How to quickly whiten nails at home: effective ways

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Author of the article

Svetlana Pavlikhina

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The nail plate may turn yellow after prolonged wearing of shellac, illness or bad habits. Simple tips will help you whiten your nails and restore their shine and health. At home, cosmetic procedures are easy to carry out, the main thing is to do it regularly.

Why does the nail fade?

There are several reasons for deterioration in the appearance of nails:

• long-term wear of any nail coating (from regular varnish to shellac);
• smoking (even after giving up the bad habit, fingers still remain yellow for a long time);
• working with chemicals (including household ones) without protective equipment,
• fungal diseases;
• lack of vitamins and microelements in the body;
• excessive consumption of tea, coffee;
• working without gloves with dyes, berries, vegetables.

These factors lead to dullness and yellowing of the stratum corneum. Polishes should be removed periodically to give your nails a rest.

Prevention

If your nails have not yet changed their color and you do not want to face this problem, be sure to follow preventive measures. They will not only protect your nails, but also make them stronger.

To prevent the appearance of a yellow coating, a base must be applied under the varnish. It is this that can protect nails from the harmful effects of aggressive substances contained in the varnish.

It is necessary to give your nails a break and during this time do not use any coatings other than medicinal ones. It is also not recommended to leave the polish on overnight.

Lubricate your nails with a nourishing cream and be sure to take calcium along with vitamin D for better absorption.

Effective whitening with improvised means

To make your nails smooth, pink, and shiny, you don’t have to go to a nail salon. The procedure there is expensive . The master may suggest covering the nail plate with a beautiful gloss. This will not make her healthier and will not improve her condition.

Home whitening of nails returns them to a well-groomed appearance, gloss, and natural pale pink color.

Soda

Soda is mixed with hydrogen peroxide, lemon juice, toothpaste, and soda baths are made.

The simplest lightening recipe: dilute baking soda (1 tsp) with 2-3 drops of water, if necessary, take a little more liquid (you should get a thick paste), apply it with rubbing movements into the nails, leave for 10-15 minutes, then rinse off .

Lemon

Lemon is used for lightening. Half of the fruit is squeezed out and the seeds are removed.

Soak a cotton pad in juice and rub it into each nail. You can wrap each finger with cotton wool soaked in juice. The compress is left for 15 minutes.

Afterwards, nourishing cream is applied to your hands. But this method will not work if there are small wounds or scratches on your fingers.

Toothpaste

There are several ways to whiten with toothpaste. It is used as an independent product or mixed with other components.

Cleaning

Apply a small amount of whitening paste to your nails with a toothbrush and brush in a circular motion for 5 minutes. Leave the product for 15 minutes, rinse with warm water, then apply nourishing cream to your hands. After the first procedure, the nail plate becomes lighter.

Mask

Whitening toothpaste and soda are mixed in equal parts, hydrogen peroxide (2-3 drops) is added. Instead of peroxide, you can use lemon juice.

The mixture is rubbed into the surface of the stratum corneum with massaging movements for 5 minutes, left for another 5 minutes, and washed off with warm water. The tips of your nails become noticeably whiter after the first procedure.

Hydrogen peroxide

Products containing peroxide are known for their whitening properties.

Peroxide (3%) is mixed with soda in a ratio of 1:2. As soon as the paste stops foaming, apply it to the nails for 5 minutes, then massage them for 1-2 minutes and rinse with water.

Vinegar

After berries, beets, carrots, fingers and nails are painted in different colors. They are bleached using a bath: dilute 1 tbsp in 1 liter of warm water. l. table vinegar.

The fingertips are immersed in the solution for 5-10 minutes, then the hands are wiped and the cream is applied.

Salt

Sea salt helps restore the natural color of your nails. For this, salt baths are used: 1 tbsp is dissolved in 250 ml of warm water. l. sea ​​salt. The fingertips are steamed in this solution for 15 minutes, then it is washed off and the cream is applied.

