How to strengthen peeling nails at home and in a beauty salon

From this article you will learn:

• What does a peeling nail look like?
• Why do nails peel?
• How to strengthen peeling nails at home
• What procedures can be used to strengthen peeling nails in a beauty salon?

For many women, brittle and peeling nails are a problem. Surely every representative of the fair sex asked herself the question: “Why does everyone have good nails, but I don’t? How to strengthen peeling nails? However, most ladies find themselves in this predicament. Few people can boast of perfect nails.

Rules for strengthening nails

There are several basic rules for caring for nails and strengthening them at home. Following them will at least help your nails look beautiful and well-groomed even without the use of special products:

• Moisturize and nourish nail plates and cuticles frequently.

• Monitor the balance of vitamins and microelements in the body and, if necessary, replenish their deficiency.

• Try to wear gloves when in contact with household chemicals, acids and other aggressive solutions.

• Use medicated nail products as a base for colored polish or as a stand-alone coating.

• Give your nails a rest periodically, that is, do not use gel polishes and other decorative coatings.

• Get your nails done regularly: trim and file your nails carefully. But don't overdo it and learn to do it right.

Hand nail care

Experts recommend taking care of your nails every day.

1. Hydration. It is carried out daily, otherwise, over time, it is the skin and nails that will demonstrate to others the woman’s age. Therefore, it is right to buy a moisturizer that is suitable in composition, texture and aroma and use it every day. You should moisten your brushes when your hands are not occupied with anything, so that the product is well absorbed.
2. Oil. Well-groomed hands mean dense, defect-free, smooth, regularly shaped nails, as well as healthy, soft skin. A heavily overgrown cuticle will ruin the entire look - you can forget about the neatness of your nails. To avoid such problems, it is important to monitor the condition of the cuticle, and as soon as dryness is noticed, use a special oil. It is produced in small bottles, with comfortable brushes, or with pipettes - the choice is individual. You cannot ignore the use of oil; without this, there is no way to talk about any full-fledged care.
3. Length. Every woman knows what the “critical” length of her nails is. As soon as they reach it, they become brittle and delaminate. To prevent this from happening, you need to control the length and cut them without waiting until trouble starts. Shorten with scissors or knickers, be sure to file after this with a soft file.
4. Color. We are not talking about varnishes, but about the shade of the plate itself; it should be even, without stains. If it is clear that the nail plates have become dull or stained with something, you can use the bleaching properties of lemon juice - you need to wipe your nails daily for 7 days. Whitening should not be carried out longer, as prolonged exposure to lemon will cause the skin and nail plates to dry out.
5. Olive oil bath. It must be heated to 40 degrees, and place your nails there for 15-20 minutes. Such prevention will benefit your hands. Owners of delicate, thin, weak nails should especially remember about baths - the procedures help strengthen them.

It is correct to carry out any housework with gloves.

Popular questions and answers

Questions about strengthening nails are answered by manicurist and pedicurist, podiatrist Lyudmila Chalenko and teacher of the EMI School of Impeccable Manicure, winner of the South of Russia Championship in the salon modeling category Elena Enova .

Why do you need to strengthen your nails?

Lyudmila Chalenko: Of course, healthy and strong nails are, first of all, about beauty.
However, there are also medical indications for strengthening nails. Damaged nails are fertile ground for various types of infections, so you need to carefully monitor the nail plate. In addition, a healthy nail plate signals that your body is healthy and, on the contrary, if your nails are damaged, you should think about getting tested and visiting a therapist. Elena Enova:

Beautiful, well-groomed nails have always been an indicator of health and well-being, and today it is also an opportunity to complement a stylish look and express your individuality. Nail strengthening procedures prevent their destruction and restore strength. With the help of strengthening, you can grow your natural nails, which is difficult to do without proper nutrition and special procedures.

A thin, heterogeneous plate more often breaks and delaminates, which, of course, brings discomfort and can provoke inflammation. In more serious cases, not only the nail plate is damaged, but also the nail bed. The recovery and healing process turns out to be quite painful and lengthy.

What is the best way to strengthen thin nails?

Lyudmila Chalenko: The most important folk remedy is proper nutrition and a healthy lifestyle.
Our body is very smart and shows itself if something is going wrong. As for more specific measures, I advise you to add a variety of nuts to your diet, practice sea salt baths and rub vitamin E into your nails. You can also do a special massage: stretch downwards towards the tip of your fingers with squeezing movements with the fingers of your other hand to improve blood circulation. It is important to remember that you should apply cream to your hands and nails not only after cleaning the apartment. Protection before cleaning is more important, because after applying the cream, it is more difficult for harmful substances to penetrate the film and cause damage.

