Exclusive | How to Make Your Weak and Brittle Nails Grow Stronger – and Nail Polish Mistakes Hurt

Leave your nails weak in 2024.

Dr. Mary Stevenson, a dermatologic surgeon at NYU Langone, says many factors can lead to brittle, easy-to-split nails—but if yours are constantly breaking and refusing to grow, there’s hope.

First things first: No, your childhood biting habit isn’t why your nails won’t hold their length today, no matter what your mom says.

“Onychophagia – or nail biting – generally does not cause permanent damage to the nails, but it shortens and thins them at the tip,” said Dr. Stevenson for The Post. “Our nails grow from the matrix, which is just below our cuticle, and the white crescent shape at the near end of our nails – called the lunula – which is a visible part of the end part of our matrix, which is the place where the nail grows out of.”

But there are some behaviors that can make them weaker. One is not getting enough protein in your diet, which will lead to less keratin, the protein that makes up our nails. Nutritional deficiencies in vitamin B and iron can also cause harm.

Others include hand washing, use of abrasive cleaning materials such as dish soap and detergents, and trauma to the nail bed.

Your nail polish can also be damaged, especially if you get gel or use too much acetone.

“We need our cuticles. Pushing these back and taking apart the seal they make with our nails to keep things like bacteria and fungus out,” said the doctor.

“Letting your nails ‘breathe’ or have time off from nail polish is not essential for healthy nails, although too much acetone or abrasive nail polish that can be removed with nail thinners and acetone soaks, or inappropriate nail polishes can weaken our nails.”

So what can you do to fix them?

“Taking good care of your nails, avoiding excessive nail polish with acetone removers, using gloves when washing dishes, avoiding abrasive products and increasing your intake of biotics either through a supplement or your diet can all help nail health”, said Dr. Stevenson said.

“Biotin and iron help maintain healthy nails – these are often found in prenatal vitamins, which I suggest to my patients with weak nails.”

And don’t expect to see results in just a few weeks. Unfortunately, it takes a while for those lifestyle and diet changes to show up in your nails.

“It generally takes about 6 months for a whole nail to grow, so being kind to your hands for a long time is essential to improve their health,” added the doctor.

In the meantime, practice good nail hygiene and nourish your cuticles by applying oil or hand lotion to them.