Brittle Nails: Causes, Treatment and Home Remedies

Put an end to thin, soft and brittle nails – these simple tips will make your nails shine again.

Which woman does not know it, splintering, brittle fingernails? An annoying topic that some people demand a lot. It becomes particularly painful when you get stuck on your own clothes and the nail tears or splinters.

Even if you’d prefer to hide your brittle fingernails now: You don’t have to, because these tips will help you overcome brittle nails – including optimal hand care.

Goodbye brittle nails: How to care for your nails properly

To give your nails the care they need, we recommend these tips. You can conveniently implement them to avoid suffering from thin and brittle nails in the first place, or use the helpful tips wisely if your nails are already brittle.

• A balanced diet is probably the most important thing for strong nails. Nails are made of keratin, which is absorbed through a balanced diet rich in protein. Therefore, your menu could include the following foods, among others: Tomatoes, sweet potatoes, green beans, pumpkin seeds, eggs, fish, bananas, carrots, broccoli and meat.
• If you suffer from a vitamin or mineral deficiency, taking additional supplements such as biotin, zinc and iron tablets will help.
• Aggressively biting or ripping off cuticles does not make unsightly nails better, quite the opposite. The best thing against brittle nails: use a nail file to trim nails instead of nail scissors . A gentle glass or sandpaper file is particularly suitable for this purpose.
• Sililevo Nagellack: This nail polish contains silica and sulfur and provides the nails with the necessary nutrients. The nail polish helps brittle nails, reduces the chipping of the nail, improves the appearance and promotes nail growth.
• Waterproof and breathable gloves prevent constant contact with water and thus avoid soft and brittle nails. However, if you should have come into contact with water and chemicals, you should apply this moisturizing ointment to your hands. (for example, Lindesa)
• Healing earth helps against brittle nails, especially as a hand pack or bath.
• After the bath, your hands will also enjoy a nourishing cream.
• Almond, apricot and olive oils are particularly suitable for regular nail care because they strengthen the nail’s firmness.
• Silicea D12 is recommended against brittle nails from homeopathy.

Brittle nails: What types of nail breakage are there?

You are not alone with this beauty problem, many people suffer from brittle nails every now and then. Depending on the type, experts distinguish between onychoschisis and onychorrhexis.

Onychoschisis is when the nail splinters horizontally and in layers from the edge. If the nails split longitudinally, i.e. vertically, it is called onychorrhexis.

How do brittle nails develop?

There are many causes for brittle, fragile nails. Triggers that come into question are:

• Vitamin deficiency: If you have particularly thin and brittle nails, a vitamin deficiency could be the main reason for this. Maybe you lack vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin C, biotin or folic acid? They cause dry and brittle nails. Otherwise, an overdose of vitamin A can make fingernails thin and brittle.
• Mineral deficiency: Calcium or zinc deficiency can also be behind your brittle nails. If symptoms such as headache, tiredness, paleness, freezing, cracks in the corners of the mouth or ringing in the ears are added, an anemia due to iron deficiency may be present.
• Chemicals: Frequent exposure to laundry, detergent, and soap products that contain chemicals are another possible cause of brittle fingernails. Frequent use of solvent based nail polish removers are also not good for the nails.

• Artificial fingernails: The horny layer of your nails is additionally damaged by wearing artificial fingernails, which makes your real nails soft and thin. At least as unattractive is the fact that there is a small cavity between the artificial nail and your nail in which fungi and bacteria can nest.
• Skin disorders: Diseases such as psoriasis, eczema, nail fungus, or nodular lichen can be considered as triggers.
• Thyroid Disease: An underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) or parathyroid gland (hypoparathyroidism) can also be a possible cause.
  If symptoms such as disheveled hair, rapid fatigue, changes in weight and blood pressure, rapid heartbeat and sweating are added, diseases of the endocrine system can be the cause.
• Change of season: Warm heating air in connection with the cold air in winter dry out our nails, they become brittle and brittle. Nails cannot regulate their moisture content themselves; once they are brittle, they tear quickly and the nails break off.

When should you go to the doctor with brittle nails?

Surely you have ever wondered if and when you should see a doctor for brittle nails. In most cases, brittle nails are harmless. Nevertheless, if you are unsure, you can always consult a dermatologist. If the nails have long been brittle, discolored or even the nail plate is detaching from the nail bed, the opinion of a dermatologist is advisable. A nail fungus or a skin or thyroid disease could be the cause.

What can the doctor do for brittle nails?

During a detailed interview, the doctor can first get a picture of the patient, in which he asks the patient about his eating habits, possible contact with chemicals and other complaints.

Investigations

The doctor can use a blood count to diagnose whether the brittle nails are the result of a deficiency. A measurement of the hormone levels in the blood as well as an ultrasound examination of the thyroid gland can be carried out in order to examine hypothyroidism in detail. If, on the other hand, a nail fungus is suspected, the doctor takes a nail sample and then examines it under the microscope.

Treatment

If your brittle nails are due to an underlying disease, medical treatment will help you make your nails strong and beautiful again. If it is an iron, calcium or zinc deficiency, you will need certain preparations to counteract it. In the case of a skin disease such as nail fungus, special nail polishes or ointments with fungicidal substances are effective. In any case, there is a suitable treatment for every nail problem!