Strengthen Weak Fingernails Naturally

Weak, brittle, cracking, splitting nails and ragged, painful cuticles can be frustrating. Navigating the endless remedies in your local drugstore can seem overwhelming and ineffective. It seems as though there are thousands of products, from moisturizers to polishes, that promise to make your nails stronger, harder, longer, and grow faster. However, you don't have to resort to using chemical hardeners or fancy treatments. You can heal your nails by taking a few practical, simple steps in everyday life.

Steps

Styling your Nails Correctly

1. Bypass buffing. Buffing is used to even out ridged fingernails. What most women don’t know is that ridges in nails are a healthy part of the finger. The thickest part of the nails are the healthiest parts, and the dips are actually deficits in thickness. Therefore, when you buff your nails off, you’re buffing down the stronger, healthier portion of the nail.
   • If ridges really bother you, try picking up a high quality top-coat. A top-coat that is used specifically for targeting ridging will fill in the dips on your nail. This will give you the smoothness you’re looking for without damaging your fingers.
2. Improve your filing technique. First, always file flat against the edge of the nail. After you’ve filed off your desired amount, take the emery board and file at a 45 degree angle away from the nail. This smooths the edge of your nail to prevent snagging, and it will help avoid hangnails.
   • Always use a fine-grit nail file. The coarser grit of nail files are made for artificial nails and can be damaging and harsh on your natural ones. The same theory applies for metal files. Instead of a metal file, use an emery board that has been cushioned.
3. Clip your hangnails. Hangnails are often caused by splitting or improper cutting of nails. After your nail rips away, your skin and nail bed can be left damaged or torn. Even the smallest of tears in the skin can allow infection to enter your body. Be proactive and use nail clippers to gently clip off your hangnail.
   • Don’t chew off hangnails. Along with the ripping of your nail or skin, chewing them off transfers bacteria from your mouth directly into the wound.
4. Leave your cuticles alone. It is popular myth that cuticles are easily removed. This couldn’t be further from the truth, as the cuticle is what seals and protects the nail bed. Unless you’re a seasoned professional, you shouldn’t be attempting to cut your cuticles yourself. It can cause unnecessary trauma and damage to your fingers.
   • If you feel that your cuticles are truly awful, try moisturizing them instead of clipping them. By softening the cuticle with an essential oil or hand cream, you can promote happy nail growth.
   • A second option is to use a cuticle removal cream. Cuticle removal cream is massaged into the cuticles followed by use of a soft-tipped cuticle wand to gently push the cuticle back towards the nail bed. This can help keep unruly cuticles looked more trim and clean.

Protecting your Nails

1. Give your hands a nail soak. A DIY nail soak can be made up of any combination of oils. Try coconut, argan, or olive oil mixed with tea tree or vitamin E oil. By applying a large amount of oil to your nails with a cottonball and leaving it to soak, your nails will get a healthy dose of moisture.

However, don't soak your nails in water, try to avoid water exposure as it will soften your nails to the point of bending and peeling.

1. • If you find your nails are soft and split easily, try vitamin E. Tea tree oil can be a healthy way to keep your nails clean and fungus-free.
2. Add a happy-nail supplement to your diet. Many women find supplements to be helpful to nail growth and overall health. In particular, biotin can be taken to help strengthen brittle nails. Consider investing in a high-quality supplement for hair, skin and nails. These supplements usually contain vitamins A, C, D, E, as well as many B vitamins, and folic acid, zinc, iron, calcium and biotin. When taken on a regular basis, supplements can have considerable positive effects. Not only will your nails grow stronger, you might see an improvement in your skin and hair.
   • If your diet is lacking, a simple multivitamin can often supplement you enough to have happier nails. Weak, brittle nails are often a result of nutrient loss. Speak to your doctor to find the right multivitamin for you.
   • Making sure you have a good intake of omega 3 oils can also reduce your risk of weak, brittle nails. Omega 3, also known as fish oil, can be taken in supplement form or found in dairy, eggs, nuts and fats such as olive oil.
3. Be wary of what you put on your hands. Common everyday items such as nail polish remover, hand sanitizer and cleaning products are damaging to not only your nails, but will also speed up the aging process of your hands. By choosing gentler options, you can keep both your nails and hands looking young and fresh.
   • Hand sanitizer is often alcohol based. Alcohol is drying not only to the skin, but also the nails. The alcohol will dehydrate your hands and leave your nails brittle and breakable. It is a better option to wash your hands with antibacterial soap and dry immediately, if you must use a sanitizer.
   • Wear gloves when cleaning whenever possible. It might seem harmless to use that glass cleaner on your hands. In reality, it won’t kill you, but it certainly will kill your nails. Keep your hands covered to prevent the moisture from being stripped away from your nails.
   • Skip acetone-based nail polish remover. It has been proved relentlessly that acetone-based nail polish strips the nail, making it weaker over time. Instead, opt for a acetone-free remover, available at most drugstores.
4. Don’t use your nails as tools. When your nails grow, the weakest portion will always be the tip. When the weakest part is stressed, it will pull the rest of the nail up and away from the finger. This can be very weakening to the nail. To avoid this, don’t use your nails to open pop cans, peel off stickers, or scrape things off the counter.

Tips

• If you are a fan of polish, never peel it off after it begins to chip. Peeling the polish away will remove microscopic layers of nails and overtime will cause them to become soft and flexible.

Warnings

• It is easy to buy into the promises that cosmetic companies make, but try to avoid polishes or lacquers promises to make your nails stronger or harder, or luring you in with phrases like "all natural", "growth complex" or "results guaranteed!" At the end of the day, these polishes are just that- nail polishes, filled with chemicals. These are a quick fix.
• Prenatal vitamins are often suggested as a supplement for strong hair and nails. While likely harmless, the vitamins found in these pills can often interact with other medications. Always consult your doctor before using.

Sources and Citations

• Videos provided by Iuli Hobbies

See also

• Clean Under Your Fingernails
• Heal Cuticles
• Heal Damaged Nails
• Get Rid of Ingrown Toenails
• Make Your Fingernails Look Good
• Help Your Nails Recover After Acrylics
• Buff Your Nails
• Clean Your Fingernails
• Grow Long, Strong Nails
• Care for Your Feet and Toenails

Read more ...

What links here

• Stop Biting Your Nails
• Grow Your Nails in 5 Days
• Buff Your Nails Without a Buffer
• Care for Fingernails Naturally
• Paint Your Nails With the Opposite Hand