Cutting Weak Links: Here’s How You Can Strengthen Your Brittle Nails

The year-end is inching closer by the day, and it’s time to do some ‘cutting-off’ — just so the beginning of the new year is truly a beginning for you. While this statement can be interpreted in more ways than one, I’m making the ‘cutting-off’ part very literal. Yeah. Your nails need a new lease on life, and it’s time to start over. First — go ahead and cut them. Go ahead. We’ll wait. 

Now that you’ve done that, it’s time to do something about the cracking and chipping. I mean, you try growing your nails, and not a week after they're broken and frayed. Here’s what’s causing them to act so rebellious, and how you can fix brittle nails. Ahead — all your questions about brittle nail lacquers answered. 

What Causes Brittle Nails?

Before we talk healing and treating, it’s best to know why your nails are so brittle and weak. Here are some brittle nails causes. Check ‘em out!

1. You’re washing and drying your hands too much. This is stripping your nails of moisture. You might notice your nails turn dry and brittle as a result of this.

2. Too much nail-polish remover, detergents, sanitiser, and cleansers can make your nails feel soft and brittle. This is a result of too much moisture.

3. You’re biting your nails. Remember that saliva can dissolve your nails as well as the skin around your cuticles — compromising your barrier and rendering your nails vulnerable to infections in the process. 

4. You’re deficient in iron. Anaemia is characterised by low levels of haemoglobin in the body. This means you’re lacking enough RBCs to deliver oxygen to the nails. This makes them weak and stunted in growth.

5. A diet lacking in calcium can contribute to the problem too. 

6. Texting and tapping on your phone can lead to fractures and splits around the tips of the nails too. 

7. You’re skipping the application of lotion before painting your nails. This layer will hydrate and prime your nails for the polish. A base-coat is not enough. 

8. Other conditions like hypothyroidism and Raynaud’s syndrome can cause your nails to become weak too.

9. The process of ageing weakens the nails too. 

Treatment For Brittle Nails

Onto the best part — the healing. These are the simplest tips ever for brittle nails treatment. Take notes while you’re at  it. 

1. Load Up On Iron

Add iron-rich foods like lentils, nuts, oats, spinach, chickpeas, and tofu to your diet to boost your RBC levels. The better your haemoglobin, the healthier your nails. You can add some iron-based supplements to the mix too. Do consult your doctor before starting though.

2. Vitamin Biotin For The Win

Biotin is a B vitamin that’s said to strengthen the nails. It’s advisable to work biotin-rich foods like avocado, eggs, almonds, sweet potatoes, and cauliflower into your diet too. You might have to wait for a couple of weeks to notice results. You can incorporate supplements into your routine too. 

3. Carry A Hand Cream Everywhere

How to prevent nail brittle? If you’re applying hand-cream once or twice a day, you’ve got to amp it up. Remember that nails are absorptive of water, and water is notorious for drying your skin out. If the skin around and below your cuticles is dry, the nail will not form well — making it susceptible to cracks and chips. Apply hand-cream as soon as you’re done washing your hands. Use a fast-absorbing, lightweight moisturiser that doesn’t feel greasy or heavy on the skin. 

Use: MyGlamm Wipeout Germ Killing Hand Cream 

This germ-killing cream doesn’t just sanitise your hands. It collaborates the benefits of multiple skin-loving ingredients to reinstate the suppleness and softness of your hands. While antibacterial Tea Tree Oil headlines the stellar line-up, other components like eucalyptus soothe and moisturise the hands lusciously while neem treats inflammation and irritation in no time. You’re going to need this one for your on-the-go needs. 

4. Buy A Nail Brush

If you’re using pointy, sharp-edged tools to clean under your nails, you risk creating a gap between your nail and nail-bed that could become an entry-point for bacteria and infections. Trade in these tools for an old-fashioned brush instead. 

5. Look For Non Toxic Polishes

Look for nail polishes and products that are enriched with nail-loving ingredients and are free of chemicals like formaldehyde, toluene, and DBP.

Use: Manish Malhotra Gel Finish Nail Lacquer — Love Edit 

The Love Edit by Manish Malhotra is an ultra-gloss, hi-shine formula that delivers a splash of cherry red to the nails. It mimics a salon-like finish and is just as long-stay and chip-resistant as the base coat. Since this manicure involves a little bit of nail art, you need something that dries off quickly. Again — this formula comes through. It's quick-drying and non-staining — and since it doesn't contain chemicals like formaldehyde, toluene, and DBP (amongst other things), it's extremely safe to use.

6. File Your Nails Correctly

Instead of filing your nails back and forth, try filing them in one direction. The back-and-forth motion causes jags and tears at the nail tips. But don’t file the sides of the nails too much. This can weaken them more. Make sure you have a nail file on you at all times to buff away rough, jagged edges. 

7. Don’t Skip On The Base Coat

The base-coat is what acts as a buffer between your nails and the polish. Remember that direct contact with the formula can harm and stain your nails in the long term. 

Tips for Healthy Nails

It’s time to change your ways just a little with these no-effort tips. 

1. Keep your nails as short as possible to prevent biting them. Do trim them frequently. 

2. Try avoiding applying sanitiser on the skin around your nails. Most formulas contain alcohol that’s notorious for drying your skin and nails out.

3. Give your nails a break from manicures — especially acrylics and extensions. Let them breathe and heal before going in for another mani. 

4. Wear gloves while washing your dishes and clothes.

5. Look for an acetone-free remover. Acetone strips your nails of oils and moisture.

6. Don’t scrape your polish off. This disrupts the protective layer of the nails and ruins their texture. Just remove the polish with nail-polish remover instead. 

Now that you have all your tips for healthy nails, are we starting the new year healing and treating or what?

Also Read

1. Nail Care Tips & Tricks: How else do you pamper and nourish your nails? Here are some no-effort tips and tricks for you to add to your self-care routine.

2. Everything About Hangnails: What are hangnails, and are these as ominous as they sound? Read on!

3. Nail Stamping Art: PSA: Nail stamping is one such technique that’s going to make your monthly appointments at the salon seem redundant. Yup. You don’t have to depend on your manicurist anymore. Here’s how.

4. How To Remove Dip Nails: Can you remove your dip nails at home without being left with brittle, jagged nails? Yes!

5. Acrylic Nails: Here’s exactly what you need to know before going in for acrylic nails — from how you can extend their longevity to removing them at home, this guide has it all.

6. How To Do French Manicure: The classic French Manicure is many things — chic, trendy, and oh-so easy to DIY. Yup. Here’s a step-by-step breakdown for you.

7. Nail Extension At Home: If you’re planning on doing your nails at home, why not take it up a notch? Here’s how to create a salon-worthy mani effortlessly.

8. Hangnails: Hangnails are painful and can lead to infections if not treated on time. So here we’ve listed down the symptoms of hangnails, treatment and what causes them to happen.
9. How to fix broken nails: You’ve grown your nails to flaunt them like a diva but what if they break? We get you it’s a bad feeling. So here are some steps that can help you find out how to fix broken nails!