Do your nails break easily? Five dermatologist tips for stronger nails

Many things can affect the strength and health of your nails, including nutrition, certain medications and medical conditions, and nail care habits. If you are struggling with brittle or cracked nails, try these tips that I often share with my patients to help strengthen nails and make them healthier.

1. Apply arnica oil to cuticles

Arnica oil has strong anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties and can also deeply moisturize. Apply a few drops to your cuticles to help hydrate and strengthen your nails over time.

2. Try Viviscal vitamins

Although Viviscal is best-known for its ability to strengthen hair, it can work well for nails too, since both hair and nails are made up of a protein called keratin. Viviscal contains a variety of key nutrients, including a proprietary amino acid blend, biotin, iron, vitamin C and more. I find that Viviscal works very well for nail strength.

3. Take biotin

Biotin is well known for strengthening hair and nails, and studies show that biotin supplements can help to improve nail thickness and reduce splitting. You can also incorporate biotin-rich foods like eggs and nuts into your diet to get more of this important nutrient.

4. Try gelatin

Gelatin is rich in collagen and other proteins that help to build keratin, which can support the growth of stronger, healthier nails. Regularly consuming gelatin or using gelatin-based treatments may help to reduce nail brittleness and promote smoother nail growth.

5. Take a break from acetone

The current trend on social media is to let your nails breathe and stop wearing polish for a month to promote nail strength. However, I have not seen any data on this and it may be a myth.

That said, giving your nails a break from acetone for a while may help.

You can use a non-acetone nail polish remover or even an oil-based polish remover that is gentler on your skin and nails. Ella+mila, for example, makes a jojoba oil nail polish remover that does not contain acetone or alcohol.

Bottom line

All of the above tips can help build strong, healthy nails. However, keep in mind that it can take several months to see noticeable improvements in nail strength – so stick with it!

If you are still struggling with brittle nails or other concerns like thickened nails, talk to your dermatologist. These chronic problems can be caused by underlying conditions like psoriasis or a nail fungus.

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