By Samra Aleem
Like most people, you probably take your nails for granted. Toenails, fingernails. You might be good at trimming, painting or otherwise decorating them. It seems to be the aesthetics that concern your day-to-day. How often do you give your nails credit for protecting the tips of your fingers? Or helping you pick up small objects? Until your nails become brittle. You can’t scratch your head without breaking them. Your dexterity is limited. You think they will heal, but in the meantime, you consider it to be a cosmetic concern. Or is it something more than that?
Brittle nails are nails that are weak, thin, and easily break or split. They may appear dull, dry, or ridged, and may have a tendency to peel or chip.
Brittle nails can affect both fingernails and toenails and can be caused by a variety of factors, including aging, genetics, exposure to harsh chemicals or detergents, and certain medical conditions such as anemia or hypothyroidism. Inadequate nutrition, especially a deficiency in biotin and other B vitamins, can also lead to brittle nails. Additionally, frequent use of nail polish and nail polish removers can dry out and damage nails, leading to brittleness. It can be caused by a variety of factors, including aging, genetics, exposure to harsh chemicals or detergents, and certain medical conditions such as anemia or hypothyroidism. Inadequate nutrition, especially a deficiency in biotin and other B vitamins, can also lead to brittle nails. Additionally, frequent use of nail polish and nail polish removers can dry out and damage nails, leading to brittleness.
How to Treat Brittle Nails
Treatment for brittle nails can include the following:
Now that you know what brittle nails are and what causes them, it is important to understand what kind of treatment you can opt for that will be giving results. The kind of suggestions I can give here will relate to anyone who is facing the problem.
Taking a biotin supplement: Biotin is a B vitamin that helps strengthen nails. You can also make use of a moisturizer: When you are keeping nails and cuticles moisturized, that will prevent brittleness.
Wearing gloves: These protect nails from any harsh chemicals and detergent. Wearing gloves while doing household chores, it allows your hands to remain soft and supple.
You should also be limiting the use of nail polish and nail polish remover: These products can dry out nails, so it’s best to limit their use or switch to gentler alternatives. That allows your nails to remain in a good state for longer durations. Make sure you are avoiding biting nails or picking at cuticles. This is by far one of the worst habits you can adopt. This can damage nails and cause them to become brittle and doing so on a regular basis will make your nails extremely sensitive. You should also see whether your brittle nails are due to some underlying medical condition. If a medical condition is causing brittle nails, treating that condition can help improve nail health. You shouldn’t opt for any home remedies as the cause for this can be serious and the treatment should be done so in the same manner. And yes, you should consult a doctor if you are noticing none of the above methods are working. It is best to consult a doctor or a dermatologist for further examination and treatment. But as a general rule of thumb, you should be knowing that any kind of treatment is definitely going to be taking time to show results. Hence, you should wait out for several months to see how the nail’s condition improves. This is essential to know and adapt. As you need to be consistent with your treatment to see how it actually comes out.
