What to do with brittle and split nails?
Certain problems can affect our nails: they can be fragile, soft, discolored, ridged, affected by a fungal disease, among other abnormalities. Brittle and split nails, on the other hand, can be caused by aging, lack of hydration, deficiencies in certain minerals and vitamins, daily use of chemicals, etc.
If you are concerned about the appearance and health of your nails, know that there are various ways to take care of them naturally to restore their strength and resistance. We suggest in this article some tips and tricks to naturally heal your brittle and split nails.
Tips for brittle and split nails:
1. Eat better to prevent brittle nails
Because this is the most common cause of splitting and breaking nails, it would be wise to make changes to your diet. Indeed, brittle and split nails are often a sign that the body has deficiencies in iron, zinc, vitamin A, vitamin B, and silicon. It is also possible that you are also lacking in protein. If you find it difficult to improve the quality of the food you eat, you might opt for multivitamin tablets.
In order to check if you are deficient in any of these minerals or vitamins, you should ask your doctor for blood tests. Also, it would be wise to have the condition of your thyroid gland checked. Indeed, hypothyroidism is one of the common causes of brittle and split nails.
2. Hydrate your brittle and split nails
Another major cause of splitting and splitting nails is lack of moisture. Of course, you will have to increase your water consumption but also use a good cream designed to care for the hands AND the nails. You could also use coconut oil, sweet almond oil, or olive oil, which you apply to your nails while massaging the oil in.
Since many cleaning products can have a drying effect on the nails, get into the habit of wearing rubber or latex gloves when doing housework.
3. Home remedy to moisturize and revitalize brittle nails
A few times a week, soak your nails in a small bowl of sweet almond oil, added with 5 drops of lavender essential oil, or 100 milliliters of slightly warmed olive oil in which you will add 20 drops of essential oil of ylang-ylang.
This grandmother’s remedy will help a lot with the hydration of your nails. An effective remedy to precisely avoid having brittle and split nails.
4. Watch out for too frequent manicures
If your nails often break, or split, it might be time to give them a break from the manicures you give them. Get into the habit of letting them breathe for a few days a month, without varnish or hardener. During this break, take the opportunity to soak them each evening in a mixture of warm water and salt, which will help them strengthen. Follow this finger bath with an application of sweet almond oil.
Certain gestures will be essential if you want to keep beautiful healthy nails. For example, be careful to file them in one direction and not in a back and forth motion. Also, don’t forget to apply a protective base before your varnish. You could also add a hardener once the varnish is dry.
Try keeping your fingernails short for a while to give them a chance to regain their strength. And to prevent brittle and split nails, certain things should be avoided:
- Acetone-based solvents
- Metal files
- To bite one’s nails
- Use your fingernails as a tool
6. Remedies for brittle nails
This treatment will help solidify your nails in addition to moisturizing them:
- 2 tablespoons almond oil
- 1 teaspoon of jojoba oil
- 3 drops of lavender essential oil
- 3 drops lemongrass essential oil
Mix the ingredients in a small bowl, and every day, soak your nails in it for a few minutes before massaging them in to make the treatment penetrate well.
Or try this herbal brittle nail treatment:
- 10 grams of dried horsetail
- 1 liter of water
Boil the horsetail for 15 minutes over low heat. Then, filter the liquid and let it temper. Pour some of this mixture into a bowl, and let your nails soak for a few minutes.
7. Lemon juice for split nails
To strengthen and revitalize your nails, try this homemade recipe:
- Juice of a lemon
- 1 tablespoon sodium bicarbonate
Slightly heat, then pour into a bowl to soak your nails for a few minutes.
Additionally, pure lemon juice can help strengthen your nails and whiten them. To do this, you just have to gently rub your nails with a slice of fresh lemon.
8. A care oil for broken nails
This homemade oil treatment recipe for brittle nails is to be applied twice a week:
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Mix the two ingredients well, then use this treatment to massage your nails for a few minutes.
If you are used to having ingrown toenails, I recommend reading our article: Avoid ingrown toenails.
9. Home care to harden brittle and split nails
If your nails are not only brittle and split, but also soft, here is a treatment that will help strengthen them:
- 10ml borage oil
- 5ml jojoba oil
- 30 drops of lemon essential oil
Mix all the ingredients and apply on your nails while massaging to make the treatment penetrate well.
10. Nail care recipe for breaking and splitting nails
Another homemade recipe to help brittle nails that split:
- 1 tablespoon beer at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl, and soak your nails in it for 15 minutes. Then, rinse with lukewarm water and pat dry before applying moisturizer.
Be careful, if the nail of the big toe changes color and crumbles it may be onychomycosis as you can find out here: Remedy for nail fungus.
Brittle and split nails, visitors also liked:
How to remove white spots on nails? In addition to having nails that break and split, do you also have white spots? 10 Tips offers you in this article tips to quickly remove white spots from the nails.
How to grow nails? Now that you know what to do to prevent nails from breaking and splitting come read our tips for growing nails faster.
How to remove false nails? If you’ve had false nails for a while, it’s important to remove them properly. 10-trucs.com offers you some tips and products for properly removing false nails.