Saturday, February 18, 2012

Reversing Dry and Brittle Nails

Oh, not another one ! It seems like every time I turn around one of my finger nails is gone. I noticed recently that my finger nails are very dry and brittle. They are also peeling and the least thing that get caught in the nail causes the it to break. This is very frustrating as I really would love to have long nails.

Thumb especially dry and brittle, peeling as well
  

 So I decided to do some research as to why my nails are like that. I found out that  there are a number of reasons why people have dry, brittle and splitting nails. The causes range from not drinking enough water to having diseases such as hypothyroidism . The body needs water and if enough is not given the nails will appear dry and brittle. In addition, having anemia will also cause the nails to be brittle and peel. Women who are also going through menopause are at risk for having dry brittle nails due to lower levels of hormones in the body.  

I decided to inquire of my family members and found out that my mom, aunts and sisters all suffer from the same nail condition. That left me asking the question as to whether or not dry, brittle nails are inherited and passed down in genes.

Even at this length they split and break.










If you are like me, here are some strategies that can help to reverse the dry brittle nails. 
  • use gloves when using a lot of water like washing the dishes, this will keep nails from drying out even more.
  • moisturize nails with lotion immediately after taking a bath.
  • when using nail polish remover that contains acetone mix with olive oil.
  • keep nails trimmed short, this will discourage breakage.
  • Take a hair, skin and nail supplement.
  • Supplement with Biotin , one of the B vitamins that encourages hair and nail growth as well as horsetail.
  • Use  board files and cuticle cleaners instead of metal ones.
  • Visit your doctor to determine if they are any underlining factors that can be causing your nails to be brittle and dry.
I would be happy to know if anyone else had a strategy to help solve brittle nails. Please share by leaving comments. I really want to have longer and stronger nails.

 

3 comments:

  1. Sounds not fun at all, but compared to my tinnitus is a drop in the ocean.

    Wanna change?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wow sorry to hear that! What have you been doing to get rid of it?

    ReplyDelete
  3. I just learnt of another strategy that can help with strengthening the nails; add garlic to base coat before putting on nail polish

    ReplyDelete

I would love to hear from you so please post your comments!