You might not realise it, but you can tell a lot about a person from their nails. Bitten or distended nails are often seen as a sign that someone is prone to nervousness or low confidence, whereas someone who always has perfectly manicured nails can seem a bit vain. And it’s not all on a superficial level, the condition of someone’s nails can give an indication of their overall health and nail problems can be the first sign of more serious health problems. But it’s not just about what everyone else thinks. We all get an extra confidence boost from going out with a perfect set of nails. So here are a few tips to help keep your nails looking their best.

Firstly and most importantly, don’t allow your nails to dry out. Always use hand cream after you wash your hands and regularly throughout the day. This will help your nails and cuticles retain their moisture and stop them from breaking or peeling. Moisturisers like those by Elemis are a good choice as they last all day and work well with your skin. Don’t cut your cuticles, instead carefully push them back when they are soft, like after a bath. If your cuticles are still dry despite keeping your hands moisturised, try using Eve Lom cuticle cream.

If you do have dry, brittle nails or get hangnails, it could be because of a dietary problem. Calcium deficiency can cause nails to peel or break, and white spots can often be caused by a lack of iron. These things can all be easily remedied by eating a balanced diet. Any manual work, including housework and washing up, can seriously damage nails so wear gloves especially where washing up liquid is involved, and always moisturise afterwards.

Nail polish looks good but can really damage the nails if you use it all the time. Only paint your nails when you want to go out and look your best, there’s really no point going to all that effort if you’re only going to work where they will just get chipped anyway. When you do use nail polish, always use a base coat to stop the colour from staining. OPI is a good place to start for a great range of colours that are long lasting, and they do base coats and nail treatments too. When you remove your nail polish use as little remover as possible and, yes that’s right, wash and moisturise your hands straight afterwards to prevent your nails from drying out.

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