1. You Always Wear Artificial Nails

Fake nails look great and have been having a huge moment; however, it’s likely that your natural nail underneath is suffering. The rough filing, glue and soak to remove them all leave your nails weak and damaged.

The solution: Going au natural is the best way to miss this problem all together, but if you’re passionate about having glamorous talons then at least opt for a gel formula over acrylic.

Gel nails are more flexible than acrylic nails, which lessens the pressure on your own nails. Just remember to get them soaked and not filed off.

Also try to give your nails a two-week break in between manicures and use this time to get obsessive about using a good hand cream to restore moisture to your hands and nails. Try BioNike Proxera Nourishing Hand Cream or Neutrogena Fast Absorbing Hand Cream.

Read More. What You Need to Know Before You Get a Gel Manicure

2. Harsh Products Are Damaging Your Nails

It’s not just going overboard with the gelish that can leave your nails falling apart. There are other less obvious culprits too - like doing the dishes or what you wash your hands with.

The solution: Be aware of what your hands and nails come into contact with. Always wear gloves when doing the dishes so avoiding harsh detergents that dry out your nails. When washing your hands use oil-based soaps like Dalan d’Olive Olive Oil Liquid Soap or their Soap Bar. If you can, steer clear of sanitisers - waterless or otherwise - which are high in ultra-drying alcohol. While they often can’t be avoided, be sure to properly moisturise your hands and nails afterwards.

3. You’re Using A Base Coat As Your Base

Wait, what? Yes, that’s right; your base coat actually shouldn’t be your first step in your home mani. If you put your base coat on bare nails the chemicals in it (like butyl acetate) can actually dry out and weaken your nail bed.

The solution: A good hand cream used regularly is going to work wonders for your nails because, like the rest of your body, your nails thrive off moisture and hydration.

First moisturise your hands well then dry off any excess lotion and polish your nails with a buffer. Think of your lotion like a primer that hydrates your nail bed and fills in microscopic gaps in your nails before you start with your base coat.

Our product picks: Eucerin Urea Repair Plus Hand Cream and Basics 4 Ways Nail Buffer Block.

4. You Are Vitamin Deficient

What you put inside your body affects how your body looks and acts, and your nails are no different.

The solution: There are a number of vitamins and minerals that are crucial for good nail health:

 

• Iron. By far one of the biggest causes of weak and breaking nails is anaemia i.e. an iron deficiency. Nails are supposed to curve slightly upwards from your finger. If your nails curve downwards, like a spoon, it could be caused by a lack of iron. Other symptoms of a lack of iron include dark circles under your eyes, dizziness and constant exhaustion.
  
  A blood test at your doctor will determine your iron levels and low iron can usually be treated with adjustments to your diet and/or supplements. Our pick is Lifestyle Nutrition Iron Tablets.

 

• Biotin. Thin and weak nails that split could be due to low levels of biotin, which is a vitamin that promotes healthy hair and nails. To help your body grow healthy and hard nails you can take biotin supplements and increase your intake of biotin-rich foods like eggs, milk, strawberries and tomatoes. Try Vitaforce Biotin for healthy skin and nails.

 

• Vitamin B. Studies show that taking Vitamin B supplements increases nail strength and reduces nail brittleness. The only catch is it can take at least 6 months to see real results, but it’s worth it especially because Vitamin B also increases your energy levels. Biogen has a Vitamin B Complex Super Potency in their range.

 

• Other supplements worth trying include cysteine (which helps with collagen production, something we are always excited about), folic acid (to promote nail growth), Vitamin C and Zinc.

Read More. How to Do a Spa Style Home Pedicure Your Feet Will Love You For

5. Your Nails Are Always Peeling

When the peeling goes beyond just your old nail polish and actually involves layers of your nails it’s time to take action. They are either horribly dehydrated or you’ve been filing your nails wrong. While it’s so tempting to quickly file your nails using a back and forth motion, this just weakens the nails and can cause splitting and breaking.

The solution: It’s all about moisture so don’t stop applying that hand cream, especially one containing Vitamin E which is extra hydrating. We like Healing Hands Hand Nail & Cuticle Cream with Vitamin E, olive extract and lanolin.

