Healthy, Strong Nails: Your Nail Care 101 Guide
Table of Contents
Five Things To Do for Healthy, Strong Nails
Five Things NOT To Do for Healthy, Strong Nails
Caring about nails often feels like juggling a few priorities. Ideally, you want nails to feel great, look beautiful, and be healthy.
Typically, most women are forced to choose between the three. You can have one or the other.
And after years of choosing to have pretty nails, nail health degrades — ironically leading to healthy nails flying back to the top of the wish list.
As Philadelphia’s nail care experts, we help women escape what we call “The Tyranny of the OR” — the false choice between beauty and health.
Here, clients have all three: natural nails that feel great, look beautiful, and are healthy.
Today, we share ten keys (five things to do and five things not to do) that will help you have healthy and strong natural nails.
Because health is the foundation of beauty.
Growing Healthy, Strong Nails
Healthy, strong nails aren’t the result of one product, one manicure, or one appointment. They’re the result of thoughtful, consistent choices — what you do and what you don’t do every day over time.
We’re reminded of the saying, “When you’re born, you look like your parents. But when you die, you look like your decisions.”
The same is true for your nails. Over time, they reflect habits more than anything — how gently you treat them, how often you protect them, and how consistently you invest in their care.
Let’s begin with what to do.
Five Things To Do for Healthy, Strong Nails
1. Find A Nail Salon That Doesn't Use E-Files
Nail drills are the most common source of nail damage, period.
They thin the nail plate, disrupt the natural seal between nail and skin, and cause sensitivity that can become permanent.
This key is first on this list for a reason – it affects everything else.
Stop using E-files and that alone will get you most of the way to having healthy, strong nails.
Follow everything on the list BUT this one, and you’re really limiting the progress you can make.
We know that 99% of nail salons use nail drills.
We know that finding a salon that doesn’t use E-files is really difficult.
Even so, they do exist. Seek nail salons where nail shaping and product removal are done with the human touch, not industrial rotary tools.
Your natural nails will thank you for it.
2. Commit To Regular Appointments
Healthy, strong nails aren’t the result of one session — they’re built through consistent care.
Regular appointments allow your nail care specialist to maintain progress, prevent lifting, and monitor the long-term health of your nails as they grow and strengthen over time.
This is especially true if you’re beginning your nail care journey with weak, brittle, or thin nails.
Transformation happens in layers — each appointment refines, protects, and reinforces the work of the one before it.
But what happens after your appointment matters just as much as what happens during it.
Daily habits, gentle hand care, and avoiding behaviors (like picking on your skin) that compromise nails all contribute to lasting results.
Think of it like teeth cleaning: regular cleaning by a dentist is essential, but the effect is limited if you eat candy without flossing or brushing your teeth regularly.
3. Treat Nail Walls and Hangnails — Don't Stop at Cuticle Care
We don’t love the term “cuticle care.”
Caring only for the cuticles — the thin layer of skin at the base of the nail — is like cleaning the entryway and ignoring the rest of your home.
That said, considering how many salons overlook the basics of nail care for speed, finding a place that performs true, detailed cuticle work is a step in the right direction.
But achieving healthy nails requires more.
The entire nail wall — the surrounding skin, folds, and tissue that frame each nail — has to be cleaned and free from buildup or damage at every appointment.
Trimming hangnails isn’t cosmetic; it’s essential for preventing inflammation and maintaining smooth, protected nail walls.
At Atelier Anaiis, what we call Nail Care expands far beyond “cuticle care.” We refine every surface that borders the nail, restore balance to the nail walls, and create the healthy foundation that allows gel to bond flawlessly — without trauma or shortcuts.
True Nail Care treats the entire perimeter of the nail as a living structure — one that deserves attention, protection, and respect.
4. Gel Polish as Protection
At our nail care studio, we see gel polish not as decoration, but as protection — a safeguard for the natural nail beneath it.
The best gel manicures — those performed with intention and respect from soak-off to reshaping to curing — are protective. Each step adds up to create a shield for the nail as it regrows and reshapes under our guidance.
