Hands and Nails

Your hands and nails say a lot about you. If you care for them properly, you'll feel healthier. Consider these suggestions:

• When nails chip excessively, it may be caused by the use of nail polish remover. Leave your nails unpainted for a few days to see if the condition improves.
  
  
• When you're preparing anything with lemon and vegetable juices, which contain acids that are hard on your fingernails, rinse your hands often under cool running water.
  
  
• To break the habit of nail biting or cuticle chewing, carry a tube of cuticle cream with you. Whenever you start to nibble, put the cream on your cuticles instead. You'll promote healthy nails and possibly break yourself of a bad habit.
  
  
• To rescue nail polish that has become hardened or gummy, place the bottle into a pan of boiling water for a few seconds to get the polish flowing smoothly again.
  
  
• To soften cuticles, soak hands in a solution of 1 cup warm water and 1 teaspoon of dish-washing liquid.
  
  
• For an emergency treatment for dry, chapped hands, soak your hands in a bath of baby oil mixed with sesame oil.
  
  
• Apply hand cream before putting on rubber gloves to prevent your hands from drying.