Natural Remedies for Brittle Nails

Brittle nails are more than just unsightly. They can be painful if they break

too close to the skin. Try these natural remedies for brittle nails.

Before we get to the natural remedies for brittle nails, though, let’s talk about when brittle nails can indicate other health issues. WebMD talks a bit about what your nails say about your overall health. Brittle nails can just be a matter of aesthetics, but nails that crack and split easily can indicate thyroid disease. If your nails are peeling and painful for no discernable reason, it’s doctor time.

Most of the time, though, you can treat brittle or soft nails at home. What works will depend on what’s causing your nails to crack and break, so check out these natural remedies for brittle nails, and see what looks best for your specific situation.

Take multivitamins. A vitamin deficiency can cause your nails to weaken,

and taking a multivitamin is basically like throwing pasta against the wall to see what sticks. Ladies, I’d recommend a prenatal as a first line of defense against brittle nails, because it contains healthy doses of the vitamins and minerals that support nail health. Whenever my nails get brittle, I pick up a bottle of vegan prenatal vitamins, and it makes my nails look amazing in a few weeks!

Try adjusting your diet. This goes hand-in-hand with the previous

natural remedy on this list. Foods like almonds, sweet potatoes & beans support nail health. Choose foods high in omega-3 fatty acids, selenium, B vitamins, vitamin A, iron and zinc. This is a great list of plant-based sources of omega-3s, and this list can help you find foods high in specific vitamins and minerals.

Moisturize. The American Osteopathic College of Dermatology (AOCD)

explains that dry conditions (like winter weather) is the most common cause of brittle nails. They recommend choosing a moisturizer that’s high in alpha-hydroxy acids to replenish your nails.

Get some rubber gloves. Another common cause of brittle nails, according to the AOCD, is repeated exposure to too much moisture or certain chemicals, like when you’re doing housework. If your nails are becoming damaged because they’re soft (rather than hard and brittle), protecting them from overexposure can help. When you’re cleaning or doing anything else where your nails are intermittently wet and dry, wear gloves to protect them.

Go natural. Nail polish and acetone nail polish remover can also cause similar nail problems to harsh household cleaners, so try removing any polish and letting your nails just breathe for a little while. I love painting my nails, and I’ve definitely noticed that taking a break from color makes a difference, if they’re starting to break or peel.

File your nails the right way – Jagged nails are annoying, but if you file them the wrong way, you can damage the nails causing brittleness. The tendency when we file our nails is to use a back-and-forth motion, but this can actually cause damage. The video above shows you how to file your nails to make them stronger.

Take a biotin supplement. The AOCD specifically recommends taking a 1mg biotin supplement two to three times per day as a natural remedy for brittle nails. It takes about six months to help, but in about 1/3 of case, they say that it’s effective. They explain that other vitamins and minerals may help, but that the evidence is strongest for biotin. If you’re taking a prenatal, check the nutritional information, since it may already give you some biotin. You can adjust your dosage of the standalone supplement accordingly.

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Here’s something I want to add from personal experience;  if you wear or have worn fake nails, they can do a real number on your own nails. You will pay for it later in life. If your hands are in water a lot, these nails hold in moisture & you’ll end up with nail fungus. I know this from first hand  (no pun intended) experience. I used to own a beauty shop & when we’re young we think we’re invincible, but wait… You will pay for it later. I am.