Nail Problems 101
4 Common Nail Disorders
While easy nail designs are fun too show off, hands that are less than perfect may not be. In fact, you may be painting your nails with easy nail designs to hide or cover up an underlying nail disorder or abnormality. Below are four explanations behind common nail disorders.
- Breaking and Peeling Often caused by of exposure to detergents and household products. The culprit may also be damp gloves that are frequently used while cleaning with these products. Using oil specifically for nails can help the problem.
- Yellow nails Often caused by extended use of antibiotics, chemicals and dyes in certain household products and constantly wearing nail polish without a base coat. Use dry gloves to protect nails from household cleaners. Give nails a break from nail polish every so often to provide oxygen to the nails.
- Hangnails Often caused by dryness, nail biting or cutting the cuticle. Eat foods high in calcium, Vitamin B and iron and increase water intake. Never pull a hangnail
- White spots and flecks Often caused by pressure or trauma to the nail bed. White spots grow out in several months. Can also occur due to poor diet resulting in a vitamin or mineral deficiency.
Breaking, peeling, spotting and yellowing of nails are common nail disorders. However, there are more serious nail problems, such as nail fungus and infections. A doctor may be able to diagnose the problem and provide you with the proper treatment or medication to resolve the issue.
All That Glitters | Simple Nail Designs
Simple Nail Designs with Glitter
One of the simplest ways to add a little bit of creativity to your nails is to add texture. Glitter nail polish can be that necessary embellishment to take simple nail designs from ordinary to high fashion. Too much glitter, however, will ruin your design. Toning glitter down with a solid color is the way to go.
The nails featured in the image contain jungle green confetti against a lime green background. The glitter or confetti adds a bit of shimmer and interest to this simple nail design. These nails would really stand out in a photo shoot or demand attention from your clothes. The good thing about simple nail designs is that you can easily select different colors without sacrificing the design. For example, this nails would look lovely if you used bright, red glitter and a baby pink background. It would be just perfect for Valentine’s Day. This look is great, too, if you desire a fresh, earthy look.
To achieve this look, do the following:
- Start with your choice of glitter nail polish first. Paint the tips of your nails with the glitter nail polish.
- Let the glitter dry.
- Apply a solid color nail polish across your nails. Start by painting over half of the glitter nail polish tip (diagonally) and then painting the rest of your bottom nail.
- Finish with clear nail polish
Here’s a tip! Put simple nail designs on top of your base coat to make their nails even more interesting. Do not over do it since the glitter is overpowering enough.
Soft Angel Nails | Simple Nail Designs for Round nails
If you are looking for simple nail designs with a soft look, consider this design. This nail art can easily be created with white nail polish, a burgundy colored nail art brush and a nail file.
Simple nail designs are so popular because they enhance our natural nails. What makes this look so innocent is the color scheme, simplicity of design and rounded nail tips. To achieve this look, do the following:
• If you have flat or pointy nails, take a nail file to make them round. You can start with the sides of your nail and work your way towards the middle. If you start in the middle, you may shave too much off and also give yourself a flat looking nail. You can also buy rounded nail tips and glue them on your natural nails.
• Next, draw a V-shape on your nail tip and fill in with white nail polish. Make sure that the point is right in the middle of your nail, otherwise it won’t be symmetrical. Simple nail designs are often symmetrical in nature.
• Taking a nail art brush, carefully outline your white tip with burgundy. Start on the left side of your nail and follow the edge of the white nail tip to the middle. Don’t stop there. Extend your burgundy just a little beyond the white center. Repeat on the opposite side. You do not want to start in the middle. If you notice in the picture, the line starts off thick and gets thinner as it reaches the middle. So, you want to start on the left side of your nail and work your way to the center, also. Essentially, you are drawing a burgundy X over your white nail tip. Do not worry if your X does not lie perfectly over your white nail tip. With this simple nail design, it doesn’t matter.
• This design is a naturally raw look. This means that using clear nail polish is optional. The advantage of using clear nail polish is that it protects your simple nail designs. However, if you are going for a natural look, consider leaving out this final step.
Here’s a tip! For nails that look really natural, do not use white nail polish. Nail tips are generally whiter than the rest of the nail anyway. Just use a file to round your nails. Then make two swift lines for the red X, and you are done!