Do you take care of your toenails? I know, toenail maintenance questions are tough. But, it's one that you need to think about, especially if you're about to go to the beach or pool.
Before you head out on your next vacation, you should try checking out these top tips below for keeping your toenails looking great.
9 Tips for Good Toenail Maintenance
Let’s talk about how to take care of your toenails. Because, no offense– but no one wants to see your gross feet hanging out all over the place!
1. Regularly Trim & File
Your toenails grow just like the nails on your fingers, so when you get a professional pedicure, ask for your toenails to be cut short and filed with the rest of them.
This will allow you to not have such long nails in between visits to the salon. Once they've been cut and filed, maintain that length by trimming them every time they start to get too long.
2. Clean Under Your Nails
One thing I notice about most people is that they're not very good about cleaning under their nails! This is such an easy tip - you just want to make sure that you don't have any dirt or sand stuck. This could lead to infections if left untreated. Just rub some soap around each one and make sure to clean them out well. Then, rinse off and pat dry (don't scrub harshly).
If not taken care of, certain cuticle infections like Paronychia can occur, which can cause redness in the skin around the nail, blisters around cuticles, and tenderness.
3. Are Your Toenails Getting Enough Oxygen?
Believe it or not, people who don't wear shoes all the time will have stronger, smoother toenails. If you're not doing this already, start. All of those hours that your poor feet are crammed into tennis shoes or boots is not allowing oxygen to reach them! This makes it harder for your body to adjust and allows fungus, bacteria, and other germs to grow easily.
4. Use A Good Moisturizer– Daily!
Use a cuticle cream every night before bed. Take the time to rub it in well and then put some socks on to keep your feet nice and moist overnight! This is another thing that people either rarely do or totally forget to do until their cuticles are already very dry and cracked - definitely not something you want to see at the beach!
Make sure you really use enough of it, too - I can tell when someone hasn't used enough because there's still some dry skin around their cuticles the following day. So use enough so that all of it is absorbed into your skin overnight.
5. Stay Hydrated!
Drinking water is important for toenail maintenance for several reasons. One of which is that you hydrate your skin from the inside out! Skin that is already hydrated from the inside will absorb moisture better.
Make sure that you are drinking plenty of water throughout the day. That way, when you moisturize at night with a cuticle cream, it will actually be absorbed into your skin instead of just sitting on top of it.
6. Wear Sandals At The Beach or Pool
If you go to the beach or pool, slip on some sandals when you aren't actually in the water. This is just for sanitary reasons - you don't want to have all of that sand and dirt from the beach trapped in your shoes, where it can rub on your toenail and cause damage. Plus, sandals are cute and awesome!
7. Apply Sunscreen To Your Toes, Too!
Just like you would put sunscreen on your face or chest when you were going to be at the beach, make sure that you apply it to your toes as well. Those toes can get burned just like any other part of you, so don't forget them! They will thank you later... trust me.
8. Soak In Epsom Salts For 5 Minutes Each Night
Epsom salt baths are very good at detoxifying your body inside and out (and one of my best tips ever !) They help rid your body of all the toxins you pick up throughout your day. Soaking in the bath for about 5 minutes will do wonders for your toenails - it feels very soothing and helps relax them, leaving them softer than usual after you're done.
9. Amplify Toenail Maintenance With A Nice Foot Scrub
When you're at the salon for a pedicure, don't just always get the same thing done - ask for something different every time! If you give them your preferences, they'll use what works best for you and your toenail maintenance schedule.
We would recommend using an exfoliating foot scrub once a week to keep up with any buildup on your skin and toenails so that filing and trimming aren't such a chore. Just be sure not to overdo it by scrubbing too much because that can lead to sore, cracked skin.
Final Words on Toenail Maintenance
So there you have it - nine toenail maintenance tips that can be used by anyone. Some of these things may seem like common sense. However, people tend to forget about them until they're in a rush getting ready to go somewhere.
We hope that we’ve helped you find some simple things you can do to keep your toenails looking fresh and healthy.
Remember - everyone's feet are different so what works for one person might not work for another. If something doesn't seem to be working right away, switch it up with something else on the list! With patience, you'll be well on your way to better toenails.