How to Care for Your Child’s Nails

Taking care of our nails is very important to us and it’s important that we pass on this knowledge to our kids so they maintain good hygiene and always have healthy, beautiful nails. It may not seem like a big deal, but nails are a big part of your appearance just like your face and hair. Taking care of them shows that we care for ourselves, inwardly and outwardly.

Always put care into cleaning and trimming your child’s fingernails so when they are old enough to do it themselves they will always make it part of their routine.

1. Wash your hands

Washing your hands throughout the day it the first step towards taking care of your nails. Washing your child’s hands will help to fight off germs and clean the dirt from underneath fingernails. Teach your child to always wash hands after the bathroom, after coming in from outside, and before eating.

2. Keep them trim

For young children we always want to keep nails short and trim so that they will stay cleaner and won’t break. It’s easiest to trim nails after a bath as the nails are softer then but you can also wait until your child is asleep if she is fussy. Using a nail clipper, cut fingernails rounded at the corners and then mostly straight across. Rough edges can be smoothed with an emery board.

3. Use natural nail polish

If your children love to paint nails, make sure you use a natural, toxic-free nail polish like Piggy Paint that is safe to use. Other nail polishes use chemicals that give off harsh fumes and contain harmful toxins. These aren’t just bad for kids – they’re bad for teens and adults as well.

4. Eat healthy foods

There are many foods that contain specific vitamins that help keep your nails healthy and strong. Make sure your child gets plenty of protein and vitamin B7 which can be found in foods like meat, milk, almonds, eggs and fish.

5. Get rid of hangnails

If your child has a hangnail, don’t let him bite or tear it off as this can lead to an infection. Instead, wash his hands with soap and use a nail clipper to cut it off.

Written by Melanie Hurley, Founder of Piggy Paint

Melanie is a mom with two fancy little girls who love to have their fingernails painted. One day while painting their nails, she noticed that traditional solvent-based nail polish could eat through a foam plate. She didn't like the idea of putting that on her girls' nails, which inevitably end up in their mouths. She decided that any flammable substance that could eat through foam was unacceptable for her children's fingernails. Piggy Paint was born, a non-flammable non-toxic nail polish for kids.

Interested in writing a guest blog for Piggy Paint? Send your topic idea to giselle@socialmedia22.com.

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