Dry Brittle And Peeling Finger And Toenails
Brittleness is the quality of a substance or anything solid to break easily due to its quality to break or snap easily upon applying pressure or force. However much the hardness in our fingernails seems to be brittleness in them can make them dry out easily, get damaged and vulnerable to peeling.
Causes of brittleness include
Certain medications can also make them become brittle. Other than the above reasons, is also a sign of aging.
What Brittle Nails Can Mean
If these techniques dont work to strengthen brittle nails, its time to see your primary care doctor or a dermatologist. Brittle nails can be signs of other health conditions, so be sure to let your doctor know of any other changes you notice.
Some health conditions that can cause brittle nails include:
- Raynauds syndrome: This disease causes circulation problems in the extremities, according to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. When the smaller arteries in hands and feet narrow, those extremities might feel numb or cold. Not surprisingly, this can affect nail health.
- Hypothyroidism: Low thyroid levels can cause more than just brittle nails. You might also notice fatigue, weight gain, dry skin, thinning hair, memory problems, depression, and constipation, according to Harvard Health Publishing.
- Anemia: Low iron levels can cause your nails to be brittle, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. You may also experience fatigue, shortness of breath, headaches, dizziness, cracks in the side of your mouth, or frequent infections. If blood work shows low iron, your doctor may recommend iron supplements.
- Cancer treatment: Brittle nails can be a side effect of cancer treatment, especially chemotherapy and other targeted therapies. If youre undergoing cancer treatment, talk to your oncology team about how to keep your nails and skin healthy and moisturized.
Protect Your Hands With Gloves
As already mentioned, excessive moisture can cause flaking nails and so can exposure to chemicals such as detergents, solvents, etc. When undertaking any activities that immersing your hands in water e.g. dishwashing, put on a pair of cotton-lined rubber gloves.
It is also advisable to wear gloves when performing chores that come with higher risk of traumatic injury to the nails e.g. gardening, construction work etc.
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Dry Manicures Reduce Cuticle Issues
The typical soaking plumps your cuticles during the manicure, making it more difficult to notice dry skin around your cuticles that may need to be trimmed. Lotion instead of water, also keeps your nails and cuticles clean and dry to better protect your nail beds, for overall healthy nails.
Making the switch from wet to dry manicures can be tricky as many clients might feel as though their manicure is incomplete without a warm soak. But if you explain the benefits to your clients, they might be willing to give it a try. You can even add a little aromatherapy to the lotion you use to make the manicure feel more luxurious for your client.
Do you have what it takes to be a professional manicurist? Enroll in the manicuring/nail care program at Salon Success Academy.
Salon Success Academy has five locations across the Inland Empire of California, flexible class schedules, and financial aid available for students who qualify. Call 1-877-987-HAIR or fill out the form to schedule a school a tour!
Become A Nail Filing Master
Go with a soft nail file to keep the edges of your nails smooth, says Dr. Klein. With rougher grains, you run the risk of making tears in the nail, which can lead to peeling and hangnails.
File your nails in one direction, using long and swift strokes. Back and forth see-saw motions will cause the nail to splinter, says Dr. Solomon, who recommends using the Deborah Lippmann Smooth Operator 4-Way Nail Buffer.
The micro-fiber material its made from is very gentle on the nails, but still manages to achieve a clean shape, she says.
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Avoid Contact With Water
Dont stop washing your hands or shower with gloves on, but do pay attention to ways you can reduce the time your nails spend in contact with water, because excessive water contact can weaken nail structure. For example, consider wearing gloves while doing the dishes or other wet work.
You know how soft and bendy nails get after a long bath? Consider this: The nail is like a sponge. It is 1,000 times more absorptive of water than the skin, for example, and so water can easily diffuse into the nail, Dr. Stern says. Excessive water exposure can put significant strain on delicate nail cells , which can lead to brittleness, peeling, and breakage, she says.
This is also why soaking nails before a manicure is bad practice. Not only does this make your nails more vulnerable to infection, according to Dr. Green, but it also doesnt allow nail polish to adhere as well or last as long.
Allow Each Layer To Dry For Two Minutes
Two minutes is the goal, but don’t feel obligated to time yourself to the very second: According to Lim, two minutes is typically the time it takes to paint your nails, pinkie to thumb. “You can go ahead and start the second coat after you’re done with the last finger,” she says. If you’re an especially speedy polish painter, you may want to give it a few seconds before starting the second coat.
