If you use regular polish, soak your nails in remover with a cotton ball, then wipe them away. Never peel off the nail polish, as this could weaken the surface. Removers that are non-toxic may be your best bet, as they won't damage or dry out your nails nearly as much as other types. Similarly, if you often choose gel, never try to pry or peel them off. Instead, the American Academy of Dermatology Association says to apply vaseline, place pieces of cotton balls soaked in acetone on your nails, wrap them in plastic or foil, and remove after 10 minutes. You could also follow the same process with acrylics. However, before you begin, cut down the nail as much as possible, and let them soak for a bit longer. Because acetone can dry out your hands, make sure you moisturize well after removing polish or acrylics.