Brittle fingernails are unsightly and annoying! Here are the best tips to get brittle, thin, soft and grooved nails back under control.
Most women are probably familiar with brittle, splintered fingernails. They are ugly and really annoying. Especially if you get stuck on your clothes with it or if you want the nail polish color to last longer than a few hours after a manicure. But brittle fingernails are no cause for despair. We'll give you a few tips and tricks that you can use to repair them. Also: care tips for brittle fingernails.
Causes of brittle fingernails
If the nails are so brittle that they not only tear in a certain length, but also split in their deep structure, doctors speak of Onychorrhexis (from the Greek "onycho" = "nail" and "rhexis" = break, crack) or Onychoschisis (from the Greek "schisis" = split). When fingernails or toenails split vertically (vertically), it is called "onychorrhexis". If they splinter horizontally and in layers from the edge, onychoschisis.
Causes of brittle nails can be:
- No gloves when doing housework: washing-up liquid, detergent or soap, solvent-based nail polish remover, but also too much water draw moisture out of skin and nails and dry them out.
- Artificial fingernails and shellac damage the horny layer of the fingernails and make them soft and brittle.
- Injuries to the nail plate from improper manicure and pedicure.
- Nutrient deficiency: If certain minerals, vitamins, trace elements and essential fatty acids, zinc or calcium are missing, the nails also suffer. Iron deficiency promotes brittle fingernails. But deficiencies in vitamin A, B and vitamin C as well as biotin and folic acid can also cause brittle nails.
- Diseases: Other causes of brittle nails include skin diseases such as nail fungus, eczema as well as psoriasis and nodular lichen. Thyroid diseases such as hypothyroidism can also lead to brittle nails.
Brittle fingernails: the right care
The best way to prevent brittle nails from developing in the first place is still the right care. First of all, you should pay attention to the nail length: Wear splintering nails as short as possible. To prevent split ends, when shortening the file hold straight at the front, file very lightly at right angles to the sides. Do not go too deep under the nail. Also important: regularly supply the nails with nutrients. To keep them supple, massage in lipid-replenishing nail oil all around in the morning and evening. Ideal for this: pure Apricot oil. Here you will find more tips for beautiful fingernails.
Tips against brittle nails from nail artist Anke Spreeberg
- OIL ORGY: "An oil pack helps against chapped hands. Treat the skin with a sugar-oil peeling beforehand, then embalm it with apricot kernel oil, wrap a guest towel around it – and bring time with you. Because it only gets fine after about an hour. Tip: not always that Disinfect your hands. Hand disinfection in particular contains drying alcohols. "
- MASSAGE DATE: "Basically massage the cuticle and cuticle bed with oil three times a day. Here, too, I use pure apricot kernel oil, because it contains most of the unsaturated fatty acids the nail plate remains supple. "
- UNDERGROUND WORK: "When cleaning the underside of the nail, only use a soft toothbrush. If you approach it with a metal file or nail scissors, you risk the finest hairline cracks in the nail bed. The nail can then tear more easily."
- SHINE: "Polishing buffers smooth grooves or splinter nails, but tear open the surface. Nail powder usually contains beeswax and kaolin – sprinkle on a polishing pad and rub it over the nails. The wax polishes itself into the nail and smoothes it gently."
Torn nail? This is how SOS help works
With instant adhesive:
If a nail does break, it can be repaired using various methods – special instant adhesives, for example, are useful at home. However, you should be very careful when applying: Just like superglue, they contain the adhesive cyanoacrylate, which should never touch the skin.
The stencil technique
You can also have a brittle nail repaired by a professional. In the nail studio, the torn nail is painted with a special gel, which is then hardened under UV light and then filed into shape. Artificial modeling can only be done by professionals – it is also ideal for short nails where the crack extends far into the nail bed.
The tea bag trick
Rescue a torn fingernail with a tea bag? What sounds strange at first actually works. Many millions of users have already been convinced of this on the Internet. How to fix a fingernail with a tea bag, you can read here.
Useful for manicures: nail polish with care
Even with brittle fingernails, you don't always want to go without colored nail polish. So that this does not damage the nail additionally, but in the best case also cares, you should pay attention to the ingredients when buying the varnish. For example, lacquer with diamond dust is supposed to harden the nail plate by forming a protective layer.
In addition, there are now a lot of colored lacquers with calcium on the market that have been specially developed for brittle nails. If you still want to paint in color, you will find cool nail polish trends and pretty mini ideas for the nails here. Too often, however, fingernails should not be painted or painted, as nail polish removers can put a lot of strain on them. We have all the tips about nail painting for you.
Grooved nails? This will make them nice and smooth
To make rough nails shine, use one regularly Groove filler Instruct. It contains microspheres that smooth out unevenness. These can be bought in drugstores or online beauty shops. One can also be used for smoothing Polishing file or a polishing block to make your fingernails really shine. However, the polishers should not be used too often, as they naturally attack the structure of the nails – albeit minimally. Nail professionals recommend polishing your nails no more frequently than every 4-6 weeks.
Strengthen nails from the inside – this is how it works:
Take 2.5 milligrams of biotin daily. One study has shown that the nails become more stable after three months. Alternative: swallow silicon-containing silica or stir silica gel into yoghurt. The first successes can also be seen after three months.
Diet – what you can eat to get healthy fingernails
Tomatoes are at the top of the menu against brittle nails. They contain biotin, lycopene, and vitamin A, which promote nail growth and make fingernails stronger. We have great tomato recipes for you.
Also beneficial for nail growth: sweet potatoes, pumpkin seeds, green beans, eggs, bananas, fish that is rich in omega 3 fatty acids, carrots, milk and broccoli. Eating lentils, spinach, soy and meat also ensures strong fingernails and prevents iron deficiency. We have even more beauty food for skin and hair for you here.
Do nails split or get thick? Attention!
If fingernails or toenails turn darker in color on the sides, they become brittle and thick, and the nail plate becomes unsightly, nail fungus may be present. What you can do best to combat this fungal disease, we explain in our article on nail fungus.
THAT should be avoided with brittle nails
Do not use nail clippers. If there is already a crack in the nail, there is a risk that it will be completely kinked. Do not clean the underside of the nails with a sharp object. This makes the nail brittle and fungi can lodge. Better: clean the underside of the nail with a soft brush. Is Shellac an alternative to conventional nail polish? Not with brittle nails – we explain in our article why you should be careful with Shellac.
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