My best tips for brittle, ribbed, striped or brittle nails! The tips also help if you have cracked or damaged nails after gel nails / built nails (been there done that). These tips will strengthen your nails and give you long, healthy & strong nails!
My nails have the potential to be great, but as soon as I mistreat them, they become a total disaster. So I know what works (at least for me) so they are both long and strong! And how bad they can get really fast - and why :)
Questions and answers – Best tips – Nail diseases – Good products
Ribbed, brittle or striped nails?
Having brittle, ribbed, brittle or striped nails that break can have several causes, it can be anything from vitamin & mineral brushes, wear and tear on the nails of work & chemicals, drying of the nails & cuticles, nail fungus & other diseases or side effects of medications or hard livers. It's not fun to have bad nails or split nails, but there are many tips that actually help!
You can also get worn nails from nail products, e.g. I had a period when I made gel polish at home and was not so careful when I removed it. They looked so worn after the first use:
Read on to take part in my best tips for caring for your nails and avoiding brittle, striped & bad nails.
Why do you get white spots on your nails?
White spots on the nails are usually leukonychia, it is the medical name for white spots or streaks on the nails and has many different causes.
The most common cause of white spots on the nails is physical damage to the nail or cuticle, ie. that you pinched your nail or hit yourself somewhere. However, it can also have many other causes such as vitamin or mineral deficiency (specifically zinc deficiency), liver damage, kidney damage, nail biting, side effects of medications and drugs, etc.
If you are worried about your white spots on the nails or if they do not disappear if you follow my tips and instead get more, then it may be smart to see a doctor for a health check.
What do nails consist of & how fast do nails grow?
The nails consist of keratin and are an outgrowth of dead cells, we have them to protect the otherwise soft fingertip. The nails grow approx. 3-4 mm per month, it differs from person to person and living.
If you want to make your nails grow faster, you can follow my simple advice! :)
How to get strong nails?
To get strong nails, there are many different things to keep in mind, this question does not only have "one" answer. Below you have my best tips for taking care of weak nails so that you too can get long, healthy & strong nails!
These tips make the nails grow faster, grow stronger and tips on how to care for the nail that has already grown out.
What do healthy nails look like then? A good yardstick is that the nail bed is as far out as the finger (see the dotted marking). The nail bed is thus the part of the nail that is stuck in the skin. Often the nail releases from the skin earlier, e.g. because you use your nails as a tool or poke with sharp objects under the nails. Then the "bright tip" begins further into the nail.
14 tips for brittle, striped nails
1. Lubricate the nails & cuticles with different oils
My nail therapist told me sharply to start with nail oil a few years ago, oh what a difference it made! So not only well-groomed and fine cuticles, but when you have used it for a longer period, the nails became so much better quality - healthy cuticles form stronger nails.
To strengthen nails & cuticles, I recommend that you lubricate dry nails and cuticles with an oil with small molecules, so that the oil can effectively penetrate the nail and strengthen the nails on all layers.
You have to be patient, it takes quite a long time for the nails to grow out so you notice the difference. Have the nail oil next to the bed or somewhere so that you remember to apply, at least once a day but preferably 2-3 times.
Some oils are better than others and also depend a lot on how they are produced and processed. Examples of oils that you can try are avocado oil, coconut oil, almond oil, sesame oil and jojoba oil. An oil that I really like is Loelle 100% Argan Oil (adlink) which is thus pure argan oil. Very good! I actually reviewed this here in the blog back in 2014! Can be used for hair, face and body as well.
There are also specific nail oils to buy that are really good. The best thing about nail oils that are developed for the cuticles in particular is that they often have a flexible applicator, e.g. a brush or udd. This tip is extra good if you have ribbed, striped and brittle nails, then it is important to boost your nail health in the beginning so that you get healthy nails quickly.
A good tip is to start the day with a good layer of nail oil. It helps to give you strong nails! :)
2. Stop biting your nails to give them time to heal
Biting the nails is of course very bad for nails but can also be directly dangerous to health. When you bite on the nails, the risk is great that you tear up small wounds around the nail that risk becoming infected and doing great damage to the nail, finger or health.
I have an acquaintance who bit a small wound around the nail which then developed into blood poisoning (!), Which without treatment would have been directly life-threatening.
Tips for stopping biting your nails and avoiding broken nails is to always make sure that you cut your nails in time, that way there are no nails to bite on. :)
I have actually made a whole post about this, read it here: How can you stop biting your nails? (10 smart tips). As a former lip-biter without its equal, I know how difficult it can be!
Use a cuticle cream to strengthen the nails
Massage your nails & cuticles with a cuticle cream, these are usually packed with caring substances that work wonders for your nails and cuticles!