Oil

Castor oil has been known since ancient times as a strengthening agent, but for the nail plate it can also be a bleacher.

The oil is rubbed into the stratum corneum for 5 minutes, then blotted with a napkin; the cream does not need to be applied. The product has nourishing, softening properties and tidies up the cuticle.

Essential oils

They are used with caution, a few drops at a time, because they are very concentrated. In 1 tbsp. l. lemon juice add a few drops of ylang-ylang and jojoba oils.

The mixture is applied to the nails, held for 5 minutes, then massaged and blotted with a napkin.

How and with what to whiten and strengthen nails?

Complex procedures that will not only whiten but also strengthen your nails are especially popular.

The method that was used in ancient Egypt is olive oil and lemon juice. Apply to the nail and rub well. After removing the excess, go over it well with a polishing file.

Another recipe from Cleopatra is milk and honey. Milk should not be skimmed. 20 minutes of relaxation will saturate your nails with calcium and eliminate the yellow tint.

You can get a double effect from a soda bath by adding a few drops of iodine.

The only difficulty with a paraffin mask is the duration of the procedure. You need to wait a couple of hours wearing gloves. After melting cosmetic paraffin in a water bath, add olive oil to the composition; apply to your fingers - the mask is ready!

Whitening fingernails and toenails, differences

The human stratum corneum is identical on all limbs. Masks, baths, massage with oil will be effective on the hands and feet. It is more convenient to make baths on the lower extremities.

The procedure is a good prevention of dry feet and cracking heels.

After gardening, it’s difficult to get your legs and arms in order. You can use combined procedures: first a bath with essential oils, soda, salt, then a massage with oil to soften the skin of the feet and improve the condition of the nails.

How to whiten nails after polishing?

Bright, juicy, unconventional – is this what your manicure looks like every day? Then be prepared for the fact that constant use of deep colors and neglect of the base coat will lead to saturation of the nail with dark pigment. The consequence of this is yellowing.

A bleaching varnish will help to eliminate it quickly, but for a short period of time. To completely cure the problem, it is worth carrying out a set of measures - masks, baths, constant use of a base coat. From time to time you need to take a time out and give your nails a rest without applying any coating.

If you don’t want to bother with preparing and carrying out procedures, you can always use whitening serums. They usually contain acid and a set of natural oils for nutrition.

Cosmetic brighteners

In addition to folk remedies, store-bought bleaches are used to lighten the nail plate. They are produced in the form of gels, varnishes, special markers, and pencils.

Pencil

This cosmetic product is intended for painting the free edge of the nail from the back side.

Use a pencil to draw a straight white line, which masks the yellowed tip. The effect lasts until the first hand washing.

Gel

It comes in bottles with a brush, similar to nail polish. The liquid is transparent in color, with a barely noticeable blue pigment, which creates the effect of healthy nails after application. They appear white, but are not.

After removing the gel, the yellow tint appears again.

Video

This video shows how to whiten your nails at home.

Soda

One of the simplest baths for whitening is soda. Soda must be mixed with water, maintaining equal proportions. Keep your fingertips in the solution for up to twenty minutes.

With vinegar

This bath is suitable only after an untrimmed manicure, since any abrasion or the slightest cut can cause burning and stinging from acetic acid. For the procedure, you will need to take a teaspoon of vinegar, preferably apple cider vinegar, and dilute it in 350 grams of not hot water. Immerse your fingertips in the vinegar solution for five minutes, after the allotted time has elapsed, rinse your hands well with water and anoint them with nourishing cream.

Milk bath

Milk is a storehouse of vitamins; back in ancient times, people noticed the beneficial properties of dairy products. To get rid of yellowness, homemade milk or cream is best. Bring the dairy product to body temperature, then dip your fingertips, and, if possible, your entire palm into the container with milk. The procedure has no restrictions on time and number of uses.

