Splitting:
"Except for rare cases when it's caused by thyroid disease
or anemia, splitting is the result of dry nails," . Moisturize
your nails regularly with creams like Creative Nail Design's
SolarOil or Almay's Massage & Grow Nail & Cuticle
Wax. At night, slip socks or cotton gloves (or lissLabs Glamour
Gloves) over your freshly moistened hands; the trapped heat
makes the cream more effective.
Other
ways to avoid splitsville: Take breaks between polishes (polish
creates a barrier that doesn't let moisturizer get to the
nail), wear gloves when you wash or clean, avoid acetone-based
polish removers, and file nails in one direction only—a
sawing motion weakens nails.
Ripples:
"Ridges, which are caused by physiological changes in
your body—everything from hormones, high fever, trauma
to the nail, and stress—are harder to prevent,"
says Polis. Besides not cutting cuticles and trying to stay
stress-free, you can minimize the bumps with light buffing.
Use a gentle file like Diamancel's File #1 or Nailene's Beautiful
Shine. Give nails a smoother look with ridge fillers like
Bourjois' Lissant-Blanchissant or Sally Hansen's Get Even
Hydrating Ridge Filler.
Slow growth:
Hormones and metabolism—two things you have little control
over—determine how fast your nails grow. Worse yet, popping
megadoses of vitamins or applying them topically won't make
nails grow any faster. But you do have some power: A diet
that's protein-deficient can slow things down even more, so
make sure you're consuming enough of this essential building
block. You also can protect nails from breaking by polishing
them and keeping them short to medium in length.
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