You can e.g. apply a cuticle cream in the evening and a nail oil in the morning, or vice versa. Preferably daily but otherwise a good supplement when you need extra nail care.
I can highly recommend Trind Cuticle Balm (adlink). Extremely well!
If you have brittle, ribbed, striped or brittle nails, I recommend that you lubricate your nails and cuticles abundantly every day before bedtime. Trind Nail Care Keratin Nail Restorer (adlink) which may operate during the night. It is applied not only to the cuticles but to the entire nail as well.
I have tested more products from Trind for several years and can certify that the products really make a noticeable difference! A very good brand that I highly recommend :)
This is also a perfect "on the go" product that easily fits in the handbag and can be used when you feel that the cuticles are bursting.
In this picture you can see that I also have striped nails, some have more or less but having completely smooth is not very common. A little ribbed nails are completely natural!
4. Feel good & eat healthier to get the right vitamins & minerals
"Feel good" is a strange tip perhaps, but the fact is that the nails grow faster and become stronger when we feel good. My nail therapist clearly notices that many clients' nails grow faster in the summer, but that is not necessarily due to the sun and the heat but that we feel better. Less stress and more berries and vegetables :)
When you eat poorly and have a vitamin brush or mineral deficiency, it is clearly noticeable on hair, skin and nails. It is important to get a varied diet with lots of nuts, fruits, berries & vegetables.
Important vitamins & minerals for the nails include vitamin A (beta carotene), biotin (Vitamin B7), keratin, selenium, zinc and iron.
A daily intake of nuts, fruits, berries & vegetables in their diet will make both the body and the nails much stronger and more resistant to disease. So if you want strong nails, it is important to eat good food! :)
Miska and I have had a period for two months when we ate unusually healthy and now it is starting to show on both his and my nails! I have received such a "thick" tip as well, they can otherwise be quite thin.
5. Avoid acetone-based & strong nail polish removers
Using gentle and gentle products on skin and nails is A&O, it goes without saying that if you use strong agents, nails and skin will dry out or risk damaging the natural balance.
I recommend using a mild nail polish remover instead. A gentle nail polish remover to remove old nail polish is Depend Dip-in Nail Polish Remover (adlink). It is acetone free and effective to be acetone free I must say.
I think dip-in nail polish removers are so incredibly flexible! I like this one because it does not smell strong and is effective (those with acetone are a little faster anyway but this one goes fast too). You get a little wet on the fingers afterwards though, so have some paper next to it or wash your hands immediately so you don't have to mess around. But other than that, it gets good grades from me! Would buy again :)
You just put your finger in the jar and move around. It's like a sponge inside a jar soaked in nail polish remover. Very easy to avoid cotton and strong smell!
6. Increase your vitamin & mineral intake with a daily multivitamin supplement
If you do not get everything from the diet, it can be good to try to take a daily multivitamin supplement. These usually contain a small amount of what you need to get in the vitamin & mineral route.
Over-consuming supplements to save broken or fragile nails is also not good, so it is enough to take the daily recommended dose and eat better food! :)
Also read my other posts about Vitamin C & Vitamin D.
Here is a picture of my daily vitamin drink with vitamin C and Zinc. Because my multivitamin tablets have just run out (should buy new ones!) So could not take pictures of them hehe.
7. Do not overuse hand disinfection & moisturize nails immediately after
It is easy in these times of corona that people become completely manic with hand disinfection, which ends up damaging the balance of the skin and nails. This in turn means that you get dry cuticles that crack and brittle and brittle nails, such as corona nails?
Remember to lubricate the nails and cuticles immediately afterwards with e.g. Loelle 100% Argan Oil (adlink). Consume oil as much as you consume hand alcohol, almost;)
There are also better / worse hand disinfections to choose from. I have not tested this myself but have heard a lot Skintology Stockholm The Basics Hand Sanitiser (adlink) which received great reviews! It contains 70% alcohol (which is a good amount) and also moisturizing ingredients.
8. Use a gentle & gentle hand soap when washing your hands
Many hand soaps risk drying out your hands and also your nails and cuticles. Therefore, use a gentle and mild hand soap when washing your hands. This is especially important now that the corona has arrived and everyone is washing their hands more often and longer.
I recommend Urtekram - Hand Soap (adlink), I use it myself at home. It smells wonderful of lemongrass! :)
9. Do not use nail polish daily but let the nails rest
Although it can be nice with nail polish, the process itself can damage the nails and give you brittle, striped and brittle nails. Not only the nail polish but rather the whole process of tearing off old nail polish and the use of strong means to get rid of the nail polish and then repaint. The risk is greater that you get damaged nails after built nails such as gel nails & gel polish.
