How to Take Care of Long Nails: Keeping Natural Nails Long & Strong

Tools and materials:

• Nail and cuticle oil
• Nail file
• Clear nail base coat
• Colored nail polish
• Clear nail top coat

1. Prep nails and take care of cuticles

Remove any nail polish with an acetone-free polish remover. Rub in some nail and cuticle oil treatment.

Tip: using an oil treatment based on jojoba oil works really well, since jojoba oil mimics the natural oils that your skin and nails produce and penetrates your nail bed.

Read my tutorial on DIY Cuticle Oil for Nail Growth - My Secret Recipe to learn how to make your own cuticle oil treatment.

Use your fingernail or a cuticle tool to push back your cuticles.

2. File nails

File the tips of your nails to your desired shape.

3. Apply a clear base coat

Apply a clear base coat to your nails, including the edges of your nail tips.

4. Apply nail polish

Apply your first coat of nail polish to your nails in your color of choice, making sure you wrap the tip of your nails with the polish. That really helps to reduce chips and breaks.

Let your first coat dry completely, and then apply a second coat of nail polish.

5. Apply a top coat

Let the second coat of nail polish dry completely and then apply a clear, fast-drying top coat.

6. Clean up nails

Dip a small nail clean-up brush in acetone and remove any stray nail polish from around your cuticle area.

7. Finish with nail oil

Apply one more coat of nail and cuticle oil to your polished nails.

How to take care of long nails tutorial

Your nails are going to be so strong after following this routine, that when you tap one against the other you will hear them click! Make sure that you use your nail oil every time you reapply your polish to keep your naturally long nails strong and long.

Thanks for tuning in to this tutorial and let me know your thoughts in the comments below.