6 Ways to Prevent and Repair Nail Damage

You love the look of a fresh manicure, but you don’t love what trips to the salon do to your nails. Brittle, peeling, and breaking nails are a common tale for anyone who loves to get their nails done. Luckily, there are some steps you can take to repair nail damage and prevent it from happening in the first place. Keep reading for our top healthy nail care tips!

1. Take a Break 

If you’re a fan of acrylic or gel manicures but you’re noticing that your nails have become more brittle, it’s time to take a break.

During the acrylic nail application process, your manicurist roughs up the surface of your nails. While this helps the acrylic to stick better, it also leaves your natural nails compromised. Gel manicures don’t require too much buffing, but they can dehydrate your nails, which can also leave them brittle and prone to breaking.

The best thing to do is to avoid these types of manicures until your nails have regained their strength. 

2. Cut Your Nails Short 

If you have brittle nails, then you know how painful it can be when long nails break, especially if they break below the nail bed. Shorter nails are less likely to snag and break, which is why cutting your nails short can help the healing process along.

3. Moisturize Regularly 

Frequently applying a hand cream like Herbacin Kamille Hand Cream will help to rehydrate your cuticles and nails, which will strengthen them over time. If you’re hands and nails are extremely dry, try applying hand cream and then putting on gloves before you go to bed at night. It might sound strange, but you’ll definitely wake up with moisturized nails and soft hands to boot.

4. Wear Gloves 

Speaking of gloves, are you protecting your hands while you clean? Harsh chemicals in cleaning products like dish soap can zap the moisture right out of your hands, leaving your nails dry and brittle. Protect your hands by wearing rubber gloves whenever you’re scrubbing.

5. Take a Vitamin

Many nail experts claim that a biotin supplement can help you to grow stronger, longer nails. If you’re not interested in popping vitamins, you can also up your biotin intake by incorporating more biotin-rich foods into your diet. Eggs, almonds, cheese, cauliflower, mushrooms, and spinach are all excellent sources of this nail-strengthening nutrient. As an added benefit, biotin is also thought to help with healthy hair growth.

6. Drink More Water 

Dry nails are damaged nails, so make sure that you’re drinking enough water to stay properly hydrated. While the recommendations vary, most experts suggest drinking at least 2 liters of water daily. Additionally, avoid drinking excessive amounts of alcohol and caffeine, which can both have a dehydrating effect.

Hint: don’t expect instant results. While cutting your nails short and moisturizing will certainly make a big difference right away, it takes three months for nails to grow out. But if you stick with these healthy nails habits, you’ll be seeing longer, stronger nails by next season!