#nail guide

1. Genetics: (I KNOW, I KNOW, IT’S SRSLY UNFAIR! but what’s worse is that my mom and grandma have these gorgeous #goal nails, long and thick and naturally ovals and ugh… they’re perfect. my nails were diluted by my dad’s flop nail genes. he was crummy nails)

2. Mindfulness: I don’t use my nails as tools - if you’re not careful with them and use them in certain ways, they’re not going to stand the strain and break. Remember that they’re fragile and to try to be a bit gentle with your hands and nails (using more than one nail to open a can of soda, minding not to slam your hands on stuff that could bend or break your nails)

3. TLC ft. Products: Loving your nails means caring for your nails which means products. Lotion, cuticle cream if you have dry cuticles, a good base coat (Zoya and OPI have good ones) and top coat - there are even kits dedicated just to getting your nails to a healthy state (OPI nail envy, Zoya’s naked nails). TLC also means not doing detrimental things, like not being mindful, chewing on them, etc.

4. Diet: A good diet and drinking lots of water is going to have good health benefits for all your body, including your nails. Often nails are soft, brittle or otherwise weak bc you’re not getting enough key nutrients and vitamins. Get supplements, eat healthy, drink water… all that helps!

5. Upkeep: File your nails - if you don’t know how, google “how to file my nails” and you’ll find a bajillion tutorials that will have board recommendations and information on how to do it properly, buffing your nails a bit, maybe once in a while getting a mani so that there’s a shape established you can follow. That also means painting your nails! If you get polishes like Zoya or OPI that are big ¾ free, they’re usually going to do a good job protecting your nails. Get a great base and top coat and paint your nails (stay away from gels or acrylics or things that last too long on your nail… I never see good things from that) - it will protect the nails from mishaps that would otherwise break them, it will encourage you not to be reckless with your nails due to not wanting to fuck up your manicure, and you’ll look fly as hell.