Beautiful hands and well-groomed nails

Beautiful hands and well-groomed nails create style, elegance, individuality of a person - both women and men – and can say a lot about the success, well-being, social status, and business qualities of their owner. When making a new acquaintance or during meetings, people traditionally shake hands. The first impression, which, according to psychologists, is 50% dependent on appearance and manners, can be decisive for further relationships, while physical attractiveness - “the effect of beauty and grooming” - plays an important role. No wonder it is said: "It takes a matter of seconds to make a first impression, and the rest of your life to correct it." The French avoid the word "beauty," they prefer the word "charm" instead.

A modern manicure can hide almost any defects and imperfections, but at the heart of it is natural attractiveness, which is especially appreciated.

Healthy nails are even, have a prolonged shape, pinkish in color with a matte sheen, and a light lunula (stripe) at the base. Like hair, nails are constantly growing (at a rate of about 1 mm per week) and renewing, and for this they require a variety of nutrients. Therefore, the beauty of a person's hands, in addition to fashionable manicure, directly depends on his diet: the lack of any one trace element can adversely affect the condition of the nails.

Manicure experts say that the foods you eat can make your hands look beautiful or ruin their appearance. “People ask me all the time how to keep their nails strong and beautiful, and I always repeat the same thing: it all starts with diet,” says Mazz Hanna, celebrity nail artist, founder and general manager of Mazz Hanna High-Vibration Luxury Skincare ”, whose clients include such famous Hollywood movie stars as Julia Roberts, Amber Heard, Emma Roberts, Selma Blair, Greta Gerwig. Dave Crisalli, founder and CEO of the PROSE boutique chain, shares the same opinion: “Like any part of the body, the appearance of nails is an indicator of your overall health and can be affected by your eating and drinking habits.”

Sydney-based CHANEL nail technician Jocelyn Petroni, an Australian cosmetologist, nail esthetician and skin specialist, sees a direct link between diet and nail health: “Proper nutrition is the best first step to good nail health.”

Nutrient deficiency leads to problems: a lack of calcium makes the nails brittle, the appearance of white (whitish) spots indicates a lack of iron or zinc, and deformation of the nail plate indicates a lack of sulfur and selenium. When the diet is low in protein, the nails do not grow well, and if you drink less water, they become thin and dry.

Products for healthy nails - recommendations from manicure masters

•  Meat and eggs. “Because nails are made of the protein keratin, a diet high in protein, such as red meat, can help your nails recover, grow, and maintain their strength,” says Dave Crisalli.

Celebrity New York City manicurist Jackie Saulsbury, whose clients include popular American singer, actress and model Queen Latifah and British singer-songwriter (music and lyrics) Adele, recommends eating eggs, which are rich in protein and can increase nail strength and speed them up their growth.

•  Nuts: almonds, cashews, hazelnuts. For those who don't consume animal products, Crisalli advises: "Nuts are also a great option for getting protein into your diet."
•  Dark leafy greens. Spinach, broccoli, and kale contain calcium, iron, and antioxidants that are beneficial to nail health. These foods are best eaten raw. “Don't cook your greens, use them raw,” recommends Jackie Saulsbury, “otherwise they will lose almost all of their vitamins.”
•  Orange and yellow vegetables. Carrots, pumpkin, sweet potato are rich in vitamin A, which gives nails shine and elasticity, and beta-carotene, which is necessary for normal nail growth. In addition, these vegetables are very beneficial for the body as a whole.
•  Fats, especially vegetable fats, should be part of the diet. Jocelyn Petroni is sure that if you consume one and a half tablespoons of oil that you like (olive, corn, sesame, linseed, etc.) every day, then soon it will "begin to nourish your skin and nails from the inside."
•  “Drink more water,” suggests Dave Crisalli. Stay hydrated and your nails will retain their beautiful natural color.

Recommendations on how to eat right for the health and beauty of nails are also given by nutritionists. Note: the same vitamins and microelements are necessary for nails as well as for hair and skin.

•  B Vitamins (B1, B2, B5, B6, B12, PP), which promote the growth of nails and hair, strengthen them, give shine and strength, cereals, legumes, bran, eggs, and nuts.
•  Vitamins A and E prevent nails from splitting. Cheese, cottage cheese, butter, liver, eggs are sources of vitamin A. Olive, corn, linseed oil, cereals, nuts, seeds, green leafy vegetables contain a lot of vitamin E.
•  Deficiency of iron or zinc leads to the appearance of white spots on the nail plates. Sources of zinc are buckwheat and barley groats, oatmeal, wheat, meat, beef liver, dairy products, pine nuts, peanuts; iron - meat, broccoli, green leafy greens, apples, seafood.
•  Lack of sulfur and selenium creates a risk of deformation of the nails. These trace elements are found in fish, meat, seafood, eggs, nuts, legumes.
•  Include calcium-rich dairy products, cheeses, legumes in the menu - calcium deficiency makes nails brittle.

Please note: the condition of the nails can be used to judge the processes occurring in the human body. Changes in the color, elasticity, shape of the nail plate not only indicate a lack of certain nutrients, but can also be signs of psoriasis, problems with the liver, kidneys, blood circulation, and thyroid diseases. Having found deviations from the norm in your nails, do not make a diagnosis yourself - contact a doctor who, after an examination, will give you the necessary recommendations.

Manicure trends 2023

One of the main manicure trends of 2023 is minimalism. Hands should look natural, not striking, and emphasizing the overall style of the image. Jocelyn Petroni suggests switching to a "clean manicure", which means ditching gel polish and focusing on a neat, natural looking nail. For nails to look like this, they must be healthy.

Instead of a conclusion. Considerations...

Some very important questions have remained outside the scope of the article:

•  What professions require particularly thorough nail care, why? Surgeons, office managers, public figures, athletes...
•  Metrosexuals. An interesting phenomenon: attitude to appearance, hair, nails, clothes. And, of course, all the attention to a healthy lifestyle.
•  Role models? David Garrett, David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo... How many women?!

If you are interested, read, learn, reflect, argue – keep growing!