Who doesn’t like to see a glamorous well-polished nail set? Yes, it’s beautiful, but have you ever stopped to look at your nails? Are your looking at and feeling nails that are dry and brittle?

Well, they may have been weakened due to a variety of reasons. When you have weak nails, it may seem to be a constant and impossible battle to keep them from breaking.

While getting your nails done frequently or doing them yourself at home may seem like the solution to maintaining the look and health of your nails, it may be doing more harm than good, especially when your nails are noticeably weak.

Signs your nails are damaged

The signs of damaged nails can vary, but you may want to look out for the following.

• Discolouration (white or dark spots/streaks)

• Changes in nail thickness (either too thick or thin)

• Changes in nail shape (curling of the nail)

• Peeling or splitting nails

How to strengthen your nails

Strong, healthy nails can be an indicator of good health, but sometimes your nails aren’t as strong as you’d like them to be.

The good news is, if you desire to strengthen your nails, no worries, there are actually a handful of things you can do to make your nails stronger and get them where you’d like.

One of the easiest ways to help your nails is to limit the amount of time they soak in water. So, whenever you’re able, put on a pair of gloves before washing the dishes or cleaning.

Making changes to your lifestyle and habits can significantly help strengthen your nails. Here are some other tips that can get your nails where you want them.

Keep your nails trimmed

Keep your nails trimmed and neat to help reduce the chance of a sharp edge or snags that can break the nail. It is recommended that you file your nails with a soft file routinely to help prevent those jagged edges that may snag or cause breakage.

Moisturise your nails

When taking care of your nails, it’s important to think of moisture (not water). Frequent use of hand lotions and moisturisers is a great way to help keep the nails from drying out.

When using hand lotion, make sure you’re rubbing the lotion into your fingernails and cuticles too.

A nail or cuticle oil is also a great way to keep your nails healthy and prevent them from drying out.

Avoid biting your nails

If you want stronger nails, you can’t be constantly biting at them. Avoid biting your fingernails or picking at your cuticles as these actions can result in permanent damage to your nails.

Long-term biting can damage the nail bed, which can lead to irreversible shortening of nails. With no nail bed, nails cannot grow, meaning they will stay stumpy forever!

Take a break from polish and acrylic

Taking a break from nail polish and acrylic every once in a while will do your nails justice. Most nail polishes contain toxic chemicals that are harsh on your nails.

Also, when you wear acrylic nails, know that it is hard on the underlying nail, and it doesn’t allow your natural nail to breathe.

Removing acrylic can also be a rigorous process that is tough on the nails, so just remember to be gentle when removing them.

Review your diet

If you desire to get stronger nails, then you might want to reassess you eating habits. Make sure your diet is full of nutrients and vitamins that help nail growth, including calcium, protein, vitamin C, biotin (vitamin B7), and vitamin E.

According to nutritionists, you don’t necessarily need to take nail supplements to accomplish this, as you can incorporate foods such as nuts, vegetables, and eggs into your diet, which are rich in these vitamins.

However, if you must take a supplement, take one to support collagen, elastin, and keratin, which are the primary proteins in nails and hair.

We hope these tips will help you in achieving healthy nails!