Let the nails rest between the laps so that you can lubricate them with oils or creams to get healthy and strong nails. If you have nail polish on all the time, you can not lubricate the nails as you have a layer between the nail and the oil, which in turn increases the risk of brittle and brittle nails.
However, would like to emphasize that built nails can on right way actually protect your nails and make them stronger! But then it is important that you go to a skilled nail technologist who both builds nails of good quality and removes the old in a gentle way.
When I did my nails at the salon, I had very good quality all the time. When I do it on myself, it wears out quite a lot :)
10. Make sure that you are not dehydrated & that you get the right amount of fluid
Being dehydrated for a long time will adversely affect the skin, hair and nails. Most people do not have problems with this, but you should still remember to drink plenty of water. Especially if you know that you often stress during the day and feel dehydrated on the skin, lips or nails.
A tip might be to carry a water bottle with you to remind yourself to drink some water throughout the day.
Here I am posing with a water bottle, but I do not live as I teach when it comes to this tip actually haha. Is incredibly bad at drinking water!
11. Wear gloves when cleaning, washing dishes or gardening & do not use nails as tools
I have listed 14 tips in this post, but in short I would say that the three most important tips are 1. lubricate the cuticles with oil / cream. 2. feel good and 3. do not use your nails as a tool!
When I have bad nail periods, it is always one of these three that I mistreat.
Using their nails as a tool is probably the most common problem, they are flexible when you have to open things and fiddle with things and such;) You must have really strong nails basically if they are to withstand a lot of wear and tear!
If you wash the dishes by hand, the nails are exposed to water and detergent that dries out and risks damaging the nails and cuticles. Even when cleaning when e.g. dust off or scrub so the nails can be exposed to water possibly. chemicals or when you do garden chores or the like, you risk tearing your nails.
Then a simple tip is to use gloves to protect your nails and hands to be exposed to unnecessary stress.
Gloves are also good for avoiding having to poke with sharp objects under the nails - which makes you shorten the nail bed (as I showed at the beginning of the post). If you do not get soil under your nails, for example, you do not need to poke so much either.
12. Clean with a nail brush - no sharp objects!
You want long nails, but scares easily accumulate underneath. Important to clean the nails!
As I said, you should not poke with sharp objects to clean under the nails, even if you happened to dip your hands in soil or the like;)
Always have a nail brush on the side of the sink, so you can clean under the nails daily in a gentle way. Do not brush too hard!
Now I publish this picture on the nail bed again. Not using the nails as a tool and not poking with sharp objects underneath will help you get a long nail bed. The longer the nail bed, the easier it is to clean under the nails as well, because it only ends up on the part of the nail that protrudes from the fingertip - nothing between the nail and the skin that needs to be brushed off :)
13. File nails correctly - How to file your nails?
Filing your nails the wrong way can be harmful to your nails and make them more fragile than they need to be. It is good to file the nails from time to time to prevent weak and chipped nails.
How to file your nails correctly? Avoid filing back and forth in the same move. Use fast, short strokes in the same direction. File as little as possible on the surface of the nail, so avoid keeping the file angled so that you file on the top of the nail and not on the edge. Feel free to start on the outside and file in towards the middle.
I think multi-files are good! Which has different strengths, both plain file and polishing. Even if I do not polish so that the nail becomes thin, it is nice to pull a little with the finest side for a glossy surface. I use the milder ones to soften the edges. For example. is LYKO 6-Way Buffer (adlink) one such!
Like this! :)
Should you use a polishing file as well? In other words, such a nail file that you use on the top of the nail for a more glossy result. The answer to that question is that it depends a bit on.
I do not recommend polishing file to get rid of ribbed / striped nails. Especially not if you have thin and / or brittle nails.
If, on the other hand, you have worn irregularities, eg that the nail has sliced and formed an ugly edge. Then you can polish gently to even out and smooth.
Alternatively, use only the finest side of the file, which gives shine but does not grind down so that the nail becomes thin.
Some irregularities can occur that are nice to file away, but if you have very knurled nails, I would avoid filing them away.
14. Use nail polish for knurled nails, instead of filing with a polishing file
Ribbed nails are like longitudinal hard fibers in the nail, which form long bumps which give striped nails. If you file away these hard stripes, the nail will be thin and in many cases very fragile. It is not something you notice until the part you fillet thin grows out and becomes the "tip" on the fingertip later.
There is an easier way to get rid of knurled nails, nail polish! Ordinary nail polish also fills in well, but there are specific nail polishes to get a more even nail bed. Perfect as an undercoat! Or completely alone, just for a smoother surface.
IsaDora Rock Base Nail hardener & Ridge filler (adlink) I think is great!