Whitening baths

If the cuticle is damaged and there are hangnails on the fingers, then baths with soda are used for whitening. Water (1 l) is heated to a comfortable temperature, add 1 tsp. soda, stir.

Immerse your fingertips in the soda solution for 15 minutes . Then the liquid is not washed off, but wiped with a napkin, and hand cream is applied.

The procedure is carried out every other day for a week . Baths help clean the nail plate, soften the cuticle, and get rid of hangnails.

Baking soda as an assistant in whitening the nail plate

Most manicurists and cosmetologists note that baking soda is an excellent helper in combating the problem of yellow nails.

The most effective way to use it is to add it to a bath of warm water.

Consequences of homework

Manipulations in the kitchen or in the garden without gloves lead to early aging of the delicate skin of the hands; colored products turn them into brown, dirty colors.

After kitchen work

After working with coloring products (currants, beets, cherries), the skin and stratum corneum are stained with their juice.

Any food acid will help cope with the problem: lemon juice, vinegar, ascorbic acid.

Lemon

Cut the citrus into slices and wipe the contaminated areas with them. After 5 minutes the darkening goes away.

Vinegar

Soak cotton pads in table vinegar (9%) and wipe the darkened areas with them. After a minute, the skin and horny plate turn white.

Ascorbic acid

2 tablets of ascorbic acid are crushed into powder, add 2-3 tbsp. l. water, stir. The resulting solution washes off all contaminants from your hands.

Cleaning hands after gardening

If garden work was carried out without gloves, hands should be washed immediately. Dilute liquid soap in hot water or lather a bar of baby white soap.

As soon as the water becomes foamy, put your hands in it and steam for 15 minutes.

At the end of the procedure, you need to scratch the bar of soap with your nails so that it remains under the nail plate. Your fingers will immediately turn white.

How and with what to whiten nails after gardening?

It is always easier to prevent than to eliminate the consequences. Before working in the garden, apply hand cream, Vaseline, oil - any of the available products. This will prevent dirt from penetrating deep into the skin. If you don’t have cream on hand, then take any soap and lather your hands, especially carefully under the nails, leaving softened pieces. After this, let your hands dry. A thin protective film forms on the surface, a kind of invisible gloves that can be easily washed off after work and keep your hands clean.

Don't neglect real gloves. They may not always be convenient to work in, but they do an excellent job of protecting against dirt and minor injuries. The right gloves for a summer resident are made of thick latex, with a cotton lining.

You can whiten your hands after gardening with improvised means - sorrel, rhubarb, overripe tomatoes. Mash the leaves and wipe the dirty areas, just grease your hands with the tomato. The acid contained in these plants will help clean your fingers.

Potato broth will help soften and remove dirt. Boil a couple of potatoes, make a very thin puree, cool to an acceptable temperature and let your hands sit for 20 minutes.

Quick ways

There are several ways to lighten your nails in an hour, but they all have a temporary cosmetic effect. To clean the nail for a long time, the procedure is carried out 2-3 times a week.

Whitening nails in 1 day or even an hour:

• bath with soap;
• wiping the surface with lemon juice;
• use of cosmetic pencils or markers.

You can mix glycerin and hydrogen peroxide in equal parts, apply the product to the nail with a cotton swab, and leave it for 15 minutes.

Afterwards, rinse off the paste and lubricate your hands with cream.

How and with what to whiten the skin around the nails?

If the skin of your fingers is dry, with small cracks, then sooner or later you will be faced with the need to remove accumulated dirt and whiten the problem area. Before starting the procedures, you can try steaming your hands and removing cracked skin with an abrasive file.

Potato mask.

Boil the tubers in their skins, peel, mash into a homogeneous mass with a small amount of milk. Apply to hands and cover with cling film on top. Carry out sessions every other day, for 30-40 minutes, until the desired result is achieved.

