How to Whiten Long Nails

Use lemons to whiten stained fingernails.

Long nails make hands look pretty and feminine. If you are lucky enough to be able to maintain and grow long fingernails, it is important to keep them in excellent health, as well as aesthetically pleasing. Discoloration of fingernails can occur due to wearing dark nail polish or even fungus. If the yellowing is due to health problems, those will need to be addressed with a physician. If not, learn how to whiten long nails and get them in perfect condition.

Things You'll Need

• Antibacterial soap
• Whitening pencil
• Lemon juice
• Small bowl
• 2 tbsp. baking soda
• 1 tbsp. hydrogen peroxide
• Plastic bowl
• Cotton swabs
• Whitening toothpaste
• Toothbrush

Instructions

1. Thoroughly wash underneath the nails using antibacterial soap. Let them air dry. Use a whitening pencil to color the undersection of the tips of the nail. While this won't lighten the entire nail, it will do the tips.

2. Squeeze the juice from half of a lemon into a small bowl. Put your fingernails into the juice and let them soak for up to 10 minutes. Rinse off with water. Continue to do this once per day until you whiten your long nails.

3. Mix 2 tbsp. of baking soda with 1 tbsp. of hydrogen peroxide together in a plastic bowl. Place a cotton swab into the mixture and press it under the tips of the nails and all over the tops of the nails. Leave it in place for five minutes and wash thoroughly with soap and water. Do this once daily for three to four days.

4. Apply a blob of whitening toothpaste to an old toothbrush. Simply brush the tops of the nails and underneath the tips with the brush and toothpaste. Brush them daily until the nails are white.

Tips & Warnings

• If the skin around the nails appears irritated, discontinue whitening treatments.

References

• Beautiful Healthy Fingernails: Yellow Fingernails: How to Fix Yellow Nails
• Marie Claire: How to Whiten Yellow Nails