Nails often become brittle as people age, but you can help strengthen them by taking good care of your nails and making sure you get the nutrition you need. Brittle nails may break, split or peel, which is unsightly and can irritate your skin and cause painful tears around your cuticles. While rare, brittle nails are sometimes a sign of an underlying medical condition, such as a thyroid problem, that requires treatment. If your nails do not grow stronger with self-care, talk to your doctor about the problem.
Step 1
Soak your nails in warm bath oil for 15 minutes.
Step 2
Trim and file your nails after soaking them. Keep them short, square shaped and slightly rounded on top to help strengthen them, recommends MayoClinic.com.
Step 3
Apply a thin coat of clear or colored nail polish to brittle nails to help lock in moisture. Remove and reapply once a week, advises MayoClinic.com. Avoid nail polish removers that contain acetone, as these can dry out brittle nails and make the problem worse.
Step 4
Take a biotin supplement daily. 2.5 milligrams of biotin every day can help your nails grow thicker and strengthen them, explains MayoClinic.com.
Step 5
Avoid paint-on nail hardeners. Many of these products contain formaldehyde, which can irritate the skin surrounding your nails and make your nails so hard that they increase brittleness, explains Vic A. Narurkar, M.D., an assistant professor of dermatology at UC Davis Medical School in Sacramento, California.
Step 6
Eat foods rich in iron and zinc to help strengthen your nails or take supplements to help you ingest healthy levels of zinc and iron every day. Most multivitamins contain zinc and iron.
Step 7
Moisturize your nails and cuticles several times a day if they are brittle. Massage cuticle oil into your nails after they are in water and before going to bed, recommends MayoClinic.com.
Things You'll Need
- Bath oil
- Nail clippers
- Nail file
- Nail polish
- Nail polish remover
- Biotin supplements
- Multivitamins containing zinc and iron
- Cuticle oil
Member Comments