If you have always wanted long glamorous natural nails, or even medium length nails, you might be frustrated when your nails peel, chip, fray, split or just break off as soon as they get close to the length you want.

Some people have ridges in their nails that grow out as part of the SNS Nails then cause issues when they become exposed at the nail tip. Otherwise simply have very brittle delicate nails that seem impossible to grow or keep all at one length.

Well, most of us don't have the luxury of living like a pampered princess, and we have to use our hands to cook, clean, wash dishes, do our hair, type and all of the other infinite tasks that require us to put our nails in danger of becoming damaged. However, there are a few things you can do to keep your hands and nails looking well groomed and beautiful while still living a normal life. By watching your diet and following specific care tips, you can make your brittle nails stronger and help them to grow longer.

Nail Care and Maintenance

Wear Gloves - Water is your nail's biggest enemy. Feeling your hands in warm soapy water is one of the best feelings, but you might notice that when you are done washing dishes, shampooing your hair or washing your dog, your nail polish might be peeled off or you'll see more frays and splits in your nails. Nails are made up of layers of proteins. So when your hands are soaked in water for a long period of time, the water molecules actually get in between the layers and cause them to split apart. The best thing you can do is to wear gloves to avoid having your hands having prolonged contact in water. At least do this until you have followed all of the other tips and see a marked improvement in the condition of your nails.

Moisturize - If you aren't into wearing gloves, at least make sure that before and after you submerge your hands in water that you keep your hands, nails and cuticles well moisturized. Using cuticle oil is also a great idea toward improving the condition of your nails as they grow out.

Keep them Short - While you are working on the general condition of your nails, it is a good idea to keep them at a shorter length. Try cutting or filing them to where they just barely peek over the tips of your fingers and keep them at this length. A shorter length allows your healthy nail to grow out completely so that no part of the nail is brittle or damaged. Like having split ends in your hair, if the end of your nail is damaged, it can split down and cause damage to the healthy new growth of nail. Keep your nails cut short until you see that they are growing strong with no blemishes from the cuticle to the tip.

Filing (Not Sawing) - A common activity that can cause a great deal of damage to your nail is improper filing. Don't saw across your nail back and forth. Run the file across the tip of your nail in one direction only. Sawing your nail actually creates fraying along the tip which leads to damage that splits up the length of the nail. Also make sure that you use a file with a fine or medium grain. Files with a coarse grain can be damaging to your nails, and are mainly used for toes and calluses, not your delicate nails.

Bare Nails are Better - This may seem counter intuitive, but wearing nail polish can actually be bad for your nails. This is mainly due to the chemicals in nail polish and in nail polish remover. Most nail polishes contain Tourmaline and Formaldehyde, two ingredients that are harsh for your overall health, but also harsh on your nails. Nail polish remover sometimes contains acetone. This ingredient is also very drying and harmful to nails and can cause terrible brittleness.

Since part of the glamor of well groomed nails is the ability to wear beautiful nail colors, not wearing polish might not be the most appealing option. At least look for polish and polish remover that is more naturally based and that does not contain these harmful ingredients.

Healthy Nail Diet

Nails can provide insight into your overall health and whether or not you are getting the proper vitamins and nutrients in your diet. As in life in general, proper nutrition leads to healthy skin, hair, teeth and nails. A diet rich in calcium, protein, omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids, and vitamin A and biotin will lead to healthy fast growing nails and hair. Biotin promotes healthy cell growth, vitamin A helps the body to process protein. Liver and other red meats can be a great source of biotin and vitamin A, plus protein.

Also, as in life, make sure that you drink plenty of water every day to keep your body properly hydrated. It seems strange, but your body responds to lack of water much like a plant. If a plant does not get enough water, you'll quickly see the leaves dry out and shrivel up. Our hair, nails and skin respond in the same way.