Elena Enova:

It is better to strengthen thin nails with gel polish systems. They are rubbery and porous, resistant to moisture, which is also important, since thin nails release moisture, and other materials may not hold up. Using gel strengthening, you can restore deformed nails and lengthen the nail bed. This is especially true for those who have short hair or have a bad habit of biting their nails. Helps change the shape of the nail for the better.

For what reasons can nails become thin?

Lyudmila Chalenko: I would like to highlight two main types of damage.
The first is thin and peeling nails due to mechanical and chemical damage, for example, improperly done hardware manicure, removing gel polish yourself, etc. In this case, it is necessary to contact a specialist to identify the cause, extent of damage and prescribe the correct treatment. The second type is thin nails, inherited or congenital. In this case, the main assistant is proper nutrition, vitamins and minerals, daily moisturizing with any cuticle oil, which should be rubbed into the nail with massaging movements to improve blood circulation, growth and strengthening of nails.

Elena Enova:

Natural nails can become thinner due to exposure to household chemicals, vitamin deficiency in the body and chronic diseases. Most often, the nail plate also becomes thinner due to poor-quality nail modeling (cuts, detachments) and improper care.

Sources

1. E.D. Solovyova, K.V. Snimshchikova. Exogenous factors in the development of onychodystrophies. Clinical observation of changes in nail plates after prolonged exposure to cosmetic gel polish. https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/ekzogennye-faktory-v-razvitii-onihodistrofiy-klinicheskoe-nablyudenie-izmeneniya-nogtevyh-plastinok-posle-dlitelnogo-vozdeystviya
2. N.M. Kamilova, N.M. Sadikhov, Ch.S. Aliev. Diagnostic and prognostic value of studying the influence of zinc, copper and selenium on human health. https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/diagnosticheskoe-i-prognosticheskoe-znachenie-izucheniya-vliyaniya-tsinka-medi-i-selena-na-sostoyanie-zdorovya-cheloveka
3. T.V. Karpova, I.L. Sukhareva. Satisfying the body's needs for biologically active substances. https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/udovletvorenie-potrebnosti-organizma-v-biologicheski-aktivnyh-veschestvah
4. E.N. Tsurupa, L.P. Kotrekhova, N.V. Vasilyeva, K.I. Raznatovsky, G.A. Chilina, I.A. Ryabinin. Permanent decorative nail coatings are a risk factor for onychomycosis caused by nondermatomycetes. https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/permanentnye-dekorativnye-pokrytiya-dlya-nogtey-faktor-riska-onihomikoza-vyzvannogo-nedermatomitsetami

How to strengthen peeling nails at home

It is possible to strengthen peeling nails both in the salon and at home. If treatment is not necessary, take care of your nails by doing the following from time to time:

• Compresses with oils.

Thanks to oils, the nail plate is softened and saturated with necessary substances. Olive, castor, burdock, pine and cedar oils will be beneficial for it. By nourishing the nail plate, they strengthen it from the inside. It is preferable to do compresses before going to bed: wrap your nails with cotton pads with oil applied to them and place them in cosmetic gloves overnight. In the morning, you can wipe off the remaining oil and use hand cream.

• Rubbing in oil.

It is not always possible to make compresses. How else can you strengthen your nails so they don’t peel? You can rub the oil into the nail plate. Do this with light massage movements, repeating the procedure several times a day. Rubbing is very convenient to use, since it takes little time and the procedure can be done even during the work process.

Recommended articles on the topic:

• Medical hardware pedicure
• Curvature of the nail plate
• Removing an ingrown toenail and how to avoid it

• Massage.

It is very good to massage your hands and especially your fingers where the nails grow. By performing this procedure, you stimulate blood circulation and normalize the flow of nutrients to the nail plate.

• Sealing nails with wax.

This procedure helps the nails recover. Beeswax is usually used for sealing because it contains so many beneficial substances. Penetrating into the very structure of the nail and impregnating it, wax creates a protective layer. Due to this, the nails become practically impenetrable, nothing can have a destructive effect on them, so delamination stops.

• Paraffin therapy.

Another procedure similar to wax sealing. How to strengthen peeling nails with paraffin therapy? Nails are immersed for 30 seconds in cosmetic paraffin, previously melted and diluted with oils. This procedure allows you to fill the surface of a peeling nail and strengthen it. Repeating the dives about seven times, complete the procedure by wearing cosmetic gloves on your hands for 2-3 hours. The remaining paraffin can be rubbed into the nail plate. It is useful to carry out this procedure when cold weather sets in, because nails are afraid of low temperatures. Paraffin therapy promotes the supply of nutrients and improves blood circulation in the vessels.

• Nail baths.

