
"To keep nails healthy, hydrate them and minimize the use of harsh chemicals and tools," says Marsha Gordon, M.D., associate clinical professor of dermatology and vice chairman of the dermatology department at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. While most experts agree that there's no single food or pill that will speed nail growth, it's well-known that poor nutrition, infections, and aging can all slow it. Their growth can be influenced by hormones (which is why pregnant women's nails grow like crazy) and temperature (more growth in summer than in winter). On average, nails gain about one eighth of an inch per month. "Everyone has an individual rate at which her nails increase in length, and that can't be changed," says Paul Kechijian, M.D., a nail specialist and a former clinical associate professor of dermatology at New York University. Tip: If hose isn't offered when you're shoe shopping, ask for it. Why worry? "Warm, damp environments are a breeding ground for fungi and viruses," explains Phoebe Rich, M.D., a nail disorders expert and a clinical associate professor of dermatology at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland. Keep your shoes on while at public places (swimming pools, locker rooms, shoe stores) - if you don't, we won't be responsible for your toenail health. Try Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Hand Cream. The best moisturizers are thick - even greasy. Plus, dehydrated cuticles not only look ragged but also can turn into painful and infected hangnails," says Audrey Kunin, M.D., a Kansas City, Missouri, dermatologist.

"Dry nails can crack, peel, and become brittle. Nails need to be hydrated, since most problems crop up when they're parched. Or nails may lift, which can lead to infection." "If your toes hit the front of your shoe, nails can crack or turn black-and-blue. Goldman, M.D., an associate clinical professor of dermatology at the University of California, San Diego. When nails are too long, tight shoes can cause even more damage, says Mitchel P.

Keep yours to yourself, and replace it often.Īre you cramming your feet into too-small or too-pointy shoes? If so, your toenails may grow into the surrounding skin - causing the dreaded ingrown nail, which can lead to pain, swelling, and infection. Resist the urge to let anyone - even a relative - use your emery board. Here's how to have yours looking great in no time. If nails aren't alive, then how do they grow? Actually, they don't new cells develop deep under your cuticles and push out the older, dead ones - forming those flat, hard surfaces we love to pamper and polish. Why is it so hard to grow and maintain gorgeous nails? One big reason: Nails aren't alive they're dead (if they were living tissue, they could repair themselves instead of making us do it for them).
