My nails have come a long way since I started this blog. They used to be short, prone to breaks, splits, and peels, and were about as appealing as a gynecological exam. Months later, they're a lot stronger and have grown significantly. In fact, I had to file them down a bit the other day because they were making it impossible to dial numbers on my cell phone.

That said, they should still never see the light of day without being polished.

That ugly callous on my middle finger is a burn from the oven. I am a clumsy cook.

Obviously they are stained beyond belief. I do try to wear a base at all times, but the truth is that I'm pretty lazy and do "forget" to use one sometimes. I think they'd still be stained even if I did wear one 100% of the time though. I have yet to see a polishaholic whose nails aren't at least a little bit yellow. It's just the price we pay for our addiction.

I also have a strange dark dot right above the smile line on my middle finger. I've tried to buff that bitch out, but it's completely embedded in the nail. I have no idea what it is or where it came from.

Aside from those issues, I am happy to report that I don't currently have any splits or peels for the first time in my whole life. In case you are wondering how I managed to rid myself of those problems, I will now tell you about the changes I made to my nail care routine.

1. I filed my nails so that they were square. I *think* I read that square nails are more resistant to breaks at Loodie Loodie Loodie. If you have never read that blog, I suggest you go there now. Her posts are mostly nail care related and she has a lot of great tips.

2. I take care of my cuticles as best I can. I apply Burts Bees cuticle creme and push them back every day before I change my polish. Not only are messy, dry, unruly cuticles bad for the health of your nails, but they also look horrible. Buy a cheap cuticle remover and spend a few minutes grooming them. Your nails will instantly look 150% better and your nail polish will apply much better in that area as well.

3. I never use my nails as tools. If I need to open a soda can, I make sure I'm using the flesh of my finger and not my nail (does that make sense???). I also noticed that I would get splits and breaks when I did laundry, so I now pay extra close attention to how I handle my clothes when I'm taking them from the washer to the dryer. It takes longer, but it's worth it.

4. I file them when they get too long. Some girls love their uber long nails. I prefer a sportier length for various reasons. One being that they're just easier to work with, and another being that when they get too long they're more apt to break.

5. I keep them polished at all times. While it's true that nail polish has "ruined" my nails in one sense (the staining), it's also true that it's strengthened them over time.

That's it. That's my whole routine. I have thought about using treatments like Nail Envy (which I hear is really good), but if it aint broke, why fix it? I would like to find a nail whitener that doesn't have any adverse effects though. I'm scared that they're make my nails brittle and I'll have to start from square one. Does anyone have any recommendations for that kind of thing???