Are your fingernails thin and brittle? Do you tend to get vertical splits? You may be able to blame your diet. Brittle nails may also be simply a sign of aging.
If your fingernails have vertical ridges that run from the cuticle to the tip, don’t get too upset. These ridges are often a sign of aging. The lines exist all along, but as you age, your nail beds can dry out, making the ridges more prominent.
So how do you help your brittle, splitting nails?
- Wear gloves when washing dishes, giving the kids a bath, or doing any other things with water. Repeated soaking and drying can dry your nail beds.
- Use a moisturizer on your hands, and use it frequently. Try to find a formula that uses shea butter or petroleum, to help your body retain moisture. And when you use lotion, make sure to rub it into your cuticles and fingernails as well, not just your skin.
- For extra moisturizing overnight, apply lotion and wear a pair of cotton gloves while you sleep.
- Don’t mess with your cuticles too much. Using a metal instrument to push your cuticles back can cause damage to the nail bed that leads to splits.
- Get plenty of biotin, a B vitamin. Eat cauliflower, walnuts, and egg yolks to help increase the amount of biotin in your diet.
- Try polish. It won’t cure the problem, but it can help protect brittle nails from splitting.
- Be careful! If you know your nails tend to split when doing certain activities, be sure to wear gloves for protection or ask someone else for help.
- Keep your nails short. You don’t have to give up your nails entirely, but a shorter style may help keep your brittle nails out of harm’s way.