How To Heal Brittle Nails

Types Of Brittle Nails

Brittle nails are classified into:

• Dry and brittle nails Dry nails, hands, and cuticles are a common problem caused by a lack of moisture, generally due to excessive washing of hands or using air dryers.
• Soft and brittle nails Excessive moisture can also cause brittle nails. This can result from exposure to detergents, nail polish remover, and household cleansers.

Consume A Healthy Diet

It is vital to improve your diet to maintain the health of your nails. Since brittle nails often result from nutritional deficiencies, make sure to include rich sources of vitamins A, B, C, D, and E, zinc, folic acid, iron, calcium, and biotin in your diet to prevent and improve brittle nails. This is also beneficial to your overall health.

When To See A Doctor

It is best to seek medical opinion for brittle nails if they appear suddenly or are accompanied by:

• Thinning or thickening of the nails
• Nails separating from the surrounding skin
• Pain or swelling around the nails
• Nongrowth of nails

• What measures can I take to help improve my nail health?
• Do I need to take medications?
• Do I need to make dietary changes?
• What can be the cause of the nail brittleness?

• Do you have other symptoms such as lethargy, fatigue, or fever?
• Are you diabetic?

You May Like: How To Take Dip Nails Off

Remove Gel Polish And Acrylics Correctly

Okay, so technically this isnt a repair tip, but do this first and it can save you from having to deal with a lot of potential problems. First and foremost, repeat after us: I will not pick off a gel manicure.

Picking off gel is probably the worst thing you can do to your nails, says celebrity manicurist Geraldine Holford. The immediate effects are harming the nail plate because youre removing the top layers of the actual nail along with your polish, she explains.

The long-term effects are thinning of the nails, harm to the nail bed, and irregularities on the nail plate and in growth patterns. No thank you.

ORLYs Senior Product Testing Manager, Kelly Bannon agrees, adding that even if you soak your nails to remove the polish, you can still damage your nails if not soaked long enough or if the topcoat barrier is not broken, prohibiting the remove to reach all the gel layers. She strongly recommends having your gels removed by a professional top prevent any damage.

Pro tip: Whether youre having gel or dip removed, ask your tech to cover your hands in hot towels while your nails are wrapped up in the acetone-soaked cotton pads the heat will help speed up the process, explains Sarah Gibson Tuttle, founder and CEO of Olive & June.

Read Also: Does Kerasal Cure Nail Fungus

Give Your Nails Some Love

Cant make it to the nail salon for a manicure? Take matters into your own hands and start caring for your nails at home with these tips:

• Keep em short. Keep your nails on the shorter side to minimize surface area, since thats where water and chemicals can be absorbed.
• File your nails. Do this daily to keep them smooth and help prevent breakage and splitting. File in one direction using a fine emery board.
• Biting is a no-no. Avoid picking or biting your nails or cuticles.
• Buffing. Buff your nails every few days in the same direction as they grow. Dont use a back-and-forth motion. This can make splitting worse.
• Get hard. Apply a nail hardener to strengthen those bad boys.
• No acetone. Use nail polish removers that dont contain acetone.
• Pause the polish. Give your nails a break from polish to allow them to breathe. Constant use of polish can weaken your nails.
• Avoid acrylic and gel nails. If you do glam those nails up, avoid constantly using gel or acrylic nails. These can also weaken nails, and UV light that nail technicians use to dry gel can have a similar effect.

Don’t Miss: How To Treat Green Nail Syndrome

Best Nail Strengtheners And Products For Brittle Nails

MAVALA Scientifique K+ Keratin Hardener Strengthener

MAVALA Scientifique K+ Keratin Hardener Strengthener $22.00 at

Dr. Lamb highly recommended MAVALA’s products, including this keratin nail hardener. Promising to harden the nail plate by reinforcing them with crystal resin tears, this is a great product if you suffer from breaking nails. Amazon shoppers love it, too it currently has over 2,400 five-star ratings.

Nail-Aid Keratin 3 Day Growth Nail Treatment & Strengthener

• Nail-Aid Keratin 3 Day Growth Nail Treatment & Strengthener $3.88 at
• Nail-Aid Keratin 3 Day Growth Nail Treatment & Strengthener $3.88 at Walmart

With a whopping 12,700 five-star ratings on Amazon, shoppers clearly love and trust this product. Claiming to improve the state of your nails in just three days, this strengthener contains a keratin amino acid treatment that absorbs right into your nails.

Brittle Toenails: Causes And Home Remedies

Written byDr. Victor MarchionePublished onJanuary 20, 2017

Brittle toenails arent something to be ashamed of, as many people suffer from this condition. You may feel that due to your brittle nails, you cant enjoy wearing sandals in the summer or open toe shoes to events. Theres no denying that brittle nails look unsightly, even if you try to pretty them up by applying nail polish.

Brittle toenails appear as if the nails have been chewed on, because the nails look uneven and split at the end. Furthermore, even though initial growth of the nail looks good, once it grows beyond a millimeter past the end of the toe, the same chipping and uneven process begins againmeaning you need to keep your toenails quite short to keep them looking good.