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Ditch Nail Polish Removers That Contain Acetone
A nail polish remover loaded with acetone is harsh on weak nails and can dry them out something fierce. This can cause peeling, splitting, and those unsightly white, mottled marks, says Dr. Solomon.
Her rec? Tenoverten Non-Acetone Polish Remover. Its essential oil-based, removes polish in a matter of seconds, and feels very gentle on nails and cuticles, she says.
Take A Break From Polish
We love a perfect manicure as much as the next person, but if you want to give your dry, cracked cuticles a fighting chance, you may want to go on a break with nail polish for a week or two. “The nail plate has tiny pores that permit water, which gets under the nail to evaporateeven a clear coat of polish can block the pore, prevent evaporation, and lift the nail plate off the bed leading to nail fungus,” says Graf. She also notes that nail polishand the remover used to take it offcan dry out the nail plate due to the chemicals present. “These can weaken the nail, cause dryness, weakness, chipping and ridging,” she says, adding that giving the cuticles a rest from trimming and pushing allows them to heal and focus on moisturizing.
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How To Heal Damaged Nails
The first step to healing damaged nails is to identify the kind of damage done to the nails. Knowing this will not only save you from worsening the situation, but it will also save you from spending unnecessarily.
Also, once youve figured out the kind of damage done, invariably, youve solved half of the problem already.
For example, if theyre greenish or yellowish colouration after examining your nails, then its a fungal infection.
To solve fungal infection, youll need a lot of patience as they can be a bit stubborn. Heres a post on How to treat nail fungus with tea tree oil.
Then if its a cut probably across the nail bed, all you need are some quick DIY
Heres what you should do.
- First, Soak the affected nails in a solution containing warm water and salt.
- This helps to soothe the pain and prevent them from getting infected.
- Rub some anti-fungal cream on it. If after about 3 days and there is no sign of improvement, see your doctor immediately.
How Do I Treat Dry Nails
There are certain features of your nails that you cant do much about, such as how fast they grow, but if you have dry nails, there are several things you can do to help reverse the condition. Some tips revolve around the basics of daily living, such as consuming more water and limiting exposure to certain harsh chemicals, such as those contained in detergents and cleansers. Other tips include wearing protective gloves when washing dishes or performing any other type of work when your hands must be immersed in water, such as washing the car. Some studies say that taking a biotinsupplement can help dry, brittle nails. Dermatologists recommend over-the-counter cosmetic products that protect the nails, and they say the ingredients you should look for are amino acid and protein.
Dry, brittle nails can be prone to a condition known as onychoschizia, which means a split nail, and soft nails are as prone to the condition as dry nails. Sometimes the causes of dry nails can be traced to a vitamin deficiency, such as too little biotin, a B vitamin. Other times, an iron deficiency might be the culprit. Women, who suffer more from brittle nails than men, can develop dry nails as a result of a low level of estrogen in the body. Brittle nails also can be caused by a deficiency of the mineral copper.
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Consider Popping Biotin Supplements
Its yet to be proven without a doubt, but biotin may help to strengthen hair and nails. Because its water-soluble, it isnt stored by the body, so you have to ensure that you consume it daily, says Dr. Solomon.
Generally, most adults should be getting 30 micrograms of biotin daily, according to the National Institutes of Health. The typical recommended supplemental dose is roughly up to 3,000 mcg daily for six months, according to the Cleveland Clinic, but your doctor may recommend less or more, depending on your personal health.
If theres no improvement in nail strength by that time, odds are biotin is unlikely to be helpful. But if your nails do become stronger and you decide to make biotin supplementation a regular thing, make sure you stop taking them a few days before getting any lab tests done, as large amounts of biotin in your system can skew test results.
What Can I Do To Strengthen My Nails
Do you frequently wash your hands or do the dishes? Nails that fluctuate between wet and dry environments can become brittle. In fact, the most common reason for brittle nails is that they simply dried out.
If you want to strengthen your nails, there are several easy and inexpensive options:
- Moisturize. Try a dedicated nail oil or a hand lotion with alpha hydroxy acid or lanolin. If nails are soft but brittle, they may be too moist so cut back on the moisturizer.
- Limit manicures. To strengthen brittle nails, limit the number of manicures to avoid subjecting nails to the chemicals in nail polish and polish removers. Especially avoid acetone-based nail polish removers. For soft, brittle nails, a layer of polish may actually help.
- Avoid alcohol-based sanitizers. Hand sanitizers are a convenient way to keep the germs away when soap and water arent available. But alcohol can dry out your nails and skin.
