How To Keep Nail Splits To A Minimum
Although nail shedding is a natural process, keeping nail splits especially more severe splits that can cause pain and bleeding to a minimum is a great idea. It will avoid costly and inconvenient trips to the vets, and your cat will be happier and healthier. Here are some ideas on how you can avoid the hassle of broken nails.
Moisturize Your Hands And Nails Regularly
Frequently moisturizing your nails and the surrounding skin with a hand cream can prevent further impairment of the integrity of the nails, says Philadelphia-based dermatologist Rina Allawh, MD. Ointments, such as Aquaphor Healing Ointment and Vaniply Skin Protectant, pull a double-duty by nourishing your nails and protecting them from future damage by locking in moisture.
Cuticle oil helps to repair, nourish, and moisturize weak nails as well, says North Carolina-based board-certified dermatologist Sheel Desai Solomon, MD. I recommend LOccitane Shea Nourishing Nail & Cuticle Oil, she says. Its formulated with a high concentration of shea oil to help soften cuticles and nourish nails.
Your Fingernails Keep Splitting Here Are Ways To Prevent It
Split nails arent something to be happy about but theres always something you can do to remedy it. So if youve been looking for ways all over the internet to actually nail it for good then search no further because Ive done the hard work for you already. Below are distinct ways you can deliberately adopt to prevent and stop your fingernails from splitting now and again
One of the obvious ways Ive found pretty effective is by keeping your nails moisturized always with moisturizers coconut oil, argan oil or castor oil.
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Common Nails Splitting Causes
Onychoschizia can be linked to the aging process as nails can become weak or thick. Any type of cracked nails, such as vertical split nails causes, can be present months after initial damage. This is primarily due to the nail taking six months to grow to its complete length. The most common cause is constant wetting and drying of nails, but there are other factors to consider before attempting any treatment.
Repairing Your Split Nail
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Fingernails Keep Splitting Heres What To Do
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Contents On This Page
Fingernails Keep Splitting: If your nails are always dry, theyre said to brittle, and when this happens, a split is bound to happen.
Dry, brittle nails are the major causes of split nails. How then can you prevent your nails from getting dry? Youll find out soon in this article.
In this article, Im going to tell you the exact reason why;
- Your fingernails keep splitting
- How to treat and stop your nails from splitting
- And when to see a doctor.
But before I do that, heres a short story for you.
Soak In Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar possesses various nutrients including iron, calcium, magnesium, and potassium that nourish and strengthen the nails. The malic acid and acetic acid present in ACV acts as antifungal and antibacterial agents that can help prevent and manage nail infections.
How to use:
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What To Do If My Cat Breaks A Nail
Even with the above tips, broken nails that cause pain and discomfort can happen. Watch out for your kitty limping or blood coming from their paw. If you notice with of these, you should then start by checking your cats nails for signs of breakage to confirm it is due to a nail split and not another injury. Once confirmed, work through these steps to ease the suffering:
MY FINAL THOUGHTS
To summarize, cat nail splitting is normal and pretty common. Cat nails split naturally as part of their shedding process. This can look a little alarming but is actually a healthy sign. However, sometimes cat nails split deeper into the nail, which can cause bleeding, pain, and discomfort. In these cases, its advisable to take your cat to the vet who will prescribe pain medication and clean the wound up.
You can also help to minimize the likelihood of cat claws splitting by keeping your cats nails nice and trim. They can do this themselves through regular scratching. Ensure you have a scratching post or cat tree for them to use, otherwise, your furniture might get it! You also need to trim your cats nails frequently or hire a professional if you dont feel comfortable doing this yourself.
Keep Your Nails Medium
Extremely long nails can lead to a constant tear or split. So be sure to keep yours trimmed to your desired length. I like to think of the length thingy to be subjective though but in all, try to keep them short.
They should not be too long, and most importantly, be mindful of the kind of nail shape to adopt as some leads to frequent splitting.
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What Causes Fingernails To Split Down The Middle
There are a thousand and one reasons why fingernails split but what Ive found out over the course of growing and keeping nails as a lifestyle is that nails split when theyre subjected to external stress, health challenges, poor diet, or trauma.
Onychorrhexis, otherwise known as the vertical split, is the condition that occurs when fingernails tear down the middle.
The Cause Of Weak Nails
Weak nails are nails that are too moist. The excess moisture makes your nails soft, causing them to tear easily. Though there are nail hardening products on the market, you should be aware that these hardening products contain ingredients like formaldehyde, and prolonged use of formaldehyde may cause the opposite problem: brittleness. Because of this, most dermatologists do not advise the use of nail hardeners.
People who are prone to nail damage:
- People who change their nail polish almost every day are more susceptible to nail damage because most polish removers contain acetone and formaldehyde.
- Older people also experience more nail damage because nails dry out as we age.
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Skip The Gel Polish To Avoid Uv Damage
Gel polish may last longer than traditional polish, but Green advises that the process could be detrimental to your nails and lead to peeling. “Gel manicures require UV light to set the gel, and the risk of UV light can be just as damaging to the;nail;bed as UV light from the sun,” she says. “In addition, gel manicures can cause;nail;fungus. You also put yourself at risk for developing a skin or;nail;infection due to the filing down of the nailbed.” Instead, go for a super strong top coat like Seche Vite’s Dry Fast Top Coat and wear gloves anytime you’re washing dishes to maintain the life of your mani.
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?
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What Are The Best Ways To Strengthen Soft And Splitting Finger Nails
The simple, regular application of the lanolin-rich ointment Bag Balm;works wonders to help stop nail splitting. In my almost 30 years practicing dermatology, I’ve never found a better nail product for this type of nail problem.; For Bag Balm to work it’s magic, it’s always important to apply it to nails that just had a nice soak in water . I like to apply it to my nails and hands at night and cover them with cotton gloves.
