Home Remedies for Brittle Nails
You’ve got a problem when your fingernails start to break or peel off in layers. Brittleness is a common condition – affecting an estimated 20% of people – and appearing more often in women than men. When your nails are displaying a faulty structure, consider using home remedies for brittle nails to strengthen and repair.
Causes and Symptoms
Brittle nails often develop as a sign of aging, but there are other factors that play a role, such as disease and other conditions [1]. Your diet can affect the health of your nails. When your body is not getting enough of certain vitamins and minerals, it can cause dry and brittle nails. This can happen when you are low on zinc and iron. Too much selenium in your diet can make nails brittle. Excessive hand washing and contact with water is a frequent cause of brittle nails. If you work with your hands a lot (such as in construction and manual labor), your nails are more susceptible to dryness and damage.
Other causes of brittle nails include:
• Harsh soaps and detergents
• Contact with chemicals
• Acetone polish remover
• Nail trauma, such as hitting finger with hammer
• Medical conditions, such as skin diseases and low thyroid function [2]
Brittle Nail Home Remedies
When you’ve lost the luster and health of your nails, it’s time to protect and repair. Thankfully, the following home remedies for brittle nails can reverse the damage without costing an arm and a leg:
a) Vegetable Oil:
Soak your nails regularly in vegetable oil to replenish moisture that comes from frequent contact with water.
b) Gloves:
To protect the health of your nails, get in the habit of wearing gloves when participating in activities or tasks that are rough on the hands. This includes frequent washing of the dishes, doing housework, or playing a sport.
c) Keep Nails Short:
When you routinely clip and trim your nails, the chances of suffering nail damage lessens.
d) Biotin:
Treat brittle nails to a vitamin called biotin, which helps fight weakness. You could take a supplement or consume more foods that contain biotin includes peanuts, lentils, egg yolks, sardines, mushrooms, bananas, and cauliflower. It could take a couple of months before you start seeing any changes after increasing your intake of biotin.
e) Moisturizing Lotion and Cream:
After washing your hands or bathing, use a skin softening cream to add moisture to your nails. Apply after taking a shower or a dip in the pool.
f) Clear Nail Polish:
To strengthen your nails, get in the habit of applying a clear nail polish that contains protein.
g) Avoid Filing:
Put down the nail file, which can cause fraying and deterioration – especially files made out of metal. If you must file your nails, do so in one direction. Also, do not push the cuticles back with a metal instrument because you can damage the nail bed.
h) Iron:
An iron deficiency could be behind your brittle nails. Take supplements or increase the amount of foods that contain iron, such as green vegetables, grains, cereals, fruits and tofu.
i) Fingertip Massage:
A regular massage of the fingertips can improve blood circulation around your nails. It is recommended to massage three to four times per day – especially in the morning and evening.
j) Do Not Tap Your Nails:
If you have a habit of tapping your nails on a hard surface, the trauma can cause weakness. Also, keep your nails out of the mouth because biting them can cause damage.
k) Fish for Dinner:
Add fish to your dinner plate to take advantage of essential fatty acids, which can enhance the health of your nails.
l) Fruits and Vegetables:
Fruits and vegetables can provide the body with the zinc, iron, calcium, vitamin A, vitamin E and selenium that can fight brittle nails.
m) Drink Water:
Being dehydrated can decrease the health of your nails. Drink more fluids to prevent dryness and brittleness.
n) Eat Meat:
Eating lean meats can provide the amino acids found in protein that serve as important components of the body. Protein helps create cells and repair tissues, which can strengthen nails. Other ways to get more protein into your system is to add tuna, eggs, milk, fortified cereals, tofu, and peanut butter to your diet.
o) Choice of Nail Polish Remover:
When removing your nail polish, choose products that do not contain harsh ingredients, such as acetone, which strips away the moisture on the nail.
p) Olive Oil:
Moisturize and soften your cuticles with olive oil to prevent dry skin conditions. Soak your nails in the oil for a couple of minutes each week.
q) Petroleum Jelly:
Using petroleum jelly (such as Vaseline) can hold in the moisture around and under the nails, which can prevent dryness and brittleness.
Resources
[1] http://health.yahoo.net/adamcontent/nail-abnormalities
[2] http://www.disabled-world.com/health/dermatology/nails/brittle-nails.php#ixzz1bceHp6a9
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I have been facing uneven brittle nails since after joining my college. I have consulted doctors, but their prescriptions make me dizzy. Does anyone have any natural ways beyond this list that worked for them?
please click here.