How to Treat Yellowed and Discolored Fingernails

Nail polish can do more than just strengthen your nails-it can also mask discoloration, which is one of the ways your nails give a cry for help. If you're the sort of person who wears nail polish all the time, think about it. When do you give your nails a chance to breathe? For most of us, it's just between taking one color off and putting the next one on: twenty minutes, tops. And heavily pigmented colors-applied improperly, without a base coat-can seep into the nail itself, discoloring the keratin. Here's how you can prevent yellowed and discolored nails.

Instructions

1. Always, always, ALWAYS use a base coat on a well-prepped nail. It's tempting to skip this step at home, since you can't see the base coat once the manicure is done, but it's critical. It helps prevent chipping by bonding the polish to the nail. Equally important, it provides a protective layer between the pigment in the polish and your nail.

2. Rotate your colors. If you favor dark colors with heavy pigmentation, switch it up and wear a light color for one week each month.

3. If your discoloration is severe, trim your nails short to promote new growth, and go cold turkey from nail polish for one week. Try buffed nails, if your nails are strong enough. It's a great cleanup.