How To Treat Brittle Nails Naturally
Brittle nails can be frustrating. No matter how much you polish, buff, and moisturize, you still dont have beautiful nails. Why are perfect nails so hard for some woman and men to have? Breaking nails are often a sign of something else going wrong in the body. In this article, well explore the common causes of brittle nails and explore some nutritional cures.
Got Thin Peeling Or Cracked Nails Here Are 6 Reasons Why
Getting a manicure is one of the best ways to pamper yourself but if your nails are thin, peeling, and cracked, one of the most enjoyable experiences becomes anything but. After all, nails that arent in tip-top shape arent exactly #ManiMonday worthy. Or, if youre a guy or the naked nail type it can be frustrating, or even embarrassing, to have nails that look so distraught. And youre not alone! According to medical research, nearly 20% of the world population suffers from weak, brittle nails. But why the heck are your nails breaking so easily?
Dont Overdo The Hand Sanitizer
Because hand sanitizers are typically alcohol-based, constantly applying the stuff can dry out your nails and leave them super brittle. If you have to use hand sanitizer, try not to get it on your nails, and dont overdo it, says Dr. Solomon. Using hand sanitizer wipes can make it easier to avoid the nail area during applicationor if you prefer the liquid variety, make sure to slather on moisturizer afterward to balance the scales.
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Commit To Monthly Maintenance
Which brings us to our next point: monthly maintenance. Whether you opt for a DIY manicure or take a trip to the salon, a regular tuneup is key to keeping those tips strong. Your nails can tell you a lot about your overall health, so use that time to make regular check-ins as well. “When you take your nail polish off, check your nail color and the strength of your nail plate before you go ahead and apply polish or treat your nails,” says Lin.
If a bare nail is more your thing, Lim still recommends proper nail hygienethat is, keeping them clipped, cleaned, and filed. “Take your fingernail and raise the free edges to see if there are any snags, and you can smooth them out. That’s a great way to maintain your nails,” she says.;
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.
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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.
Moisturize With Shea Butter
The application of shea butter can help nourish your nails and restore moisture, thus boosting the repair of brittle nails while promoting the growth of strong nails.
How to use:
- Use shea butter to moisturize your hands, including the nails, every day.
- You can also massage in shea butter to your nails for around 20 minutes before bedtime and leave it overnight.
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A Dozen Tips For More Beautiful Nails
Long, strong, healthy nails are possible — if you don’t fall prey to myths and old wives tales! Three experts tell you what you need to know.
Like a great new haircut or a terrific skin care regimen, healthy, well-manicured nails are an integral part of a neat, pulled-together appearance – one that can work as an asset in both the social and the business world.
Unfortunately, experts say both men and women fall prey to myths and old wives’ tales about how to care for nails. Another pitfall: many of us rely on the guidance of salons, some of which may not be doling out the best advice — or treatments.
To help set the record straight — and get you on the road to beautiful nails — three top dermatologists offer these 12 tips for achieving healthy, well groomed, elegant nails.
Your Nails Dry Out As You Age Losing Their Natural Oils Which Act As A Glue To Hold The Nail Layers Together
If you have thin fingernails and dry skin to begin with, you can expect this to happen to you “sooner rather than later.”;;
Exposing your hands to harsh soaps, cleaning products, solvents, and rough work makes the problem worse because it pulls natural oil from your nails and damages the nail keratin protein. At first, your nails begin to “fray” on the edges, becoming brittle. Eventually, the layers split.;
Nail hardeners make the problem of nail splitting worse, too. This is because the alcohols, formaldehyde and other chemicals in the nail hardeners really dry out your natural oils.
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Keep Your Nails Shorter
If youre noticing that your nails are breaking off at a certain length, they may be too long.;
Try to keep your nails shorter while practicing other tips to encourage strong and healthy nail growth. Once your nails become stronger and healthier, you may be able to grow them back out again. Some nails are healthier when theyre shorter, so listen to your body and grow them to a comfortable length.;
What you eat also influences the strength of your nails. Your body may be lacking in some essential nutrients.;
Eat a varied diet that includes nutrient-rich foods like the following:
- Salmon
Avoid Using Nails As Tools
The role of the nails is to protect the soft skin underneath them. It is not a good idea to use them as tools to get things done.
A person can easily break or chip their nail if they use them to open a can, for example. So to protect nails, try using a flat object or the pads of the fingers to pry it open.
Not using nails as tools can help prevent damage and improve nail strength.
Shorter nails are less likely to become damaged. When a person has very long nails, they are more likely to break, chip, crack, or catch on something and rip off.
Keeping nails trimmed can help avoid accidental breakages and maintain their strength.
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How To Strengthen Your Nails
Want harder, healthier nails? Look no further than these best ways to strengthen your nails plus the pro-approved products that help.
Maybe you’ve thought, “Dang, why can’t my natural nails be this long?” after a recent nail tip application. Or maybe you need stronger nails for playing the guitar. Whatever your motivations, if you’re yearning to strengthen your nails, there are various tricks that can make a noticeable difference.
