Beautiful Hands: How To Make Cracked Nails And Dry Hands A Thing Of The Past
Consistently dry hands and cracked nails? This care routine can do the trick in no time!
A gentle touch, a friendly handshake - our hands play an essential role in our daily lives and are often a reflection of our health and grooming habits. Unfortunately, cracked nails and dry skin on the hands are common and can make them look unkempt.
With a little extra attention and the right care tips, these problems can quickly become a thing of the past.
There is always a cause for the problem. Could it be the dry cold of winter, too much contact with water, detergents or chemicals, or a medical condition such as nail fungus? These are often the reasons why our hands need special care. In general, you should wash your hands regularly with a mild soap, especially after contact with potentially harmful substances such as chemicals.
After cleansing, our hands need to be moisturised. Choose a rich hand cream that moisturises and nourishes the skin at the same time. You can use the cream several times a day.
SOS Nails
Brittle fingernails are annoying and unattractive. Cracked fingernails, splintering nail edges, grooves on the nails - it doesn't have to be this way. One of the most common causes is exposure to chemicals. These include chemical cleaners, soaps, detergents, dishwashing detergents and nail polish removers.
Other causes include illness, side effects of medication, stress, external force on the nails or a lack of nutrients. Important nutrients for strong nails include B-complex vitamins (especially B7), zinc, magnesium, iron, silicon and protein.
Regular, gentle nail care will keep your nails beautiful and strong. Aggressive filing, cutting or even tearing should be avoided at all costs. Wearing gloves when handling chemicals will protect your nails and prevent the problem from getting worse. Nutrient deficiencies can be checked by a doctor and, if necessary, nutritional supplements can be taken.
Oil baths and hand packs can help nails recover and build strength. There are also nail oils and special nail polishes that provide important minerals to the nails. It is best to apply these in the evening before going to bed and leave on overnight.
Help for dry hands
Hands as dry as the Sahara. And all that moisturiser doesn't help? We have a few more tips to help you cope with the desert.
And yes, the same things that stress our fingernails can also dry out our hands. Frequent hand washing and lack of hydration make the problem worse.
The skin on the surface of our hands is different from the skin on our palms. The skin on the back of our hands is particularly thin (which is why we get wrinkles more easily). The palm has many sweat glands, but no sebaceous glands. These would produce oils and keep our skin supple. Because we don't have them, our skin dries out more quickly and needs more care.
During the day, a rich hand cream will help in acute cases. Don't forget to moisturise the backs of your hands and the skin between your fingers. Extreme cases can be treated in the evening with the right care. But the important thing is to stick to it!
Oils such as olive oil, almond oil, jojoba oil and evening primrose oil are great moisturisers. Olive oil is rich in antioxidants, which stimulate the regeneration of skin cells and protect them. Jojoba oil is rich in vitamin E, which improves hydration. Almond oil has anti-inflammatory properties. Evening primrose oil contains unsaturated fatty acids and strengthens the skin barrier. We recommend mixing these oils in a 1:1 ratio and regularly soaking your hands in them.
In general, staying hydrated with at least 2 litres of water a day will also keep the skin well hydrated. Another tip is to use bar soap when washing your hands. They contain no artificial preservatives and are moisturising, which means they are less likely to dry out your skin.
Dry hands also benefit from the slugging beauty trend
For some time now, a beauty trend has been circulating on social media that claims to intensively nourish the skin overnight: Slugging. Initially used on the face, there are now numerous videos of slugging for the hands and feet. But what is behind it? The main ingredient is probably petroleum jelly. Although it does not moisturise, it protects and conditions the skin. In addition to Vaseline, hyaluronic serum and hand cream are also used in slugging.
The serum is worked into the hands first, followed by the hand cream. When everything is well absorbed, a thick layer of Vaseline is applied. Then put on cotton gloves and leave the homemade hand mask on overnight. The next morning your hands will be extremely smooth and moisturised. You can use this mask once or twice a week.
Photos: Shutterstock
