Manicures and acrylic nails are beautiful, but they are also expensive and unnecessary. When it comes down to it, it is much more beneficial to take care of your own nails, and many people don’t seem to know the basics to do this. It is actually easy, as well as affordable, and quite a bit of the work can be done using natural ingredients.

Start out by regularly filing and buffing your nails. This will keep the tips from getting too long and thin and becoming weak. The buffering will even the surface, which will also help strengthen the nails. After you have buffered and shaped them, use both a vitamin-enriched clear polish, and a protective top coat.

To get nails growing thick and healthy, without being brittle, take a multi-vitamin every day, drink plenty of water, and make sure you are getting a lot of potassium and calcium. Everything you need can be found in salmon, most nuts, seasonal berries, bananas and avocados. This will also improve skin, hair, and teeth, so there and plenty of benefits to protecting your nails.

Be careful that your nails don’t get that long. The longer your nails are, the more easily they will chip or break at the base.