Nail fragility can be helped even more by moisturizing the nail numerous times a day after washing. It also helps to avoid harsh soaps and solvent exposure that cause lipid loss and protein damage in the nail plate. This includes using only a gentle hand soap instead of dishwashing soap or harsh hand soaps.
Dry nails and hand skin are such a common problems that I created my Dry Skin Hand Repair Kitwith everything we need to avoid dry hands – AND NAILS – and to replenish lost lipids. This is what I use for my 62-year-old nails that naturally want to be fragile, dry and split. It takes work to keep them nice and this is how I do it.
How To Prevent Nails From Breaking And Splitting
Ther are several ways to prevent your nail from splitting. For example, using a moisturizing cream and wearing protective gloves can really help maintain strong nails.
Use Gloves
Use rubber gloves to protect your hands and nails while cleaning, doing laundry, washing dishes and other activities that may expose your nails to water or chemicals for long period of time.
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Maintain length
Take good care of your nails. Keep your nails shaped and cut. Maintaining a suitable length for daily use is one of the most important things in preventing nail splitting.
Use moisturizing cream
It is essential to keep your hands and nails in good shape. Appling moisturizing cream daily to your nails and cuticle will help you prevent dryness and nail splitting.
Nail friendly polishes
Some nail polishes and hardeners may contain some harmful ingredients which may damage your nail plate. Those nail polishes can dry out the nail by absorbing moisture. Prefer using polishes containing nylon fibers and try to avoid polishes with strong chemicals. Try to remove your nail polish every 5 days and let your nails rest about 2-3 days before applying nail polish again.
Avoid nail biting
Nail biting can cause damage to your nails, try and get a professional manicure or gel overlay. If youre a nail biter, you might find this article interesting: how to stop biting nails in 9 minutes!
Good nutrition for strong nails;
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Why Are My Cats Nails Splitting
Before we list the reasons as to why cat nails split, it is important to understand the usual lifecycle of your cats claws and why they shed. You may have noticed your cats nails shedding before. Maybe you found one of the outer layers of their claws known as a claw sheath in your carpet or on the floor. But, why does this happen?
To put things simply, cats claws grow in layers similar to an onion, with the blood supply to the claws running down the center. As the claws grow from the inner layers outwards, those layers on the outside get pushed further from the blood supply and will eventually shed. This is a completely normal and healthy process, important for keeping their nails sharp and healthy.
The whole cat nails shedding process happens naturally over two or three months. However, certain things can speed up the shedding. For example, cats that file their claws more frequently will shed the layers of their nails quicker. Likewise, if you regularly trim your kittys nails then the outermost layer will shed more quickly.
So, now we understand how cats nails work a little better, lets take a look at all the reasons as to why their claws are splitting.
Use Polish Free From The Chemical
Avoid using nail polished with harmful ingredients. If you must polish your nails, go after those that contain vitamins.
PS: Wearing polish for too long can absorb the moisture out of your nails, leaving them dry and liable to tear.
More also, nail polish shouldnt be worn for too long. Your nails deserve to breathe, give them a chance. With that being said, lets quickly look at some Frequently Asked Questions and provide answers to them.
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Keeping My Nails Hydrated
One thing I never even thought about in the past was moisturizing my nails. Odd, when you consider how obsessed I am with keeping my hair and my skin quenched at all times. No matter how enriched my base coat claimed to be, nothing compared to applying a deeply, penetrating oil to prevent my nails from becoming dry and brittle. As CNDâs Âresident chemist, Dr. Dave Valia, explained to NAILS magazine, oils rich in vitamin E can benefit your cuticles and prevent hangnails. I applied avocado oil, which contains vitamin E, to my nails a few times each week, whether my nails were polished or bare. I found keeping up with moisturizing my nails when painted actually decreased the appearance of dryness.
How Do You Repair A Split Nail
There are a multitude of techniques suggested for repairing split nails. There are silk nail wraps, nail glue, and even a method using a tea bag, but thats only to help fix it cosmetically. This temporary fix will not help the nail issue long-term and could even make the problem worse. Trim the nail if you need to, and make sure it wont be a hindrance to your daily activities. Use a band-aid or even wear gloves when doing chores so the split nail will not get caught on any clothing etc. ;Once the nail begins to grow out and become more ;manageable, be extra cautious with the split nails. ;Apply a hydrating nail product several times a day and soon your nail will be restored.
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Wear Warm Gloves During Cold Weather
While water, acetone, and other harsh chemicals will make your nails dry and brittle, causing them to split, cold weather can also make this condition worse, especially when you go outside without warm gloves.
Nails are made of layers. In the winter, dry air permeates the layers, leaving them so brittle that even the slightest impact, like striking a computer keyboard, can cause them to break.
To prevent this, you should always wear warm gloves during cold weather.
Can Nutrient Deficiencies Affect My Nails
Iron deficiency can produce brittle nails 3. Nail changes usually do not occur until iron deficiency is severe enough to also cause anemia low numbers of red blood cells in the body 3.
Iron deficiency anemia may produce various symptoms, including pale skin, headaches and pica an unusual craving for non-nutritive substances, such as ice or dirt 3. Iron-rich food or iron supplements will reverse the deficiency.
Biotin deficiency may also cause brittle nails that peel and split. True biotin deficiency is rare, however, because biotin is found in a large number of foods and the body needs only a small amount of biotin.
But even in people with normal biotin levels, biotin supplements may help brittle nails. Current research suggests that daily biotin supplements improve hardness, thickness and firmness of brittle nails, according to a June 2018 review article in Journal of Dermatological Treatment. 11
- Iron-rich food or iron supplements will reverse the deficiency.
- But even in people with normal biotin levels, biotin supplements may help brittle nails.
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