Peeling nails do not need to be placed in baths often, since water, although it nourishes the nail structure, also softens it. But completely abandoning such a procedure is also not a solution to the situation: just do not use ingredients that are an aggressive environment for peeling nails. These include salt, soda and iodine. It’s better to take baths from herbal infusions with added oils a couple of times a month. This treatment will only benefit peeling nails.

If your nails are peeling, do not use all kinds of scrubs and polishing files to smooth the nail plate. This will only destroy its structure. Peeling and brittle nails should be trimmed to avoid injury.

Read material on the topic: Removing an ingrown toenail and how to avoid it

Manicure

Manicure perfectly strengthens nails. But it needs to be done correctly. The staining sequence includes several stages:

1. ​Applying the base. It is transparent and has high adhesive properties. May include some vitamins, acting as a strengthening plate. Can be used as a base coat. Before painting the next layer, the base must be thoroughly dried.
2. ​Colored varnish. The second stage of manicure is applying varnish with color. Do not apply a thick coating and go beyond the nails. It is recommended to paint no more than 3 layers to prevent cracking and chipping along the edges.
3. ​The final touch. The last layer of manicure is the top coat. It allows you to preserve the varnish for a long time, gives shine and smoothness to the coating.

Manicure should be removed as needed. As a product, you should choose a liquid without harmful additives, in particular acetone. Or you can remove the coating using cutters using the hardware method.

What to do to keep your nails strong

Experts from the American research clinic Mayo Clinic give some advice Fingernails: Do's and don'ts for healthy nails, how to keep your nails tight and healthy.

• Fiddle around less in the water. An excess of moisture is just as dangerous as a lack of it: prolonged contact with water can lead to splitting and brittle nails.
• Wear gloves when performing household chores. This is necessary to protect your nails from the harmful effects of detergents.
• Get rid of the habit of biting your nails or picking hangnails. This way you can introduce an infection, including into the nail matrix. Because of this, nails will grow thinner and weaker.
• Use hand moisturizer daily. Rub it into your nails and cuticles as well.
• Do not overuse manicures, even professional ones. One study, Water content and other aspects of brittle versus normal fingernails, found that those who indulge in color changes are more likely to suffer from dry and brittle nails.
• Avoid acetone-based nail polish removers.

And remember. If your nails remain brittle despite all your efforts, or if they change color, shape, or texture, you should consult a dermatologist. Perhaps we are talking about a lack of important substances in your body or some other serious malfunction.

Folk remedies

1. Paraffin. Take 200 g of cosmetic paraffin and place it in the microwave. Melt the paraffin. Wait a while for it to cool down. Place your hands in the paraffin a few more times until a thick layer of paraffin forms on your nails. Keep this mask for 40 minutes.
2. You can also use medicinal varnish. It will help make them stronger and create a strong base for your manicure if you decide to paint your nails. The healing varnish prevents delamination, strengthens the plate, and leaves a protective layer.
3. Sea salt. Mix the juice of one lemon with 50 g of sea salt. Keep your hands in the resulting mixture for ten minutes. Then rinse your hands.
4. Cranberry and viburnum mask. Take 30 g of bird cherry, viburnum, cranberry. Wash and dry the berries. Add gelatin (15 g). Rub your hands with the resulting mixture and wrap them in polyethylene. Leave on for an hour, then wash off.
5. Wax. Buy cosmetic wax from a specialty honey store. Melt 50 g of wax until liquid, cool slightly. Dip your hands into the composition. The mass must cool completely. Keep it for half an hour. Rinse it off.
6. Ground pepper mask. Mix 15 g of red pepper with 15 g of rich hand cream, add 20 ml of water. Apply the mixture to your fingers and leave for half an hour.
7. Black currant. Mix 20 g of flour, 20 g of cream and 50 g of currants, grind the mixture in a blender, apply to your hands for forty minutes.
8. Iodine is a very effective remedy. It helps strengthen the nail plate. Cover it with a little iodine. It's better to do this in the evening. Because your nails will turn yellow immediately. But in the morning this effect will pass.
9. Lemon juice is an age-old way to whiten and get strong nails. It is actively added to baths. You can take this product for yourself.

Characteristics of the condition and diagnosis

Determining brittle nails is quite easy. Patients often complain about the plate breaking off at the free edge with defects in all layers (sometimes only the top). With onychoschisis, abnormal growth of the nail is observed - it grows normally until the free edge, and then splits into several thin plates lying on top of each other, which ultimately break off1. Diagnosis and treatment of brittle nails in most cases is carried out by a dermatologist. It may be useful to consult a mycologist, therapist, hematologist or endocrinologist. Laboratory tests for onychodystrophies (in this case, brittle nails) most often include:

Cosmetic and strengthening varnishes: harm and benefit

A beautiful manicure is impossible without the use of varnishes. Nail designers can turn your nails into a real work of art. But not all varnishes are harmless .

