Brittle nails causes range from vitamin deficiencies to a lack of iron, not using moisturiser and even brittle nails disease. Here a skin specialist reveals all you need to know about the symptoms and how to treat them
Brittle nails are the worst. Just when you think you’ve grown them to the perfect length, one breaks or tears and you’re left having to file them all back down again.
It can be tricky to know why they’re fine one minute and what causes brittle nails the next, which makes knowing how to strengthen nails a bit of a guessing game.
To take the guesswork out of it all, Patricia Boland, a skin specialist at Colorescience has revealed the top causes of brittle nails and what you can do to get them back to full health.
Brittle nails are officially known as onychorrhexis and are caused when your nails become weak and crack, split or break easily.
Some people only get brittle nails occasionally, but others can suffer for months or years at a time.
Shutterstock The symptoms to look out for are:
In some cases, brittle nails can be accompanied by other symptoms that may suggest an underlying health issue. These brittle nails symptoms include:
If you’re concerned, speak to your pharmacist of GP.
Various factors, including environmental exposure, vitamin deficiencies, and underlying health conditions can all contribute to the weakness and brittleness of your nails. The main brittle nails causes include:
You can scroll through this list, or click each cause of brittle nails causes above to jump straight to the relevant section.
Having brittle nails, and thus having onychorrhexis, can also be referred to as having brittle nails disease.
It’s not a disease in the traditional sense, it’s an alternative name given to when your nails keep breaking and splitting and is instead the manifestation of various underlying factors mentioned in our brittle nails causes section above.
Getty Images/iStockphoto Brittle nails can often be a sign of nutritional deficiencies and there are specific vitamins and minerals that play a role in the health of your nails. As a result, a lack of these vitamins can lead to brittle nails disease.
FURTHER READING: Skin food: The best foods for clear, healthy skin and nails – and why they work
While not a vitamin, iron also plays a significant role in the health of your nails. Iron deficiency can lead to spoon-shaped nails (koilonychia) or pale, brittle nails.
Iron helps form haemoglobin, a molecule that shuttles red blood cells loaded with oxygen directly into your nail and without this, your nails will suffer from stunted growth.
Other deficiencies can have a similar impact. A deficiency in zinc, for example, can weaken the nail structure, slow nail growth, and lead to white spots on the nails.
Not getting enough protein can lead to brittle nails disease because nails are made of keratin, a type of protein. While not eating enough Omega-3 Fatty Acids or similar essential fats means your nail bed and cuticles don’t retain enough moisture to stay healthy.
It’s best to load up on foods which are rich in irons such as spinach, dark chocolate and white beans or take supplements. The Vitabiotics Perfectil Plus Hair supplements are great for boosting your hair, skin and nails if your brittle nails are due to a vitamin or iron deficiency.
FURTHER READING: The truth about beauty supplements
mamabella | mamabella Dehydration caused by not drinking enough water is the cause of so many beauty ills. In our How to get rid of dark circles explainer, our resident MUA explains how a lack of hydration could be ageing you prematurely.
And it’s damaging to your nails, too. Not drinking enough water is a major factor in many cases of brittle nails so it’s best to drink throughout the day to keep those hydration levels up.
FURTHER READING: Do you have dry skin or is it just dehydrated? Here’s how to tell the difference
When it comes to removing nail polish, this is one area where you really do get what you pay for.
Cheap nail polish removers not only take more effort to get rid of the polish, exposing your nails to harsh chemicals for longer, but cheap removers can also strip moisture from your nails, causing them to become brittle and weak.
If you are using nail polish remover, always invest in a trustworthy brand and not to use it excessively. We recommend Cutex’s Non-Acetone nail remover, but whichever remover you choose, try to find one that doesn’t contain acetone as it tends to dehydrate your nails.
Your nails not only need moisture from the within but also from the outside. The best way to keep on top of this is to apply frequent hand cream and moisturiser throughout the day.
This is particular key during cold weather and winter months.
Keep a hand cream in your bag or desk at work and apply whenever you think about it, especially after your hands have been wet.
The Clarins Hand and Nail Treatment is expensive (£27 for 100ml) but a little goes a long way, it smells great and it provides a barrier for your skin and nails from the environmental damage. Continued use can also reduce the appearance of dark spots.
FURTHER READING: Best hand cream: Protect dry hands from getting red and sore with our top hand creams | Ageing hands? Tips, treatments and creams that make your hands look younger
By this, we mean the water that comes into contact with your hands, not the water you drink. Doing the washing up, for example, can take a big toll on your nails as soaps and solvents from the liquid can have a drying effect on your nails.
A simple solution to the household chore side effect is to pop on a pair of gloves which will protect your nails from the bad chemicals and keep them from drying out. The Clarins Treatment listed above can help reduce the damage by providing a barrier, and you can buy eco-friendly washing-up liquids that contain fewer harsh chemicals.
We’re also a fan of the Leighton Denny Nail Rebuilder capsules. You can buy a pack of 20 for £17.50 and a single capsule can treat all your nails, on your fingers and toes. You just twist off the cap and massage the oil into the nail bed before allowing it to absorb.
The brand recommends using the capsules daily for 14 days for targeted treatment results, although you need to keep you nails free from polish in order to see the best result.
Once your nails are strong again, you can use these capsules as a weekly treatment.
If you are a nail fanatic, it can be hard to cut down on how many manicures you have each month. If you are constantly subjecting your nails to acrylics or gel, this can damage your nail beds and leave them feeling brittle and weak.
Even if you’re using gels that promise to moisturise your nails, and you have them removed professionally.
Try, whenever possible, to a break between treatments every now and then, and use a nail hardener instead to build your nails back up to their natural state.
We’re huge fans of nail wraps – you can read more about them in our roundup of the best cheap products every makeup collection needs – and while they’re still not foolproof when it comes to keeping your nails as healthy as they would be without any treatment, they’re a better alternative than repeatedly having gels and acrylics applied.
Shutterstock Peeling off nail polish, gel or traditional, doesn’t just remove your coat of nail polish but it also removes part of the top layer of your nails – which causes your nails to thin.
It can be easy to do, especially as your manicure starts to chip, but if you do this an excessive amount it can take months for them to grow back in a healthy condition. If you see your nails have started to chip away, take them off with remover as soon as you can so the temptation isn’t there.
Victoria is founder and editor-in-chief of mamabella, freelance journalist and Mum. She has a passion for empowering people to feel beautiful whatever their age, size, skin type and budget