Grated raw potatoes applied to your hands for 30 minutes will give your skin a delicate white-pink color after the first procedure. Table salt mask. This option is only suitable if you do not have minor injuries or cuts. Add a small amount of lemon juice to a teaspoon of salt.

Mask made of baby soap and hydroperite. Rub half a bar of soap, beat with 0.5 cups of water. Dissolve 2 tablets of hydroperite in the resulting foam. The composition is ready, apply to your hands, rinse with water after 20 minutes.

Precautionary measures

In pursuit of beautiful glossy nails, the main thing is not to harm their health.

A number of simple rules should be followed:

1. Do not keep the product with acid for more than 15 minutes.
2. It is forbidden to use any essential oil in its pure form: it is diluted with base oil (olive, castor) or with water.
3. Do not rub or put pressure on the nail plate, massaging it with pastes containing abrasive particles, such as soda.
4. Products with acids should not be used more than 2 times a week.

All lightening solutions with vinegar or peroxide in their pure form are used only in emergency situations, when you urgently need to get your hands in order.

Whitening and nourishing baths

In addition to special products, you can use baths to whiten the nail plate; although they do not give instant results, with constant use, your nails and hand skin will look much more well-groomed and beautiful.

Chamomile

Even grandmothers knew about the chamomile bath. Chamomile is a unique plant that cleanses the nail plate, relieves irritation from the skin, softens the skin of the hands, filling it with vitamins.

Step-by-step instruction:

• buy dried chamomile flowers;
• Prepare a container with a lid, preferably metal or ceramic;
• pour two tablespoons of flowers into a container;
• pour two glasses of boiling water over the plant;
• to cover with a lid;
• wrap in a towel;
• let it brew for 45–60 minutes;
• separate the liquid from the inflorescences using gauze;
• pour the broth into a bowl;
• Immerse your hands in the liquid for twenty minutes.

With citric acid

If you don’t have time to go to pharmacies and look for chamomile inflorescences, then you can make a bath using lemon juice. A teaspoon of powder should be dissolved in a glass of warm water, pour the liquid into a bowl and immerse your nails there. The duration of the procedure is 15 minutes.

Saline

For a salt bath, it is better to take sea salt; it contains more useful microelements. For the solution you will need:

• 25 grams of salt, both regular and sea salt will do;
• juice from half a lemon;
• glass of water.

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir until the salt crystals are completely dissolved. When the water becomes tolerable, place your nails in a bowl and keep in the solution for no more than twenty minutes. After the procedure, rinse the solution with running water and apply cream to your hands.

With oils

For a nourishing and whitening bath you will need:

• 34 grams – olive oil;
• Two tablespoons of liquid honey;
• Freshly squeezed juice of one lemon;
• Citrus essential oil – three drops;
• Grapefruit oil – three drops.

Mix all ingredients until a homogeneous liquid is obtained. Immerse your nails in the mixture for 20–25 minutes. After the procedure, wash your hands with soap and dry with a towel.

Causes of yellowness

Before you begin the procedure of whitening the nail plates, it is worth understanding the reasons that cause the appearance of yellowness. The problem may lie in the following:

1. Various diseases. The nail plate may change color due to certain diseases, such as diabetes, liver or lung pathologies. In addition, the problem may arise due to a lack of any nutrients or vitamins in the body.
2. Fungus is the most common cause. This disease requires immediate treatment.
3. Bad habits. Yellow nails can often be seen in heavy smokers. In this case, the problem can be solved by quitting smoking; otherwise, you will have to use bleaching products on a regular basis.
4. Frequent use of varnish and similar products prevents air from circulating fully, and this, in turn, leads to discoloration.

All these reasons provoke the problem. To quickly restore your nails to a healthy and beautiful appearance, you can use several products. To do this, you can use both ready-made cosmetic compositions and homemade mixtures made independently.

When using nail whitening products, you need to understand that they only temporarily eliminate the problem. To get rid of yellowness forever, it is necessary to identify and eliminate the cause that causes it.