Common nail problems include chipping, cracking, breaking, brittle, peeling, splitting, thin, and weak nails. The medical term for this is Onychoschizia and is more common in women.
Brittle nails are most commonly caused by chemical or environmental challenges, such as repeated wetting and drying of the nails. This is caused by frequent hand washing, dishwashing, and/or swimming. Less frequently, brittle nails can be caused by deficiencies or underlying diseases.
Nails that are overexposed to chemicals, such as cleaners, detergents/soaps, and nail products can also become brittle. Nail polish removers can severely dry out your nails.
Your environment can affect your nail quality. In the low humidity of the winter, where there is dry heat, it is more likely that your nails can experience some of these more common nail problems. Consider using a daily moisturizing lotion that is good for brittle nails treatment, like Cutemol or Moisture-All when in these environments and conditions.
Wear protective gloves when cleaning or doing other work with your hands. This will help reduce the amount of chemicals or moisture-stripping soaps that come into contact with your nails.
Brittle nails can appear cracked, chipped, broken, split, peeling, and thin. They do not look very attractive and can sometimes hurt. They can range from mild to severe with different brittle nail treatment options.
Brittle nails, or nail psoriasis, can alter the way your nails appear – dryness and a slight discoloration of the nails to a white or light yellow. Your nails can also feel a little thinner than normal and the skin underneath may thicken.
Treatment for your brittle nails requires patience because nails grow slowly. For minor symptoms, avoid drying out your nails by wearing protective gloves when using cleaning chemicals or moisture-stripping soaps. Be sure to moisturize and condition with DermaNail Nail Conditioner, which works to rebuild your nails.
In more moderate to severe cases, a higher level of discoloration, including a darker yellow, brownish red, and/or green, may occur. You may also see nail debris at the base, ridges on the top, and/or signs of slight peeling or cracking in your nails.
In addition to the treatment of mild cases of brittle nails, you also want to avoid creating further damage to your nails. Be gentle with them; keep them trimmed and file them daily to avoid any further splitting or breaking while they try to heal.
In severe cases of brittle nails, or nail psoriasis, you may experience tenderness and pain along with breaking, pitting (small pin-like holes), loosening, and/or complete separation of the nail from your finger.
If the direct treatment of your brittle nails does not improve your situation over time, then a different underlying condition may be responsible for your nail condition. You should seek a medical opinion to explore other possibilities.
Symptoms of brittle nails can be embarrassing and painful. If treating your nails directly does not improve, or if you notice more extreme symptoms, then a different underlying condition could be at the root of your nail problems. If this is the case, be sure to check with your dermatologist.
When buffing your nails, do so in the direction that the nail grows and not a back and forth motion, which can cause splitting. Avoid metal instruments for nail care.
The treatment of your brittle nails is a process that requires patience. Because your nails grow at their own pace, it may take time for you to see the effects of treatment – so stay positive and stick with it!
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It’s always a good idea to let your nails breathe from time to time. Take a week off from using nail products. Then, apply a nail conditioner like DermaNail on a regular basis.
Make sure you use a reliable, daily moisturizer such as Cutemol or Moisture-All on a regular basis, especially if you live in dry or cold weather areas and/or wash and dry your hands frequently.
Avoid removers or other products that contain chemicals that dry out your skin and nails. These tend to also remove the natural moisture in your nail beds, which creates unhappy looking nails.