Look how smooth my nails were here :) But of course I also have some striped nails. This is an old image from a previous review of this product.
I can not always have such a good nail period, I can say. These tips really make a difference! But you have to continue to follow them as well, which I do in periods;) At the time of writing, I have e.g. renovated the hen house (with gloves but still stressful) and neglected with nail oil.
Summary grooved & fragile nails
If you follow these tips, you should get pli on your ribbed & brittle nails! If not, you should check if there is a disease behind it or if it may be nail fungus. Then it is good to put in the right treatment to get your brittle and fragile nails in order.
The absolute best tip that helps against damaged or brittle nails is to use good products and eat a good & varied diet!
As I wrote earlier: 1. Lubricate 2. feel good and eat well and 3. avoid tearing your nails.
The rest of the tips are protective and preventative. And like I said, I really recommend Trinds products (adlink) for brittle or striped nails :)
Here I have done French manicure on my natural nails :)
Common nail diseases & symptoms
Blue nail:
Blue nail is common when you squeeze the nail or hit it hard. It can even in some cases come from wearing too tight shoes. There is a risk of losing your nail if you get a blue nail, then the nail comes loose from the skin after a couple of weeks. The healing time varies depending on the severity of the injury. If you do not lose your blue nail, it will grow away with time.
You can also get blue nails from cooling, but these disappear as soon as you get heated again.
Leukonyki:
As explained at the beginning of the post, Leukonyki is when you get white spots on the nails. It has many different causes and can come from physical damage to the nails, mineral or vitamin deficiency, liver & kidney damage, by biting the nails, side effects of drugs & medicines, etc. The stains grow away with time.
Map nail:
Map nail is a claw-like heavily thickened nail that usually appears on the big toe but can also appear on other nails. Causes of maple nail include pressure, stroke or inflammation or nail fungus, it can also have hereditary factors. Kartnagel is usually permanent but can be treated in different ways, seek out a skilled podiatrist for advice.
Nail fungus:
Nail fungus is a common fungal infection that can affect both the toenails and fingernails, nail fungus is harmless and can be treated. Toenails have a greater risk of nail fungus! This is because they grow more slowly, and are a better environment for fungal growth if you often wear tight shoes and socks.
Helping tips to get rid of nail fungus is to air your feet more! There are also various over-the-counter fungicides at the pharmacy that you can try. A home remedy that helps against nail fungus is to try lubricating the nails with garlic. Garlic is said to have fungicidal effects.
Nail tightness:
Nail tightness is usually caused by incorrectly cut nails or too tight shoes. If you got a nail tightness, the edge of the nail has cut into the skin and caused a wound. Bacteria or fungi can then penetrate the wound and cause cuticle infection. It is possible to relieve yourself by making sure that the area is properly cleaned, and to cut the nail correctly so that it does not rub against the skin.
My healthy nails a good period! Although a little short nail bed on some here;) In this picture it is clear that I naturally have a little knurled nails. As I said, it is completely natural, there are few who have completely smooth nails.
Good products against ribbed, striped & fragile nails
I use these products myself and recommend for you who have dry, brittle or striped nails. Below you have my list of good products to take care of their fragile nails and strengthen the nails and cuticles.
All links are adlinks (ad links):
- Mild & gentle hand soap - Urtekram - Hand Soap
- Moisturizing hand disinfectant - Skintology Stockholm The Basics Hand Sanitiser
- Strengthening nail oil - Loelle 100% Argan Oil
- Nourishing cuticle cream - Trind Cuticle Balm
- Strengthening nail conditioner - Trind Nail Care Keratin Nail Restorer
- Nail file - LYKO 6-Way Buffer
- Gentle Nail Polish Remover - Depend Dip-in Nail Polish Remover
- Smoothing nail polish / ridge filler - IsaDora Rock Base Nail hardener & Ridge filler
I hope that you have used my tips against damaged & fragile nails and I hope that with the help of these tips you will avoid broken & striped nails. It's never fun when your nails crack or have stinging cuticles.
If you have any tips of your own that work well for you when you have ribbed, brittle & dry nails, feel free to leave a comment below! You are very welcome to recommend good products if you have fragile nails or if you have tips on how to get strong nails! :)
Also read my other posts about acrylic nails and long and healthy nails:
Hug, hug ♥
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Tack så mycket för inlägget och bra tips!
Miska? Tillbaka igen!? Hur gick det till?!!
Det är ett gammalt inlägg du kommenterar, vi var fortfarande tillsammans när jag publicerade det :) Vi har inte blivit ett par igen efter att det tog slut.
Thanks for the great tips! I always have problems with brittle nails so will definitely try this! :)