We also understand the attraction to bare nails.
They feel light and effortless when the nails are healthy. But once nail damage happens — when nails become thin, brittle, or begin to peel — protection becomes essential.
A thoughtfully applied gel manicure acts as a suit of armor: it reinforces the nail, prevents breakage, and gives the natural nail the opportunity to heal safely beneath the surface.
True gel manicures are not about covering flaws. They’re about creating the right environment for restoration — so that beauty and health can coexist seamlessly.
5. Know That Beauty and Health Can Coexist
At most nail salons, beautiful nails and healthy nails are conflicting ideas.
Most cut corners — shortening appointment times, using electric nail drills, skipping essential nail care steps, and focusing on surface-level beauty.
A thirty minute manicure will always end up damaging your nails.
But we’re here to reassure you: you don’t have to choose.
At our greenery-filled space, beauty and health are not competitors — they’re harmonious reflections of one another.
When nails are restored, structured, and protected consistently, their natural beauty emerges effortlessly.
Beautiful nails are healthy nails. And healthy nails are beautiful nails.
Five Things NOT To Do for Healthy, Strong Nails
1. Don't Pick at Living Skin
Most people call it “picking at cuticles,” but what’s actually being picked is living skin — the protective tissue that supports and seals the nail plate.
And yes, what happens around the nail directly affects the health of the nail itself.
We know this is one of the top reasons women seek out our services. The habit often begins unconsciously — a small distraction — but over time, it causes inflammation, infection, and thickened skin around the nails.
The key isn’t self-control — it’s prevention.
When nail walls are properly maintained through consistent, thoughtful care — what we call Nail Care, not just “cuticle care” — there’s nothing left to pick at. No self-control, no frustration.
And once you experience how refined and healthy your hands look and feel after Nail Care, something shifts within.
The urge to pick naturally fades, replaced by an instinct to protect what you’ve worked so hard to have.
2. Don't Peel Nails
Peeling nails may seem innocent — a small lift you catch with your fingertip — but each time you do, you’re tearing away microscopic layers of your natural keratin.
Over time, that damage leaves nails thin, weak, and uneven.
It’s related to the habit of picking at living skin: they’re both unconscious attempts to “fix” a surface that doesn’t feel perfect.
Manicures from Atelier Anaiis leave nothing to pick at or peel.
Here, The Signature Foundation Manicure lasts beautifully for three to four weeks, maintaining its smoothness so your nails stay undisturbed throughout their natural growth cycle.
Relying on self-control alone is exhausting — willpower is a finite resource.
The better path is to remove the temptation altogether by healing the root of the problem.
When your manicure is done with care, there’s no urge to peel — only the quiet satisfaction of nails that stay protected and whole.
3. Don't Get Refills
Refilling product over and over might seem efficient as a way to extend the life of your manicure. But in reality, it violates one of the most basic fundamentals of Nail Care: cleanliness.
Think of it like eating out of the same bowl for weeks without washing the dishes — each refill layers new material over old buildup, trapping bacteria, concealing damage, and degrading the natural architecture of the nail beneath.
Remember: your hands are your first point of contact with the world.
They touch countless surfaces throughout the day, inevitably interacting with bacteria. When old product is sealed under new layers, you create the ideal conditions for that bacteria to thrive: invisible to the eye, and harmful over time.
The best manicures always begin with a clean slate. Each product layer should be removed completely and safely before new structure is built.
This isn’t just about aesthetics — it’s about hygiene, integrity, and self-respect.
4. Don't Use Regular Polish
Regular polish offers no protection. It chips easily, requires removal with harsh solvents, and leaves the nails porous and exposed.
What many don’t know is that regular polish seeps into the natural keratin layers of the nail, slowly breaking them down.
The yellowing often seen after long-term regular polish use isn’t just cosmetic — it’s evidence of structural nail damage. The keratin that gives your nails strength has become compromised, leading to peeling, brittleness, and uneven texture.
The same word of caution applies to acrylics and dip systems.
Both rely on nail drills, harsh chemical processes, and adhesives that will weaken and break down the natural nail plate over time.