Minimise peeling and splitting nails by making sure that you always file in one direction when filing your nails. File each side of the nail from the corner to the tip, taking care not to start too close to the edge of the nail bed (this can cause side splitting). Smooth off the tip by filing in one direction.

Try using a glass or crystal file instead of emery boards. While they might be a bit more pricey, they not only last longer but are kinder to your nails. Try Basics Glass Nail Files available in a set of three.

6. How You Type Is Breaking Your Nails

Splintering nails can be caused by a number of factors but one that is an issue has to do with your phone and how you use a keyboard. The sound of your nails clacking away as you type is satisfying but could be doing your nails damage (and is probably annoying for everyone else to hear). You’re hitting the most delicate part of your nail repeatedly throughout the day and it’s taking its toll.

The solution: File your nails down so that they don’t overlap the skin on your fingertip. This way they won’t make contact while you’re typing. If you’re not a short nails kind of girl, then change your typing style so you’re rather using the pads of your fingers.

7. Your Nails Have Developed Vertical Ridges

Vertical nail ridges are the most common and should be seen like grey hairs; inevitable and increasing with age. Most of the time these ridges are a harmless part of ageing and nothing to worry about.

Horizontal nail ridges, however, are more rare and caused by physical or psychological trauma. Severe nail ridges or ridges that appear suddenly could be due to a lack of nutrients, iron deficiency or just poor health in general.

The solution: Use a buffing block to gradually buff down your nail ridges. Be careful not to overdo it though as this can weaken and wear down the nail bed. Rather buff once every three days, using a nail strengthening/ridge filling treatment in between buffing sessions.

For long-term nail health, be sure to eat a healthy diet, drink plenty of water and take vitamins and supplements that can aid nail growth, like biotin or Vitamin B.

Our product picks: Elegant Touche Buffer 6 Way Shape And Shine and Mavala Nail Ridge Filler. Sally Hansen’s brilliant multipurpose Complete Care 7-in-1 nail treatment not only acts as a ridge filler but also promotes growth, strengthens and brightens nails, is ultra-moisturising – and can be used a base and top coat.

Read More. 12 Ways to Nail Your Mani Exactly Like a Professional

8. You Are Using The Wrong Nail Polish Remover

Based on the smell alone it’s pretty clear that nail polish remover isn’t good for your body. It is intensely drying and strips your nails of their natural oils, leaving them weak and brittle. It helps if you use acetone-free removers but these can be still pretty harsh. Try Dis-Chem Nail Polish Remover Acetone Free.

The solution: After removing your nail polish load your nails up with a rich cream (like Nuxe Rêve de Miel Hand And Nail Cream, OPI Pro Spa Hand And Cuticle Cream or Mixa Anti-Dryness Hand Cream) to restore hydration. Also search for a soy-based formula that actually contains oils. This way your nails will feel moisturised after you remove your polish instead of dry and damaged.

9. Your Nails Are Weak and Breaking

If you’re wearing your washing up gloves religiously, applying cuticle oil every ten minutes and everything else you can to better your nail health but they’re still breaking and weak you might need to call in the professional stuff.

The solution: A specially formulated nail strengthener contains variations of protein, calcium and/or keratin; all the good stuff your nails need to thrive. It will load your nails with a protective layer that makes them virtually unbreakable, meaning you’ll finally be able to grow your nails beyond stubs.

If your nails are extremely bad, then you need to take extreme action. Swear off nail polish for a few weeks. Replace your manicure routine with a coat of nail strengthener applied every second day, apply a rich cuticle oil every night before bed, and, of course, go wild on the hand cream whenever you can. You will see results after just a few weeks.

Our product picks: Sally Hansen Advanced Hard As Nails is an extra strength formula that hardens nails and smooths ridges; Sally Hansen Triple Strong strengthener includes a 3-in-1 gel formula to strengthen and protect nails from breaking; and Mavala Scientifique K+ Nail Hardener Pro Keratin hardens soft nails and prevents them breaking or splitting.

