Dry hands and weak nails

Dry hands and weak nails can be really irritating, your hands get dry and flaky and your nails won’t grow past your fingertips. Here are some suggestions that can help to make your hands softer and your nails longer.

When you are washing up ALWAYS  wear gloves, they will help to protect your hands and nails (water significantly weakens nails) from the damaging hot water and detergent. Put some moisturiser on your hands, out your gloves on and then do the washing up, the heat from the water will help the moisturiser to work faster and better.

Wear Gloves outdoors when it’s cold, the cold air will dry your hands out. One tip I use myself is to buy some polythene gloves, put moisturiser on, out the polythene gloves on and then put my regular gloves on. The polythene causes your hands to sweat a little, the heat makes the moisturiser more intensive and the sweat also acts as a moisturiser, it is a great healer!

Do not use your nails to do things, such as open cans pick out pins from the wall, every time you do you weaken your nails significantly.

Don’t use a metal file on your nails, these cause the nails to break, they become weaker and allow water in which will cause them to break. Never cut your cuticles, always soften them with cuticle oil or olive oil and push them gently backwards with a cuticle stick.

Use a gentle handwash, many people just use any old handwash or even washing up detergent and wonder why their hands are dry. Use something that has moisturising properties; look for ingredients like shea butter, honey and vitamin E.

It is essential that you get a gentle handwash, as it will help stop your hands from drying out in the first place.

Again, look for a moisturiser that contains shea butter, vitamin E cocoa butter maple sap or glycerin, these are natural ingredients that will help moisturise your skin without causing any chemical irritation