Brittle Nails: What Causes My Fingernails To Get Dry?
We know we shouldn't cry over a broken fingernail, but it sure can be frustrating when our nails continue to break and split. Especially after getting the perfect manicure!
The truth is, some of us are more prone to broken nails than others, and there are a number of factors that directly impact nail health. Our age, the foods we eat, and the household products we use all play a part in the condition of our nails. Brittle splitting nails could also be a sign of an underlying health condition, so it's always worth paying attention to them.
So what causes split fingernails, and what can we do about them? Keep reading for our top tips and tricks for keeping your nails fresh as a daisy.
What Causes Brittle Splitting Nails?
If you're wondering "why are my nails so brittle?" we've got the answers for you. Brittle nails are commonly caused by a combination of internal and external factors. Let's take a closer look:
Lack of Moisture
It's not just your skin that needs moisturizing, your nails can struggle with dryness too! A lack of moisture in your nails can cause them to dry out and split.
Your fingernails might have too little moisture if you wash your hands and dry them very frequently, which can also increase the risk of a fungal infection. Repeated wetting and drying can make your skin and nails dry. The same goes for using harsh chemicals found in soaps, cleaning fluids, and drying disinfectant products – so while that hand sanitizer in your purse is a must-have these days, be careful you aren't overdoing it for your nails' sake.
Dry environments where there is a lack of moisture in the air can also make your nails more prone to breakage. When it comes to winter and cold weather, all that indoor heating exposes you to dry heat, which may make your nails more brittle and dry.
Too Much Moisture (Lotions & Nail Polish Removers)
Another external factor that may cause brittle nails is too much moisture, which can happen when we overdo it with the lotions and creams on our hands. If our nails are soaked too often with too much moisture, they can become too soft and split.
Nail polish remover is also a big culprit when it comes to causing brittle nails, as many contain acetone, which is a harsh chemical that can weaken your nail bed and the surrounding skin, causing them to split.
Aging
Aging is the main internal factor that causes brittle nails, and unfortunately, it's one we can't avoid!
The same process that causes our skin to wrinkle and our hair to gray can also make our nails brittle and prone to splitting. As we age, our body begins to lose its supplies of essential components like collagen, keratin, elastin, and hyaluronic acid. These are crucial to the elasticity of our skin, the strength of our hair and, you guessed it, the health of our nails. We also start losing fat cells and our glands produce fewer oils, and all of these changes are accelerated by hormonal shifts during menopause.
So as we get older, it's a natural fact that our nails are likely to become drier and more prone to breakages.
Aging typically shows prominently on the hands, which are most prone to age spots and wrinkles because they are most exposed to the elements every day, often without protection from clothing or sunscreen. This also affects your nails, as prolonged exposure to UV rays and other external elements can cause ridged and split fingernails over time.
Iron Deficiency
If your nails are continually splitting and breaking, it may be due to iron deficiency. Iron is an essential nutrient for providing oxygen to your cells, which is crucial to healthy nail growth.
Iron deficiency, or anemia, happens when you don't consume enough iron or your body does not absorb it properly. Brittle nails accompany other symptoms like fatigue, weakness, shortness of breath, pale skin, and cold hands or feet.
Thyroid Conditions
Nails splitting is a common occurrence that is most likely caused by some of the internal and external factors listed above, but in some cases, they may also indicate underlying medical conditions.
Hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism are types of thyroid disorder that affect your thyroid, an essential gland responsible for regulating hormones in the body.
These conditions cause the body to either produce too many or too few hormones, leading to an imbalance that can result in weight gain and reduce the absorption of essential minerals in the body. This can cause nails to split, and other symptoms may include weight gain, thinning hair, dry skin, memory problems, mood swings, and digestive issues.
Raynaud's Syndrome
Raynaud's syndrome is a rare condition that causes circulation problems, most notably decreased blood flow to the fingers. This can impact your nails, causing brittle splitting nails.
If you suspect that your brittle nails symptoms are indicative of underlying health conditions, seek professional medical advice.
How to Prevent & Treat Brittle Nails
Here are our top tips for preventing and treating brittle nails and getting the healthy manicure of your dreams:
Keep Your Nails Clean & Tidy
First thing's first, by keeping your nails clean and tidy with a simple routine, you can improve your nail health and prevent breakages. To prevent brittle nails, it helps to keep your nails short, as this reduces the surface area that can absorb moisture and chemicals. Fingernails split more easily when they are long.
