Are you taking care of your hands and giving your nails the best care that they can possibly get?

Many of us are guilty of developing bad habits that can cause our nails to suffer. Whilst it’s easily done and we are all guilty of doing this at some point, one dermatologist has offered candid advice and stark warnings regarding the ways that you could actually be destroying your nails without even knowing it.

Dermatologist Lindsey Zubritsky shared the best tips to keep your nails as healthy as they can possibly be.

Picking off nail polish

Picking off nail polish could be destroying your nails. When you give in to temptation and begin to pick, it not only looks bad but can result in real damage.

Lindsey explained to The Sun: “This is especially true if you have on shellac or gel nails,” and added “By doing this, you’re absolutely destroying the nail bed. “You’re making it really unhealthy, thin and brittle.”

Consider going back to the nail salon and having your latest manicure removed by a professional to avoid issues like this.

Failing to protect your hands from UV damage

When applying sunscreen, we can often forget to protect our hands. Whilst this is a common oversight, it could lead to sun damage. Wearing gloves to the salon and correctly applying sunscreen to your hands could help to minimise the effects.

The NHS website offers this advice and adds that everyone should use at least Factor 30 sunscreen: Sunburn increases your risk of skin cancer. Sunburn does not just happen on holiday. You can burn in the UK, even when it's cloudy.

There's no safe or healthy way to get a tan. A tan does not protect your skin from the sun's harmful effects.

Not moisturising your hands

Lindsey deems this to be the most important of the three issues. She stated: “And number three, you’re not moisturising your nails and your cuticles like you do for the rest of your body,”

With many different moisturisers available at both luxury and budget-friendly price points, there’s really no excuse to be neglecting your hands. Summer weather can cause skin to dry out or crack, so be sure to moisturise and stay hydrated where possible.

Advice from the NHS on hydration is to drink regularly throughout the day and to take on extra fluids if you have been sweating from physical activity. They also suggest drinking sparkling water if you don’t like the taste of tap water.

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