The perfect manicure for short nails

Ways to turn stumpy nails into a short but chic manicure worth holding your hand up for.

Some nails don’t grow as fast or as long as you’d want them to. You can load them with all the nail growth formulas in the world, but they’re paper-thin and just curl around your fingertips instead of shooting outwards. Here are some ways of taking care of them.

Soften those cuticles

Women with short nails often have long nail beds, so there’s plenty of surface to paint. Whatever their size, you’ll make them look longer if you use a cuticle soak or softener, then gently push the cuticles back.

Hit the buffers

Even the shortest nails look chic after you’ve used a four-way buffer block, so smooth out ridges and shine up the surface. Don’t do it more than once a fortnight or your nails will become thin.

Commit to a regime
Even if you’re keeping your nails short, you’ll stop the edge fraying if you use a treatment.

Oil them up

A daily massage with nail oil is the best thing you can do. Oil instantly changes the look of the nail, taking away dustiness and dryness from the cuticle, and helps in growth of stronger nails.

File daily

Carry a file to instantly sort snags. Daily filing also strengthens the tip. If you leave nails unfiled, you’ll get a jagged edge that catches and rips.