Trust your instincts: when you smell the harsh, pungent chemical fumes of regular polish or acrylic, run.
That reaction is a signal from your body — a reminder that beauty should never come at the cost of your health.
5. Don't Use Cuticle Oil
This one surprises many of our first-time clients.
Cuticle oil has long been marketed as a universal cure for dryness — and while it can help on bare nails, it’s a whole different story with manicured nails.
When oil seeps into the micro-gaps between product and natural nail, it can soften the bond and begin to force small separations in the seal.
Those gaps then trap water, creating the ideal environment for fungus and bacterial growth beneath the surface.
Instead of cuticle oil, you can use gentle, water-based hydration: lightweight hand creams and lotions that condition the skin without disturbing the structure of the manicure.
Leave the deeper restorative work to your nail professional, and reserve cuticle oil for the moments when your nails are truly bare.
A healthy seal — not excess oil — is what keeps your nails strong, secure, and protected between appointments.
Atelier Anaiis — The Home of Healthy, Strong Nails
At Atelier Anaiis, we believe nail care should never force you to choose between what’s beautiful and what’s healthy.
The two can — and should — coexist in harmony.
Our work begins with restoration, continues with protection, and results in nails that not only look refined but feel strong and resilient.
Healthy nails are the natural outcome of thoughtful, consistent care.
If this philosophy speaks to you, we invite you to stay connected.
Subscribe to The Atelier Anaiis Journal to receive refined insights on nail health, longevity, and restoration — written with the same care and intention we bring to every manicure.
Because the more you understand your nails, the more beautifully they’ll serve you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What makes nails healthy and strong?
Healthy, strong nails are the result of consistent, restorative care — not quick fixes. Choosing a salon that avoids E-files, maintaining regular appointments, and protecting nails with well-structured gel all help rebuild strength from the foundation up.
Q. How do E-files (nail drills) cause nail damage?
Nail drills thin the nail plate, break the natural seal between nail and skin, and often create heat or friction that leads to long-term sensitivity. Even when used “lightly,” E-files disrupt the nail’s structure and can make healthy nails weaker over time.
Q. Can I have healthy nails if I go to a salon that uses a nail drill?
No. If an E-file touches the natural nail, it creates micro-tears, thinning, and long-term weakness. You can do everything else right, but if a drill remains part of your routine, truly healthy nails will always be out of reach.
Q. Why is regular polish bad for nail health?
Regular polish chips easily, requires harsh acetone removal, and seeps into the keratin layers of the nail, causing yellowing, brittleness, and peeling. It offers color, but no protection — the opposite of what fragile, damaged nails need.
Q. What causes peeling nails?
Peeling nails are often the result of E-file damage, regular polish use, or picking/peeling at the nail surface. Each of these removes microscopic layers of keratin, leaving nails thin and fragile. A proper gel overlay can help stop peeling and protect new growth.
Q. How do I stop picking my nails or cuticles?
Picking is usually a response to overgrown skin, rough edges, or irritated nail walls. When the nail perimeter is refined and healthy — not just “cuticle care,” but true Nail Care — there’s nothing left to pick at, and the habit naturally fades.
Q. Is peeling off gel polish bad for my nails?
Yes. Peeling gel pulls layers of natural keratin with it, leaving nails thin, weak, and uneven. The urge to peel comes from improperly applied product or overgrown edges — issues prevented through skilled, intentional application.
Q. What nail habits damage healthy nails the most?
The most damaging habits include picking at living skin, peeling nails, using regular polish long-term, and allowing E-files on natural nails. These habits strip away protective keratin and disrupt the nail’s natural architecture.
Q. Are refills safe for nail health?
No. Refills always require nail drills and leave old product trapped beneath new layers. This creates a breeding ground for bacteria and prevents healthy, balanced nail growth. A clean removal and fresh foundation is essential every time.
Q. How often should I get my nails done to keep them strong?
Most women maintain healthy, strong nails with appointments every 3–4 weeks. This cadence supports structure, prevents lifting, and allows your specialist to monitor and guide the growth of your natural nail.
