There are many reasons to schedule routine manicures or apply paint and polish at home. It gives you a chance to express your style and creativity. One reason it’s important to consider regular nail care is that it can help to keep our nails healthy and strong and prevent future nail complications, like brittle nails.
Brittle nails can be challenging and painful to deal with, but don’t worry. Nailboo has the tools and resources you need to begin caring for your brittle nails with ease, so you can get the relief and confidence you deserve today.
At Nailboo, you’ll find easy-to-use nail dip powder kits, manicure supplies, and the best guides for proper nail care, no matter what your nail needs might be.
What Causes Brittle Nails?
There are many reasons you may be experiencing brittle nails, but the good news is that you also have lots of options for managing and caring for your brittle nails. Brittle nails can mean that you experience chipping, tearing, or damage more often than usual, or that you notice that your nails are weak, peeling, or easily cracked.
Common causes for brittle nails can be everything from aging and pre-existing conditions, like circulatory and thyroid conditions, to environmental and daily behaviors. Excess exposure to the cold or even too much moisture, say from dishwashing, can cause your nails to become brittle over time.
Home Remedies for Brittle Nails
While there are many potential causes for brittle nails, there are also many solutions, as well. Here are just a few of the best ways to care for your brittle nails at home.
1. Moisturize
Brittle nails often occur because there is a deficiency in vitamins or nutrients. That’s why many of the home remedies for caring for brittle nails include natural ingredients that can help to revitalize your nails.
Some of the best ingredients for moisturizing and rehydrating your dry brittle nails are ingredients like coconut oil and shea butter, which really get below the surface of the skin to provide complete hydration.
2. Soak
In addition to hydrating your nails with lotions and moisturizers, you’ll also want to consider soaking them in nutrient-rich ingredients, as well. Some of the best options for effective, healthy soaks for brittle nails include apple cider vinegar, a sea salt mixture, and olive oil.
If you want to push back your cuticles or strengthen the nail and the skin around it, these ingredients can really do the trick.
3. Apply Oils
Different vitamins and oils can have different benefits, and there are many useful tools for strengthening and supporting brittle nails. Vitamin E oil, for example, strengthens and hydrates nails, removes signs of cuts and scarring, and makes the skin around the nails healthier, which can help to protect it for a long time to come. Or maybe you’ll want to reach for the tea tree oil, instead, since it has antibiotic benefits that can help to protect your nails from possible infections and irritations.
4. Protect Your Hands
If you know you’re going to be doing a lot of hands-on work, especially if you’ll be around hot water or strong chemicals, you always want to protect your hands. Wear rubber gloves when working in the kitchen or warm gloves if you’re outside in extremely cold temperatures. This will help to keep your nails from getting more brittle and will make it easier for them to grow back strong and healthy.
5. Get Good Manicures
Manicures have many benefits when they’re performed properly. If your tools aren’t sterilized or your nails aren’t removed properly, it can cause the nails to become brittle and damaged over time.
Always give yourself a break between manicures so the nails can breathe and strengthen, and listen to your nail needs when applying or removing artificial nails and polishes. You may also want to keep your nails short while they heal and grow strong.
6. Avoid Using Your Nails
If you find you consistently use your nails to open packages, clean, or perform other tasks, then that may be the root cause as to why you’re experiencing brittle nails. Too much pressure or use of the nails can cause them to degrade and wear over time, and may even lead to acute damage that makes your nails vulnerable to infection and irritation. Always reach for real tools to do a job, and keep your nails safe.
7. Speak to Your Doctor
If you suddenly start experiencing brittle nails and you don’t know why, consider making an appointment with your doctor. Brittle nails can be an indication of overall health and wellness conditions that may be treated with medications or topical ointments. It’s also helpful for getting treatment for any other conditions that might need attention or care, that you can catch early on.
8. Use a Base Coat
When you use a base coat on your manicure, it helps to smooth out the surface of the nail, which is useful for getting a smooth, shiny layer every time. The base coat also helps to protect and strengthen the nail, reducing the likelihood of brittleness and keeping it safe for the future.
9. Eat Your Fruits and Vegetables
One of the most common reasons you may be experiencing brittle nails is that your body isn’t getting the vitamins and nutrients it needs. You may be low on protein, so consider adding more meat or chickpeas to your diet, but the number of fruits and vegetables you eat can also have a direct impact on your nail health, as well as the health of your skin and hair.
Another reason you may be experiencing brittle nails is that you aren’t hydrated enough, so make sure you’re drinking enough water throughout the day. Your nails are sure to thank you.
10. Use Lotion and Moisturizer
Moisturizing your hands is a great way to treat brittle nails at home, but it can also help to prevent them. If you wash the dishes, use drying materials for cleaning, or spend a lot of time out in the sun, make sure you’re moisturizing regularly, to help keep the nails from becoming brittle again in the future.
Conclusion
Brittle nails can be irritating and even painful over time, which is why it’s important to understand the root cause of the brittleness and to avoid the potential influences that can make the brittleness more intense. While there are some factors outside of our control, like age and genetic conditions, we can treat and prevent nail brittleness at home with a few ingredients and steps.
You can manage the effects of nail brittleness with tools and ingredients like coconut oil, tea tree oil, and shea butter. And you can prevent more brittleness by eating and drinking right, protecting your nails from the environment, and staying in good communication with your doctor.
For more information on brittle nails and easy nail care, turn to the team here at Nailboo. We’re dedicated to providing the information, tools, and resources that will help you to care for your nails, and it’s easy to get started with a wide catalog of nail care products and a library of nail care guides. Begin protecting and caring for your brittle nails today and get the looks that help you feel healthy and confident tomorrow.
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Sources:
Brittle Nails | American Osteopathic College of Dermatology
11 Foods You Should Eat for Strong Nails | Insider