Problem is, it’s not always easy to pinpoint the cause of weak nails, let alone figure out the best way to address them. Artificial nail application, genetic disposition, malnutrition, illness, dehydration, medication side effects, and underlying nail infections are just some of the common causes of weak nails, according to Flora Kim, M.D., F.A.A.D., a Texas-based dermatologist. Whatever the reason, the result is still the same: fingernails that are best described as fragile, rigid, and prone to breakage. Sound familiar? Then you’re probably wondering how to strengthen your nails and you’ve come to the right place. Read on for experts’ perspectives on the best way to strengthen your nails.
The Best Nail Strengtheners
Price: £17 |
Soft, brittle nails will instantly benefit from OPIs cult classic Nail Envy. A miracle worker in a bottle, this nail strengtheners potent formula will immediately get to work nourishing nails with its blend of hydrolysed protein and calcium. For stronger, longer and healthier-looking nails, simply apply two coats of the strengthener to bare nails. For best results, apply an additional coat every couple of days. This formula is fine to use as a top coat over nail polish, too.
Nail Envy is one of OPIs top-selling products for good reason: it delivers on its promises to strengthen nails and works beautifully as a base and top coat. If this particular nail treatment doesnt fit the bill, then youll be pleased to learn that theres a family of other Nail Envy strengtheners to choose from, including formulas to suit sensitive, peeling or dry and brittle nails.
Key specs – Pack size: 15ml
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Weak Fingernails Treatment How To Fix Soft Weak Peeling Fingernails And Toenails
Thin, weakened nails that crack, split, or peel easily steal from the aesthetic appeal of the nail that every woman desires. Luckily you can effectively strengthen soft fingernails with nothing more than simple home remedies that are affordable and easily available you could even have them in your house already. Below is a guideline on how to strengthen weak fingernails at home:
Going Short Can Strengthen Nails
“Whether you realize it or not, when you have long nails you’re constantly hitting them on your keyboard, the door, you name it. People underestimate how much of an impact this has,” says Tuttle.
Keep your nails short and give them a chance to grow out stronger and healthier than before. The other upshot: Nails that aren’t in great shape look healthier when they’re shorter, adds Holford.
Bannon adds that giving yourself a mini “manicure” even if it’s just as simple as filing your nails every two to four days can prevent breakage and snags. If your nails are really in need of some T.L.C., repeat these manis for two to four weeks to see results and stronger nails.
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Making Your Nails Stronger
Nail Treatments For Brittle Nails
Apply solar oil to help strengthen the nail plates, soften cuticles and improve water retention.
Specialist nail lacquers formulas are available that are impregnated with protein, calcium and other substances designed to reduce nail brittleness and splitting. Ive tried many of these over the years and did not find any that really worked until a friend recommended Nailtiques. Using this range has helped to transform my nails and, judging from the number of five-star reviews, Im not alone.
Nailtiques Formula 3 is designed to treat hard, dry, brittle or ridged nails and is ideal for post-menopausal dry, brittle nails. Use it on its own, reapplying it twice a week, or as a base coat or top coat with coloured nail polish.
Remove Nailtiques Formula 3 with acetone-free remover which will not embrittle nails.
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Eat More Foods That Promote Strong Nails
Avoid yo-yo dieting, which can lead to vitamin deficiencies that may put the strength of your nails in jeopardy. Make sure you eat enough protein and calcium too, which are thought to promote nail health, says Robin Evans, MD, Connecticut-based board-certified dermatologist and clinical instructor at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Loading up on biotin-rich foods, such as veggies, eggs, and nuts, may also help.
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 .
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Don’t Overdo Hand Washing And Limit Contact With Cleaning Chemicals
As healthy as it can be to wash your hands frequently, overdo it and you’ll wreak havoc with your nails, says Stern. If you are in a profession where frequent hand washing is mandatory, she advises to use moisturizer as often as possible and rub a little extra around the cuticles several times a day.
When doing housework or laundry, Jamal says, minimize contact with harsh chemicals, including dishwashing liquid, by wearing rubber gloves whenever possible.
You Pick Off Your Nail Polish
Peeling off polish when your manicure starts to chip isnt just getting rid of a pretty coat of polish. Youre also removing part of the top layer of your nails, leading to thinning. Hey, were all guilty of doing this from time to time, but were just here to warn you: your nails will suffer. It can take months for your nails to grow back healthy. No thanks!
The fix: Do not, we repeat, do not peel off your nail polish. Try a non-acetone polish remover to take off traditional nail polish without weakening them any further.
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Healing Insights For Splitting Fingernails And Cracked Dry Skin
Just yesterday, an 80-year-old man who is one of my dermatology patients asked me why his splitting fingernails were dry and brittle on the ends.; He’d always had strong nails. He wanted to know if I thought Knox Gelatin Capsules would work for him; it’s what his mother used when she had nail problems. They didn’t work for her, but he didn’t know what else to do.
Splitting and cracked fingernail problems can happen at any age, but it’s definitely one of those as we age stories. If your nails are splitting, there are things you can do to improve them, but there are also common “remedies” that actually make the problem worse.
