Homemade Nail Whitening

Avoid wearing nail polish constantly to help prevent yellowing nails.

There are a variety of causes of yellow fingernails. Smoking, nail fungus, and wearing nail polish constantly are the most common reasons fingernails turn yellow. Yellow fingernails are unsightly and embarrassing. Even after thoroughly scrubbing your nails with soap and water, the yellow color does not come off. This may cause you to wear nail polish more frequently, which only makes the problem worse. Fortunately, you can whiten yellow nails with simple home remedies.

Things You'll Need

• Nail polish remover
• Cotton balls
• 1 tbsp. 3 percent hydrogen peroxide
• Bowl
• 2 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• Spoon
• Cotton swabs
• 1 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 tbsp. baking powder
• Nail buffer

Instructions

1. Remove all nail polish from your nails with nail polish remover and cotton balls. Wash your hands in warm, soapy water.

2. Pour 1 tbsp. of 3 percent hydrogen peroxide into a bowl. Add 2 1/2 tbsp. baking soda. Stir the ingredients with a spoon to form a paste.

3. Dip a cotton swab into the bowl to absorb some of the mixture. Press the mixture firmly underneath the tip of the yellow nails. Spread the mixture over the tops of the yellow nails as well.

4. Let the paste sit on your nails for three minutes, then wash your hands and nails with warm water. Do this every day for about six weeks to whiten your nails.

5. For an alternative nail-whitening method, mix 1 tbsp. lemon juice and 1 tbsp. baking powder in a bowl. Use a cotton swab to apply a pea-sized dot to the center of each yellow nail.

6. Buff your nails gently with a nail buffer for about 30 seconds. The buffing will work the lemon juice paste into your nails.

7. Wash your hands in warm water. Apply more lemon juice paste and buff again if the nails are still yellow.

Tips & Warnings

• Use a nail whitening pen for a quick fix. You can buy these pens at most drug stores and beauty supply stores. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for use.

• For another way of whitening, soak your nails in a bowl of denture cleaner for five minutes.

• Yellowing fingernails could be a sign of a serious medical condition. It is important to check with your doctor to determine the underlying cause of your yellow fingernails.

References

• Marie Claire: How to Whiten Yellow Nails
• Woman Junction: Whitening the Nails
• Beyond Jane: What Causes Yellow Fingernails and What You Can Do About Them