Why do nails fray

Use the Hand Cream many times during the day and the Bag Balm at bedtime to create an intensive healing treatment to help keep your nails from splitting. If your nails are really bad, you may want to even apply Bag Balm to them numerous times a day after washing your hands. My Dry Skin Hand Repair Kit is a turn-key kit for hands and nail problems and is another great option to heal brittle nails.

It contains Bag Balm with cotton gloves to give yourself a great hydrating nail and hand treatment at night without getting Bag Balm on your bedding. It also contains my Dry Skin Hand Cream and a non-drying hypoallergenic foaming hand cleanser that's gentle on nails and hand skin. Clipping and filing dry nails makes the splits worse so always do it after water exposure. Towel off the water and then use sharp nail clippers to trim your nails, followed by gently filing the edges towards the top center.

You can also very gently buff the nail edges to keep the splitting layers from catching on things and progressing down the nail. Obviously, you want to protect your brittle and splitting nails from the things that make them worse. Harsh soaps and solvents pull out your nails' natural oils and damage nail proteins. Nail supplement formulations appear to vary, though most contain biotin. I tell patients to go to their favorite, high-quality natural food store and ask the vitamin specialist for their best nail formula.

It's important to know that many of the ingredients in these supplements are lavishly present in whole foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, natural oils, beans, and fish. Eating a richly nutritious diet is key to supporting healthy nails and vitamin supplements should be used in addition to, not in place of, a healthy diet. Be patient. Your fingernails grow slowly at a rate of about 1mm per month.

As you age, the growth slows down even more. This means it will take several months for the dry and split portion of your nails to grow out. If your entire nail is brittle, it could take as long as a year for your nails to improve. Keep up the good nail care, nutritious diet and your vitamin supplements, hang in there and don't give up! Lastly, there are internal diseases that can affect splitting fingernails, the most common being thyroid problems and anemia. Some skin diseases affect the nails as well and cause splitting.

If your nails don't improve, see your doctor. Abdullah L, Abbas O. June 30, Why do nails peel? Dry nails. You have dry skin; you see cracks. When you have dry hair, your ends split. Nails are no different. Dry nails can be the result of dry skin overall, sun damage, or exposure to harsh surfactants and soaps. A very common cause of peeling nails, being too hard on your hands can lead to splitting.

But even small traumas can trigger it, says Amy Lin, nail expert and founder of sundays , a wellness nail care brand with New York studios. Harsh manicures. Peeling your gel polish can create further peeling. If you notice more nail issues with the years, it's because nails can weaken with time. Be mindful of extreme diets, or diets poor in proper vitamins, minerals, and nutrients," says Kormeili.

Underlying condition. While peeling nails is a common condition that's typically not cause for concern, there are instances where it's indicative of a more serious problem. Ingest nail healthy-supplements. Protect your nails. Practice proper nail hygiene. Visit your dermatologist. The takeaway. Alexandra Engler mbg Beauty Director. Alexandra Engler is the Beauty Director at mindbodygreen.

She received her journalism degree from Marquette University, graduating first in the department. She has worked at many top More On This Topic Beauty.

Jamie Schneider. The fix: Dr. Toombs recommends taking polish off after five days—when most formulas will start wearing down anyway. Then give nails a few days of downtime before hitting the paint again. If gasoline and grain alcohol had a liquid lovechild, we imagine it would smell like nail polish remover. Acetone in traditional remover strips the natural oils in your nails along with the polish, leaving you with brittle nails. Let it dry, wipe off any excess, and the polish will go on like normal.

Back away from the cuticle snippers. These bits of skin at the base of the nail are essentially protective grout between your nail and skin, shielding your nail from water, bacteria, and anything else you touch. The fix: Tame cuticles by gently pushing them back with a washcloth after you shower—no cutting allowed, ever.

Weight Loss. Type keyword s to search. Today's Top Stories. Ab Exercises for a Stronger Core. Photosampler Getty Images. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below. You constantly bite your nails. Iron does not make a regular appearance on your plate.