Sometimes you notice that after you remove the polish, your nails have a yellowish or even brown tint and the surface is uneven. The reason is clear: you caused harm with a low-quality product!

When choosing a varnish, pay attention to the expiration date. Never dilute dried varnish with acetone. It is recommended not to store polishes for more than a year, as they become thick and difficult to apply to nails. If you prefer to match the tone of the polish to your outfit, then it is better to paint your nails at a salon. At home, it is better to have nail polishes in neutral colors that match your everyday wardrobe.

Avoid using dark shades of varnish. With prolonged use, the coloring pigments of the varnish can penetrate the structure of the nail plate and ruin its healthy color. And when using, be sure to use a base coat.

In pharmacies you can purchase medicinal varnishes that promote growth, strengthening, and getting rid of fragility and delamination. Before purchasing, be sure to read the instructions and recommendations for use, since even medicinal varnishes can be harmful if used incorrectly.

Universal express methods for nail restoration and growth

In addition to narrowly targeted methods, you can actively use complex methods that are easy to make and use even for the busiest beauty.

Method 1: miracle - olive oil.

It is not necessary to make a mixture of ingredients. Olive oil alone will be quite sufficient in the fight against splitting of the nail.

You just need to warm it up slightly, and then - as convenient - either a 10-minute mask or a bath.

After 4 - 5 days of daily use, you will notice clear improvements in the surface of the nails, which, by the way, will accelerate growth.

The skin of your fingers will be softer, more tender, without burrs.

Method 2: "green".

This is a truly folk way of keeping nails healthy.

You will need several bunches of fresh herbs: dill, tarragon, parsley, celery and any edible greens in general.

Grind the herbs and “season” with a couple of tablespoons of olive/linseed/sesame oil. Transfer the “green mush” into a jar and leave in the refrigerator for 48 hours.

In the morning on an empty stomach, swallow a spoonful of the mixture, and in the evening massage your fingers with oil from the jar.

Method 3: “grandmother’s strengthening ointment.”

Previously, only rich beauties who had the means to travel to the kingdom of nascent cosmetics - France, applied cream to their hands.

Russian girls maintained beauty with their own, no less effective, means.

For example, they used homemade ointment to massage their fingers and nails before going to bed.

The ointment recipe is simple: 5 g. wax (natural, bees), boiled yolk, 50 gr. calendula oils.

Grind, knead the yolk and mix in the butter. This mixture needs to be heated (2-3 minutes) and wax added to it.

Stir until the last component melts and dissolves. The gruel will resemble sour cream consistency; we transfer it to a convenient container. “Granny’s ointment” is ready!

Method 4: folk.

This is another popular recipe for express nail and skin care. It contains the strongest natural healing and restorative substances.

Proportions: sea buckthorn, calendula and burdock oils - 50 drops of each, homemade (fat) cream - 2-3 tablespoons, aloe juice (can be a pharmaceutical solution or freshly squeezed) - 30 g.

Beat the ingredients until you get a cream. Rub your hands in the morning and evening hours.

Method 5: lemon.

You don’t have to go through the hassle of squeezing the juice out of the ubiquitous lemon. There is also an emergency method - dip your fingertips (only them!) into freshly cut lemon pulp.

Lemon juice has a beneficial effect on both the structure and color of nails - the tips whiten and do not turn yellow (which is important for smokers).

Products and vitamins

Let's consider what foods help make strong nails and what vitamins necessary for the body are contained in them. For example:

• Fatty fish are rich in vitamins B12, as well as Omega-3 amino acids.
• Vitamin B is also very important for healthy nails. It is found in liver, sunflower seeds, mushrooms, and brewer's yeast. Vitamin C is also important; it is found in berries, apples, citrus fruits, and greens.
• Beef, cheese, cashew nuts, and shrimp contain the essential trace element zinc.
• Selenium is found in black bread, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, garlic, herring, sea salt, and shrimp.
• Food rich in iodine will help prevent delamination and make them strong. This includes iodized salt, spinach, seaweed, and sea fish.
• Calcium, magnesium and protein are especially important. Calcium is a key micronutrient for healthy nails. It is found in cottage cheese, dairy products, fish, dried fruits, sesame seeds, almonds, poppy seeds, and hazelnuts.
• It is important to maintain a drinking regime, drink up to one and a half liters of water per day.
• Freshly squeezed juices are also useful: tomato, cabbage, celery juice, cucumber. They are rich in vitamins and microelements. Proper, balanced nutrition is the key to luxurious, long, strong nails.