10. Something More Serious

Although it may feel like a big deal that your nails are super weak it’s usually nothing serious and can be sorted out in one or more of the ways already mentioned. However, there are some nail warning signs that indicate you should chat to your doctor.

If you experience bleeding around the nails, dark marks under your nail bed, discolouration of your whole nail, swelling and/or pain around your nail or your nail separates from the skin on either side it could be caused by something that you need to get checked out.

Brittle nails are often linked with thyroid problems so if you also experience hand numbness, weight gain, hair loss and intense fatigue talk to your doctor about these symptoms combined.

View Video. BASIC NAIL HACKS EVERY GIRL NEEDS TO KNOW!!

11. Best Nail Treatments for Healthy Nails

Just like your hair looks gorgeous after its been pampered, conditioned and masked, so too can your nail health improve. Just by implementing a few simple steps in your nail care routine, your dry, brittle and peeling nails can soon be a thing of the past.

 

• Become obsessive about moisture
  Your nails are made up of the same protein as your hair, keratin. And you’re always conditioning your hair, right? Your nails also need the same amount of care with lots of moisture to keep them in peak health.
  
  It’s one of those no brainers to apply hand and nail cream in the morning, every time you wash your hands and before you go to bed. It’s been said before but cannot be over emphasized enough.

 

• You need to up your cuticle care
  If you don’t care how your cuticles look then feel free to leave them alone. The skin formed at the bed of your nail doesn’t need to be removed, but any manicure-lover will agree that nails look neater, cleaner and just more chic when your cuticles are pushed back. But it is not just a matter of shoving them back with a cuticle stick and hoping for the best; you’ve got to look after your cuticles properly:
   
  • Step away from the cuticle scissors. Cuticle clippers exist so I should use them, right? Wrong, you would be better off throwing them away. When you cut your cuticles that area is left wide open and vulnerable for bacteria and water to enter the nail bed, which can lead to infection. Not only does a nail infection look pretty gross it negatively affects your nail growth too.
    
    Rather gently push your cuticles back using a warm facecloth or cuticle stick. You can also use a cuticle remover to soften them beforehand. We like Essence manicure sticks and Mavala Cuticle Remover, which gently softens and helps remove overgrown cuticles or OPI Pro Spa Exfoliating Cuticle Cream which both exfoliates and nourishes.
     
  • Don’t forget to moisturise. Your cuticles aren’t made up of some foreign substance that doesn’t need moisturiser. It’s skin and we all know that for your skin to look and feel healthy it needs moisture. When putting lotion on your hands take care to gently rub it into your nail beds too. If your cuticles are super dry then massage them with a thick and rich moisturiser before you go to bed.
     
  • Stop picking. It is good to regularly push your cuticles back but it’s not good to be picking at them constantly. Try to break the habit of fiddling with the skin there. The more you moisturise and use your cuticle stick the less dry skin will be around your cuticles to pick at any way.
     
  • Use oils. Oils are a great way to apply highly concentrated moisture to the cuticles (and nails). Keep a bottle of cuticle oil next to your bed and massage into your nails before bed. We like OPI Pro Spa Nail And Cuticle Oil, and Mavala Cuticle Oil. For a cheaper fix that you might already have in your cupboard you can use coconut oil, argan oil, or even olive oil.
     

• Use a nail treatment which can also double as base coat. Sally Hansen Miracle Cure is designed to make dry, brittle nails stronger and more healthy looking. Sally Hansen Nailgrowth Miracle Serum includes peptides and is enriched with Biotin to support faster and longer nail growth. Nails become resistant to damage as they grow, while cuticles are softer and smoother.

 

• Polish your nails
  One of the best ways to protect your nails is to always wear nail polish. If this is not your thing, you don’t need to wear colour; even if only a clear top coat, it not only protects your nails but reduces the loss of that all-important moisture.
  
  The result? A weekly manicure can actually make your nails stronger and help them grow. By the way, don’t worry about wearing polish all the time. It’s a total myth that your nails need to breathe: they are made of keratin which doesn’t require oxygen.
  
  Read More. THIS Is the Secret to Finding Your Perfect Nude Nail Polish