Nail polish can hide a multiple of nail imperfections such as discolorations and ridges or uneven surfaces. But nail polish is one of the main culprits in causing nails to yellow or stain and an uneven or rough nail surface will only lead to early chipping and peeling of your nail polish.

There are a few simple tricks that can make nails brighter and smoother, and you don’t need to go to a nail salon.

To whiten nail tips, try soaking in lemon juice. Some women swear by effervescent denture cleaner tablets and still others use a whitening toothpaste, rubbed onto the nail. All of these methods work, it’s a matter of preference. One method I don’t recommend is soaking nails in a mild bleach solution. The bleach smell is hard to get rid of and it can be damaging and drying to skin. If you use the lemon solution, just be careful you don’t have any open cuts around your fingertips or you can expect a bit of stinging. Cutting a lemon in half and sticking your fingertips directly into the lemon for a few minutes also works.

Buffing the nails will smooth out uneven spots and give nails a high shine. Use a buffer specifically designed for the task. A buffer block with 4 sides is an excellent tool. Buff nail from cuticle to tip. Remember you are buffing for shine and smoothness, not trying to remove layers of nail. That will only leave nails thinner and more vulnerable to breaking, chipping and staining.

After whitening and buffing, you can apply a couple of coats of a shiny, clear top coat or apply one coat of a sheer pink or peach and follow with top coat. You will have an instant French manicure and a healthy, shiny look for nails.

Nails can be difficult to keep in good shape. We use our hands all the time in little ways we don’t even think will damage the nail. But housework, daily chores, even opening soda cans can damage nails.

Keeping nails short or medium length makes them easier to protect. Don’t file the sides of the nails, this weakens them. Do file nails in a blunt or square shape.

And it’s important to give nails a break from polish. Keeping polish on all the time doesn’t allow the nail to breathe. Dark polishes can stain nails if left on for a long time, but even light polishes can yellow nails. Take nail polish off, use a cuticle cream and let your nails breathe for a few days before your next manicure. Your nails will thank you for it.

Have you ever removed your nail polish to find that the nails underneath had turned yellow?

Typically, dark or red shades of nail polish can stain nails due to the yellow pigments in the color. If you favor red shades and tend to leave your polish on for long periods of time without changing the color, you may find that your nails have taken on a yellowish tint.

So, what to do? You can try rubbing hydrogen peroxide on the nails with a cotton ball to take some of the yellow off. You can also leave your nails natural and unpolished and eventually the yellow will grow out. You don’t have to give up your favorite shade of nail polish but you do need to apply a base coat to keep the polish from staining your nails. Even a coat of clear polish applied under the color will do the trick.

Sometimes yellow nails can be caused by health problems. If you have left your nails unpolished and they continue to grow in with a yellow tint, seek the advice of a health professional.