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You can end up with damaged nails for a variety of reasons. Nail-biting or peeling off gels (something you should never do) or using acrylics can lead to damaged nails. Pregnancy and ageing also affect their condition, sometimes making them uneven or more brittle.GHI tip: Keep hydrated by drinking enough water and applying hand cream. Try to avoid excessive washing of the hands as this can dry out the nails and cuticles, and it can cause splitting.

With nail strengtheners, the name is self-explanatory. Look for a product which aims to target weak nails and make them stronger. A good strengthener is full of nourishing and strengthening ingredients to help brittle and damaged nails.Ingredients vary from product to product. Nail strengtheners typically include at least one of ethyl acetate, butyl acetate, nitrocellulose, and tosylamide formaldehyde resin. These ingredients work to reinforce the nail.

Some ingredients such as formaldehyde and phthalates have a bad rep. But they’ve been thoroughly assessed and are safe to use at the levels allowed by law. Each cosmetic product sold in the UK needs to adhere to the strict EU cosmetics regulation. If you’re still worried and want to avoid these ingredients, there are plenty of other options. In our guide, we’ve highlighted which products are phthalate-free, toluene-free and formaldehyde-free.You apply a nail strengthener regularly, like a nail varnish or a cuticle oil (depending on the type), and over time they nurse your damaged digits back to health. Check the brand’s instructions for more details of how to use your chosen miracle maker. A nail strengthener can also act as a basecoat to help extend the life of your manicure, which is a bonus.

We recruited a panel of over 300 women to brush and polish their way through 14 brands of nail strengthener to find out which is the best. They assessed the applicator, drying time, and how quickly they saw improvements in their nail strength.While our testers tried out the nail strengtheners, we put the claims to the test in our beauty lab. Using a NailStressStrain Meter (a nail measurement device), we looked at improvements in nail strength and thickness over four weeks.

Choose hair colors one to two shades darker than natural color for natural results. For more dramatic results, go for shades two to four shades darker. If this is your first time dyeing your hair, you may want to try using temporary or semi-permanent dye rather than permanent dye.

• Temporary dyes tend to wash out after one shampoo.^[1]
• Semi-permanent dyes will wash out after 20 to 26 shampoos.
• Permanent dyes may fade, but they usually stay in your hair until it grows out.

Highlights are essentially the opposite of lowlights. Highlight colors should be one to two shades lighter than your natural hair color. For more dramatic results, go for shades three to four shades darker.

• You may need to bleach your hair to highlight it, which is best done in a salon.

Divide your hair into five sections. Make sure your five sections are roughly even. There should be one section on the top of your head. Then, on either side of your head, separate the hair into two sections. When you’re done, you should be left with one section of hair on top and four sections on the sides. Use rubber bands or hair clips to secure your hair.^[2]

• In other words, you should have three sections in the front of your head, and two in the back.

Use the slicing method to separate hair for a more dramatic look. Let down one of the sections. Starting at the top of the section, insert the end of your comb through your hair. Only a very thin section of hair should be on top of the end of the comb. Remember that for both highlight and lowlights, you should apply dye to very thin chunks of hair.