This paper presents new lower bounds for the first general Zagreb index $Z_α(G)$ involving two, three, and four arbitrary degrees of vertices of a simple graph $G$. For the special cases $α= 2$ and $α= -2$, the results give sharper bounds for the first Zagreb index $M_1(G)$ and the modified first Zagreb index ${}^{m}M_1(G)$, thereby improving several well-known inequalities in the literature. Furthermore, some applications of the derived bounds for $M_1(G)$ are demonstrated, establishing new bounds for the second Zagreb index, the spectral radius, Nordhaus-Gaddum type bounds, and their corresponding coindices.