Use a fine emery board to tidy up the edges of your nails at least a few times per week, filing in the same direction each time to keep the edges smooth. Keep those nails and cuticles clean and avoid the urge to bite your nails, using gentle buffing in the same direction that the nail grows. You should avoid metal instruments when pushing cuticles back, as these can damage the nail bed. Instead, use gentle products containing nail-loving ingredients like alpha hydroxy acids and vitamin E to gently smooth the surface and encourage growth.
Use a Nail Strengthening Treatment
You can also use a nail hardener to strengthen brittle nails and prevent nail splitting. A nail hardener is basically a clear polish containing nylon fibers that add an extra layer of protection and structure on top of the nail surface.
This helps prevent breakages and further damage, especially if you have soft nails. For best results, a once-a-week application is sufficient.
Choose a Nail Polish Remover Without Acetone
Soft brittle nails occur after prolonged exposure to chemicals like acetone, which is a big culprit in most nail polish removers. Choose an acetone-free nail polish remover to avoid overly soft nails and other brittle nails symptoms.
Moisturize
For dry brittle nails, it helps to moisturize your hands and nail beds with hydrating and strengthening ingredients. Look for hand and nail creams with ingredients like B vitamins, vitamin E, and shea butter to hydrate the nail surface. But be careful, as we now know that too much moisture can be as bad as too little moisture. Like Goldilocks, we have to get it just right.
One easy way to keep nails healthy and hydrated from the inside out is with Taut Hydrate, RenewSkin Inc.'s hyaluronic acid capsules. By giving your body the hydration it needs from within, you can avoid overdoing it with messy creams and lotions.
Every capsule of Taut Hydrate contains 120 mg pure plant-based hyaluronic acid, a hydrating humectant that attracts and retains water in the skin, hair, and nails. This is combined with 120 mg of grape seed extract, a powerful antioxidant that protects and strengthens from within.
Taut Hydrate can not only help strengthen nails and reduce breakages, but it can also help soften your skin and plump it up for a more youthful, radiant complexion.
Protect Your Hands
Wearing rubber gloves when cleaning around the house can help you avoid some of the harsh chemicals that cause brittle nails. So don't forget to grab those rubber gloves when washing dishes or cleaning the bathroom, or really any time you are using soaps and chemicals.
Wearing gloves isn't just for around the house either. It may also help to wear gloves in cold weather to protect your hands and nails from the elements.
Strengthen Nails with Nutrition & Supplements
Ideally, you can get enough of the main nutrients you need from your diet to keep your nails healthy. Protein and iron-rich foods are important to healthy nails, particularly red meat and dark leafy greens.
Iron supplements are an option if you are struggling to get your fix or if you are anemic, however, they are not recommended unless you really need them as too much iron in your body can cause other health issues.
Supplements that are recommended for healthy nails, on the other hand, include:
- Biotin or a B-vitamin complex
- Colloidal minerals
- Calcium
- Collagen supplements
Studies have shown that a collagen supplement can significantly increase nail growth and reduce brittleness and breakages. In one 2017 study, 88% of participants saw a significant improvement in their nail health after 4 weeks of supplementing with collagen peptides. 1
If you want to try it for yourself, you can get replenish your collagen supplies with Taut Liquid Collagen Drink, our solution for healthy skin, hair, and nails. This liquid collagen drink contains a potent 13,000 mg of bioactive marine collagen peptides, alongside elastin, hyaluronic acid, vitamin C, grape seed extract, ceramide, and vitamin B6.
One bottle per day can help hydrate, repair, and protect your nails from breakages, while also improving your skin's quality and texture for a more youthful and radiant complexion.
How Three Weeks Can Help Transform Your Nails (& More!)
Brittle nails symptoms often accompany other concerns like dehydrated skin, thinning hair, and wrinkles – the common signs of aging that affect our beauty and our confidence!
With Taut's Intense Transformation Program, you can provide your body with the nutrients it needs to prevent brittle nails, not to mention the added benefit of plumping up your skin from the inside out! The program contains a three-week supply of our signature Liquid Collagen Drink, designed to dramatically reverse signs of aging and transform the health of your skin, hair, and nails.
Over the course of the program, by drinking one tiny bottle of Taut Premium Collagen daily for 3 weeks, you are providing your skin and body with maximum high potency of marine collagen peptides alongside 6 clinically-studied ingredients that can help restore your youth and vitality.
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