- Get a paraffin wax bath. As an indulgent nail treatment, an at-home paraffin wax bath soothes and moisturizes nails and hands. Soak your hands in the bath for 10 to 20 minutes then give the wax time to dry before peeling it off.
- Wear gloves. When washing dishes or doing housework, wear rubber gloves to protect your fingernails.
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When To See A Doctor
Brittle nails are not necessarily a major cause for concern. However, a person may wish to see a doctor if they notice additional accompanying symptoms.
For example, fatigue could be a symptom of iron deficiency or anemia. Weight gain or loss could indicate a thyroid issue.
A person may also want to see a doctor if home remedies to strengthen their nails are not working. They may be able to suggest additional treatments or determine the cause of the brittleness.
S On How To Moisturize Dry Toenails At Home
Update: Hey Guys, For those of you that are allergic to Coconut oil, I recently found something I think you might be interested in especially if youre that type with sensitive skin. The below moisturizer works like magic. You should give it a try.
The first step to take is to decide on the choice of moisturizer you intend to use. When choosing a moisturizer, you should always look at for moisturizers that contain at least 50 % fats or lipids. Most recommended on our list is LONDONTOWN kur Nourishing Cuticle Oil or Shea butter.
The reason why were recommending these two among many is that they are what weve been using and to think of it that they both have anti-fungal and antiviral properties is just mind-blowing.
So now that weve decided to go with any of the oil as mentioned above, how then can we use them?
You can use them in two ways. But for the sake of time, Ill not dwell much on them. Heres an article that talks about Soaking nails on essential oils
Now that you have your oil in your hand, your feet are now dried. Its now time to moisturize your toenails.
All you need is
- Take a little quantity of the oil and then place them over your cuticles and toenails.
- Using your finger, run the oil through starting from the cuticle and then, down to your nails.
- Do this for 5 minutes then finally, leave some oil on them.
Doing this regularly will not only take your annoying dry toenails to a beautiful sight of attraction, but it will also keep them healthier.
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How Then Is The Best Way To Trim Them
One of the most actionable ways to trim them is to cut them across using a pair of scissors or nail clipper. While at it, be very careful not to harm yourself in the process.
During trimming, be sure to look at for signs like colouration, nail thickening, etc. If they are any visible signs, discontinue the soaking process and see a doctor at once.
But if theyre no visible signs of any, you can then proceed to the next step. Now that youve cleaned your toenails, its now time to moisturize them.
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What Causes Severe Zinc Deficiency
What are the causes of zinc deficiency? A poor diet can cause zinc deficiency. So it is more common in malnourished children and adults and in people who are unable to eat a normal diet due to circumstances or illness. Lots of zinc intake is from meat and seafood, so vegetarians may be more prone to deficiency.
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Use Nail Care Products Wisely
Prolonged used of nail polish removers that contain acetone as the active ingredient. Although acetone is very effective, it is not the most gentle when it comes to stripping the nails and cuticles of their moisture.
Some good acetone-free alternatives to look out for are Karma Naturals Nail Polish Remover and Pure Body Naturals Nail Polish Remover.
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Facts About Toenails You Should Know Today
- Toenails give us balance: If not for our toe, movement and balancing would have been a different story entirely. Dont you think so?
- They act as a breeding environment for fungal infection.
- Toenails are the second dirtiest part of the body because they harbour microbes more than any other region.
- They are modernized form of claws in humans.
- If you lost a toenail, it would take approximately 6 months for them to grow back.
- Ingrown nails are the primary cause of toenails fungus.
- If you happen to lose a toenail, it will take approximately 12 18 months to grow back fully, unlike fingernail that takes 3 6 months.
- The keratinous material that makes up the humans nails is 2x thicker in toenails than in fingernail.
- Toenails fall off on two occasions, one, when you have an injury and secondly, during fungal infection.
With that being said, lets quickly look at healing damaged nails.
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Leave Your Cuticles Alone
Its common practice to cut, push back, or try to get rid of cuticles altogether, but cuticles are not the enemy. In fact, the cuticle is the nails natural protective seal, according to Dana Stern, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and nail expert. Messing with your cuticles can do far more harm than goodeven if a nail technician is the one doing the handiwork. Dr. Stern says a compromised cuticle can leave the nails vulnerable and at risk of infection.
Michele Green, MD, a cosmetic dermatologist, agrees that poorly kept cuticles can have a domino effect. When your cuticles get dry or injured it can injure the nail bed and affect the way your nails grow out, Dr. Green says. She recommends moisturizing the cuticles with cream or cuticle oil to help protect and strengthen your nails.
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