Lifestyle Choices

Nails are made of keratin, the same substance as hair. The nail we see is ‘dead’, and the growing area of nail is below the cuticle. Poor health is often reflected in the state of the nails: brittleness, cracking, splitting and lack of luster.

Attention to diet may be necessary. Eat plenty of protein in the form of lean meat, fish, beans, nuts, pulses, eggs, cheese, fresh fruit and raw or lightly-cooked vegetables. The B vitamins, contained in bread, yeast, oatmeal, etc. — are important. A supplement of B vitamins or brewer’s yeast tablets can be useful. Some people find eating a cube of jelly every day helpful. If you do not want to take any of the colouring or flavourings of table jellies, seaweed capsules could be the answer, particularly those containing kelp.

Nail Massage

Massaging the nails helps to improve circulation, stimulates growth and strengthens them. You may simply massage in oil with your fingertips, or better still, buff the nails with a special nail buffer or a piece of cloth. A nail buffer is usually a soft pad covered in fine leather. A piece of velvet or soft, closely woven natural cloth wrapped around a ball of cotton wool is just as effective. Massage with almond oil or use a little block of beeswax, working either substance into the nail very well, and then polishing to a sheen.

Hangnails

This is a condition when little pieces of cuticle break away, so that a tiny strip of skin peels down at the side of the fingernail. Try not to pick at these pieces of skin. They should be left alone or they will become inflamed and sore. Make sure that you are taking in enough protein and vitamin C.

Cuticles

Whenever you wash your hands, gently push the cuticles back with a towel. Always use plenty of cream or lotion around the cuticles. You can massage them using 1 teaspoon kaolin powder and 1 teaspoon lanolin.

Use emery boards to shape the nails, not metal files. Avoid cutting the fingernails with scissors. Clean out under the nails with an orange stick (a round-ended wooden stick). Try to file only in one direction. Massage nails and apply handcream after manicure.

Stained Nails

Nails can become stained, particularly if you smoke. Simply paint lemon juice onto them twice a day, using a small paintbrush.

If they are very badly stained, mix together:

1 teaspoon glycerine

5 teaspoons rose water

4 teaspoons hydrogen peroxide (5 vol.)

Removing Nail Varnish

If you wear varnish, give your nails a rest from it occasionally. Whenever you remove varnish, make sure to use an oily remover containing glycerine, which helps prevent the acetone drying out the nails too much.

Warts

Never attempt to cut warts — you will just make matters worse. There are a number of infusions which will help to get rid of warts: these include ivy and bluebell flowers.

Make up a strong infusion as follows: 2 tablespoons of herb to ¹/4 pt (150 ml) boiling water, cooled and strained. Apply to a small piece of lint and bandage over the wart. Change once or twice a day until the wart softens and comes away.

An extra effective method is to use the juice of greater celandine. The juice is squeezed from the stem. Take care to apply it only to the wart. Wash it off immediately if it touches other parts of the skin — it will peel away healthy skin if allowed to remain. Do not cover it with a bandage. Apply twice a day. Within a fortnight the wart should have flaked away, leaving healthy skin.

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