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Do you ever look at someone’s perfectly manicured nails and sneakily hide your chappy, brittle nails in the pocket? Been there! Our nails can get weak and fragile if we don’t take proper care of them, and it is not a very pretty sight. Today we’re sharing 10 easy ideas that you can try to make brittle nails stronger, longer, and healthier.
10 Ways to Make Brittle Nails Stronger
1. Minimize exposure to water
While it may feel soothing to submerge in a hot bath for a good hour, you should know that extended water exposure really leads to brittle nails. As your nails stay in contact with water, the nail bed absorbs the moisture. This causes it to expand and stretch. The water later evaporates, leaving your nails flimsy and weak.
So if you want to get healthy, shiny nails, try to limit hot water exposure. You can accomplish this by wearing rubber gloves while doing the dishes, and cutting back on the long bath sessions.
2. Let those brittle nails rest!
Nothing can quite match the cuteness of gorgeous, freshly painted nails, and that is why most people want their manicure to last as long as possible. We fill in the chips, do constant touch-ups, and jump from one color to another without giving our nails a rest.
However, if you have brittle nails, it is important to skip the nail polish for a few days to allow the nails to heal because they get dry and weak when always covered with nail paint.
3. Use a gentle nail polish remover
When you decide to remove your nail polish, you probably reach for an acetone nail polish remover to get the job done. However, acetone is very harsh on our nails, and it can thin out your brittle nails further, making them dry and weak. This shows as peeling, splitting nails that break as soon as you grow them out.
Try to use an acetone-free nail polish remover, and while it may take a couple of extra seconds to get the paint off, these removers are much gentler on brittle nails.
Mineral Fusion Nail Polish Remover, Acetone-Free
4. File brittle nails correctly
Most people use a metallic file and vigorously buff the nails in repeated back and forward movements. This is unhelpful because using too much pressure can lead to brittle nails that tear and peel easily.
Instead, opt for a softer nail file and only file the nails in one direction using gentle, but constant pressure. This will smooth out the edges without hurting the structure of already brittle nails.
5. Eat a healthy diet
To strengthen brittle nails, aim to get a balanced, nutritious diet that supplies your body with all essential vitamins and minerals. Nails especially need calcium and protein, so eating more dairy, fish, poultry, and beans will also create a pleasant effect on your hair and nails!
6. Add a biotin supplement to help brittle nails regrow
Biotin is one of the most essential vitamins when it comes to healthy nails and hair. This vitamin strengthens brittle nails and makes them healthy and shiny once again. The same goes with biotin and hair – consume enough to enjoy fuller, healthier, and stronger strands!
You can either consume enough biotin through your diet or take a supplement daily to meet the body’s requirements. Foods rich in biotin are eggs, nuts, nut butters, whole grains, legumes, and bananas (yum!).
Biotin (5,000mcg) with Organic Coconut Oil
7. Use a hand moisturizer regularly
It is essential to use nourishing hand cream to keep brittle nails and surrounding skin healthy and robust. A moisturizer will help to lock in moisture in your brittle nails too, preventing them from drying out or getting flaky.
8. Use a cuticle oil
To give brittle nails enough nutrients to grow stronger, apply cuticle oil after you have moisturized your hands to further nourish and protect the cuticles. This helps to strengthen the nail bed and makes your cuticles look neat and healthy.
Maccibelle Cuticle Oil Milk and Honey
9. Trim brittle nails regularly!
If you struggle with brittle nails, it may be a good idea to cut down the length and keep your nails shorter until they regain their strength. Longer nails are more prone to breaking, and by cutting them short, you allow brittle nails to strengthen and heal.
10. Skip the gels and acrylic nails
If you have brittle nails, it’s also a good idea to limit gel and acrylic nail jobs. While there is no harm in using gel polish once in a while, try to limit the frequency because these manicures can cause your weak nails to peel and get thinner. The UV light used in gel manicures can also damage your brittle nails further. However, if nothing else helps to make your brittle nails stronger, gel or acrylic manicures can be an extra easy easy way to compensate!
Making Brittle Nails Stronger – A Recap
These are a few healthy options that can help you to make those brittle nails healthy, shiny, and long again. It’s true that healing your nails requires a little bit of effort, but if you try at least a few of these, you’ll see your brittle nails improving quickly. Most importantly – love your nails even if they’re not perfect – they’re a part of YOU.