When it comes to making a good impression, well kept fingernails rank highly. Poorly kept nails are almost immediately noticed and can greatly impact a person's image and the all important first assessment when meeting someone for the first time.

Use these eight care tips to ensure your nails serve as a good advertisement and help build a positive image:

1. Healthy looking nails should be smooth, curved, void of any spotting, and should not have any hollows or ridges.
2. Make sure your nails are completely dry before you file them.
3. Shape your nails with a fine emery board, do not use any type of metal file.
4. When filing, try to keep the shape of your nails oval not pointed, thus making the nails less susceptible to breakage.
5. The cuticle acts as a seal between the finger and the nail. Gently exfoliating the dry, rough, cuticle skin layers by actually sloughing off the dead outer layers exposes new and vibrant skin.
6. This new healthy skin protects the nails matrix which is the growth center of the nail and should be treated with care.
7. Don't over manicure your cuticles. Over-grooming the cuticle damages the cuticle and causes it to thicken and overgrow.
8. Never use metal or sharp instruments on your cuticles.