There are many different causes for brittle toenails, but the specific condition onychorrhexis refers to an ailment that causes lengthwise ridges on the surface of the nail.

Also Check: How To Remove Powder Nails

Common Causes Of Brittle Nails

• Low Thyroid Brittle nails are sometimes a sign of a more serious illness. One of the most common causes of brittle and breaking nails is low thyroid, also called hypothyroidism. In hypothyroidism, your body does not produce enough of the thyroid hormone, leading to symptoms such as weakness, fatigue, dry skin, brittle nails, depression, constipation, memory trouble, and irregular periods. People with under-active thyroid often notice soft nail beds, nail ridges, and a lightening or disappearance of the white, crescent-shaped area of the nail base.

• Iron and Vitamin Deficiencies The Standard American Diet and increasingly poor soil quality has resulted in an epidemic of nutritional deficiencies. Iron is an essential mineral and lack of it can result in brittle nails, breaking nails, unusual nail ridging, and sometimes a bluish color to the nail bed. Other nutritional deficiencies that may lead to less-than-perfect nails are vitamin C, D, E, and B.

• Dehydration You may think you drink enough water per day but if youre experiencing brittle nails, excessive thirst, dry mouth, loss of appetite, dark urine, skin flushing, and chills, youre dehydrated. Even if you drink a bunch of soda, fruit juice, and coffee each day, you can still be dehydrated. Your body needs plenty of fresh, pure water to keep your joints lubricated, your hair and nails strong, and your body running smoothly.

Useful Home Remedies For Brittle Nails Tips To Get Naturally Strong Nails

Having shining and beautifully shaped nails at the tip of the fingers enhances the overall beauty of your hands and almost all of us strive to have healthy and long nails which can be styled in any way we want. But the beauty of the hands is often marred by weak and brittle nails that becomes chipped and cracked easily. Brittle nails is a common problem that can affect both men and women and some of the common causes of weak and brittle nails are aging, excessive use of nail enamels and nail polish removers, overexposure to water. There are numerous diseases that can also cause brittle nails like fungal infections, psoriasis, eczema, anemia and lichen planus. Therefore, it is vital to take special care of nails just like we pamper our skin with the effective glowing skin home remedies. These home remedies, in combination with a few healthy lifestyle changes, can provide you naturally strong and healthy nails.

Recommended Reading: How To Use Essie Gel Nail Polish

Home Remedies For Brittle Nails

Shutterstock

• Lemon Juice And Olive Oil Soak: This soak will naturally penetrate through the cuticle to repair and strengthen the damaged nails.
• Beer Soak: Beer has many natural friendly minerals which are essential for strong nail and hair growth.
• Sea Salt Soak: This is a technique usually used in spas because they soften the nail cuticle adding in a brilliant shine.
• Coconut Oil Massage: Coconut oil is an excellent nourisher and moisturiser for the nails, even preventing any kind of nail infection.
• Apple Cider Vinegar Soak: Who does not have apple cider vinegar in the pantry? This inexpensive technique provides nails with the minerals they require.
• Vitamin E Oil Massage: Like coconut oil, vitamin E oil acts as a moisturiser.
• Tea Tree Oil Drops: It cures brittle nails caused by fungal infections. Note that you must dilute the tea tree oil with a carrier oil before applying.
• Lemon Juice Swipe: Strengthening and brightening the nails by removing the ugly yellow stain left behind by excessive nail paint.

Tip: Most of these remedies should be tried at night because at that time the body is allowed to rejuvenate and repair itself.

How To Get Rid Of Brittle Nails

Weak, brittle nails are a beauty concern for many because apart from being unsightly, they are likely to chip, crack, and break off easily. In addition, they can lead to painful cuticles.

More often than not, nails tend to become brittle due to increasing age.

Plus, factors like nutritional deficiencies, improper nail care routine, long-term use of nail paint, psoriasis, excessive sun exposure, lack of moisture, prolonged exposure to harsh cleaners, etc. may give rise to this problem.

Furthermore, certain diseases and health conditions such as thyroid disorder, Raynauds disease, lichen planus, lung disease, infection, and so on can also cause brittle nails. Intake of certain medications like antibiotics, too, can contribute in causing the same.

Read Also: Essie Gel Instructions

Take Breathers Between Manicures

Bottom line: Your nails need to breathe. Constant use of polish, even non-toxic polish, can weaken the nail, says Dr. Solomon. If you find that your nails have become especially fragile , give them a month off from nail polish to allow them to grow and strengthen. Applying a keratin treatment between manicures, such as CND RescueRXx, can help nourish your nails during the hiatus.

Dermatologist’s 3 Simple Tricks To Treat Cracked And Splitting Fingernails

#1. Hydrate your nails and add oils.

Do this by using creams, oils and ointments on your nails every day after they’ve been wet. My favorite remedy is good old fashioned Bag Balm which is made with wool alcohol . Know that the thicker the cream, the better. Oil-rich products or ointments are best. The trick is to use something that stays put for a while and does not rub off right away.

