How To Grow Your Natural Nails--Anais

 

    Growing up, I struggled with mental health issues such as anxiety. One of the ways I saw it manifest was in the form of nail-biting, a story some of you may know all too well. It was a habit I worked hard to leave behind in my childhood as I moved forward to more healthy coping mechanisms. While I haven’t exactly conquered my anxiety, because, after all, this is simply a nail tutorial, as I put more time into doing my nails, I find that taking care of them is also a way of taking care of myself. Though putting on a fake nail or getting long acrylics done may be easier than spending four months growing your nails out, I personally love having natural nails for that vampire look, and it’s a plus that I can also save some money by doing my nails at home. Even if you don't find this how-to useful for furthering your own goals, I encourage everyone reading to find ways to self-care and relax!

Materials: 

● Glass nail filer 

● Empty brush tip pen or empty nail polish container 

● Jojoba oil 

● Vitamin E oil 

● Rubber base gel polish or builder gel polish 

● UV Lamp 

Part I: Shaping 

Step 1 is choosing the correct nail shape. Even if your nails are short, choosing a good shape now will ensure the rest of the nail growth journey will be smooth. Any shape with sharp corners, such as square or coffin, is more prone to chipping as the corners can get caught on objects. That’s why I highly recommend squoval, oval, or almond for at least during the growth stage.

https://www.vectorstock.com/royalty-free-vector/set-of-nails-shapes-vector-19608413

Step 2 is filing your nails in the correct way. You want to avoid using nail cutters as they may splinter the nail. The best nail filers to use are glass nail filers, which are also washable and reusable. These filers will leave a fine sanding on your nails, which therefore will leave smoother edges that won’t split or snag. When using your file, move in long, one-directional strokes, not short see-saw movements. If you have a lot of growth to file, then using a more heavy-duty filer such as a metal filer is fine to remove the bulk, but return to a glass filer for the finishing touches.

Part II: Nail Care 

Step 3 is using nail oil. Nail oil will hydrate your nails and your cuticles as dry nails are prone to snapping, whereas moisturized nails will flex. I use a ¾ mix of jojoba oil with ¼ vitamin E oil. Jojoba oil is the most similar to the oil our skin naturally produces, so jojoba will absorb the best while vitamin E is anti-bacterial and will thicken up the nail solution. I put my mixture into a nail brush pen for easier application, but an empty nail polish container will also work. I apply this oil on my nails at least three times a day on my cuticles and the underside of my nails. If you don’t have access to these materials, using store-bought cuticle oil, hand lotion, or even vaseline can also work. 

Step 4 is being careful with your hands. Having long nails essentially means you have an extra few centimeters on your fingertips, so you also need to act like it. This means opening drawers with your knuckles instead of your fingertips and not using your nails to open things. Furthermore, nails become extremely delicate with prolonged exposure to water. You can think of wet nails as being similar to wet paper, and therefore much easier to tear. This means you should be washing dishes with gloves on and should always have a layer of nail polish on to prevent your nails from soaking up too much water. I’ll go into detail about how I apply polish in the next steps.