One of my other favorite hydrating ingredients for nails is glycerin. It is in my Dry Skin Hand Cream. This is a great product to apply to your hand and nails numerous times a day after washing. It is non-greasy and convenient making it easy to use. It’s important to moisturize skin and nails immediately after water exposure: applying moisturizers to dry nails is not nearly as effective.

Always apply moisturizer within minutes after your bath or shower, or after washing your hands. Do it as often as possible.

I love this hand cream I wash my hands so many times during my work day that they would be chapped and cracked if it weren’t for my Dry Skin Hand Cream. I keep it in my lab coat pocket! Dermatologist Dr. Cynthia Bailey

Use the Hand Cream many times during the day and the Bag Balm at bedtime to create an intensive healing treatment to help keep your nails from splitting. If your nails are really bad, you may want to even apply Bag Balm to them numerous times a day after washing your hands.

#2. Clip and file your nails when they’re wet.

Also Check: How To Remove Nail Glue

Biotin For Brittle Nails

Biotin is a B group vitamin which can improve the strength of brittle, splitting nails. Studies in which nails were examined by scanning electron microscopy showed that taking biotin supplements increased nail thickness by an average of 25% in those with brittle fingernails, reduced splitting and caused the arrangement of cells on the back of the nail to become more regular. In a study involving 45 women, taking 2.5mg biotin supplements per day for six months, 91% showed definite improvement in nail quality, with none of them considering treatment ineffective. Noticeable effects are normally seen within 2 to 3 months of starting to take supplements. As a bonus, it will strengthen your hair, too.

However, in one study, around one in three women showed no significant improvements, suggesting that biotin deficiency is not always involved in poor nail quality. If biotin doesnt work for you, then take a silica supplement .

Also Check: How To Remove Contact Lenses With Nails

Compare With Similar Items

4.3 out of 5 stars

Don’t Miss: How Much Does Nail School Cost

Cut Back On Gel And Acrylic Manicures

They may be touted as an easy alternative for people who have trouble growing their nails, but frequent gel or acrylic manicures can cause your nails to peel, weakening them in the process. These manicures also expose your digits to excessive amounts of acetone in the soak required to remove them, which is very drying to the nail, says Dr. Klein. If you prefer to keep these types of manicures on rotation, make sure to either give your nails time to breathe between applications or save them for special occasions.

Vitamin C Keeps Nails And Hair Healthy

The properties of vitamin C are among the best known, highlighting its antioxidant action and that it increases the defenses, favoring the general well-being of the organism and thus avoiding disorders that could alter the formation of the nails, for example a fungal infection in them. . As is necessary for the absorption of iron, whose deficit causes a type of anemia and brittle nails is one of its symptoms. In addition, it is involved in the production of collagen, a protein that helps maintain and regenerate various structures, including nails.

To avoid or combat brittle or poorly growing nails, you can consume foods rich in vitamins C , mainly acerola, peppers, radishes, cauliflower, citrus fruits and animal liver. In general, it is necessary to ingest 90 mg daily in the case of men and 75 mg in women while its dose should be higher in women during pregnancy and lactation, smokers or those who suffer from fractures, inflammatory diseases or skin.

Don’t Miss: How Much Money Do Nail Techs Make

What Are Brittle Toenails

When your toenails look cracked, dried up, and they peel at the edges, then these are considered brittle, which is a common affliction, especially in women and the elderly.

As we grow older, our body struggles to produce and maintain the natural proteins that keep our bodies looking and feeling healthy.

However, just like your skin, hair, teeth, and eyes can alert you of any anomalies in your body, brittle toenails can be a sign that says much more about you and your habits than age alone.

Caring For The Toenails

To have a strong toenail, it is important to have a proper nail care. Keep the skin intact and the nail beds healthy. Applying a moisturizer and cuticle oil can help prevent infection and keep the nail bed healthy.

A healthy nail bed is essential for a healthy nail. File your nails regularly. If you notice any tears, you have to attend to it right away to prevent further damage. Pay particular attention to what you eat. Keep your body hydrated by drinking plenty of water. Eat a well-balanced diet and increase your intake of vegetables, fresh fruits, vitamins, and minerals.

It is embarrassing to have brittle and unhealthy nails. Severely brittle nails can sometimes lead to serious infection, which causes intense pain and lifting of the nail bed. If your toenail is brittle, do not be afraid because treatments are available.

References:

You May Like: How Do You Get Dip Nails Off

Treat Brittle Nails With These 5 Home Nail Remedies

19 October, 2018

Did you know that you can treat brittle nails with home remedies? Most people worry about keeping their nails healthy because they say so much about us. Despite this, its sometimes difficult to keep them in good condition, since theyre easily affected by environmental factors and your nutrition.

Sure, there are many cosmetic products that can help strengthen them, but sometimes, its better to use some alternative treatments to stop them breaking or being brittle.

Although a conventional manicure helps make your nails look prettier, its important to moisturize them, nourish them, and take other steps, too.

In this article, we want to share five interesting home nail remedies so you can keep them looking healthy without spending too much!