Simple Home Remedies for Brittle Nails

Who would not like to have beautiful looking hands manicured to perfection with shiny painted nails! Whether you are a housewife or a working woman, featuring gorgeous hand with beautiful pained nails always enhances your personality and appearance.

Explaining Brittle Nails

It is an unrealized fact that fingernails play the role of an exceptional indicator of the overall health. A large number of women experience the problem of brittle nails. In maximum cases, a change in the look of nails can act as the primary indicator of an undetected medical ailment like respiratory disorder, circulatory problems, thyroid disease, or iron deficiency (anemia). Moreover, signs like fingernail ridges, variations in the nail contours, and discolorations can be significant indicators of illness.

The problem of brittle and dry nails is faced by many women. Brittle nails refer to thin, weak nails which easily break, crack, split, tear, or peel, besides featuring slow growth. The common condition of brittle nails is usually not associated with a known cause. Various medical conditions can impinge on the shape and texture of the fingernails. Brittleness of nails, implying that the nails get chipped or cracked easily, maybe a pragmatic sign of aging or even as a result of  long-term exposure to moist conditions or use of nail polish. The term ‘onychoschizia’ implies splitting of fingernails and soft or brittle nails. However, natural medicine can, to some extent, help in strengthening the affected nails.

Home Remedies for Brittle Nails

Some easy home remedies that help in treating dry and cracked nails include:

1. Apply vegetable oil

One of the most effective natural remedies helpful in treating cracked nails includes applying vegetable oil. Just take a little vegetable oil on a cotton swab and wipe it on nails. This will ensure your nails to stay moisturized and thus healthy.

2. Apply clarified butter

Dry and cracked nails can also be treated by applying clarified butter (Ghee) thus making them soft and strong. Clarified butter (Ghee) is helpful in strengthening weak and brittle nails in addition to instigating their growth. Just take a little-clarified butter on a cotton swab and wipe it on nails. Leave it to work for overnight.

3. Apply coconut oil

Coconut oil provides amazing nutrition to dry and brittle nails. The saturated fat contained in coconut oil works as a wonderful moisturizer. In addition, it also prevents many nail infections.

Just apply some warm coconut oil onto your nails using a cotton swab. Give a gentle massage to improve the blood circulation and moisturize the nails thoroughly. Apply this remedy about 3-4 times a week for effective results.

4. Add nutrients to your diet

The most important remedy to treat cracked nails is adding more nutritional value to your diet. Take in foods containing a high amount of biotin. Some good examples include lentils, peanuts, mushrooms, egg yolks, bananas, sardines, cauliflower, and liver.

5. Tea Tree Oil

The tea tree oil can also help brittle condition of nails without producing any side effects, especially when the cause is a fungal infection. This is because of the excellent anti-fungal properties of this oil. It also helps treat discolored nails.

Mix half a teaspoon of vitamin E oil with a few drops of tea tree oil. Rub this solution onto the nails and give a gentle massage for a few minutes. Let it work for half an hour and then rinse off with warm water. Pat dry and apply a rich moisturizing lotion. Repeat this remedy twice a day for about a month to get desired results.

6. Salt Soak

Soaking painful ingrown nails in warm saline water can help ease the pain in addition to reducing swelling. Add one tablespoon of salt to a quart of water and soak your nails for 30 minutes. This remedy is helpful in trimming hard nails. Try to immerse the nails in the solution for approximately 5-10 minutes prior to the trimming process.

7. Lemon Juice

Lemon juice is a good option to strengthen and improve the condition of brittle nails. Furthermore, it helps to brighten the nails and makes them look whiter than ever before.

Mix a tablespoon of fresh lemon juice to three tablespoons of olive oil in a bowl. Heat it in a microwave for 15 seconds to make it lukewarm. Apply it onto the nails using a cotton swab before getting into the bed. Let it work overnight.   

8. Horsetail

Horsetail is stacked with high amounts of silica, a mineral essential for healthy and strong nails. Besides, this herb also helps to fight off the white spots on your nails.

Add two teaspoons of dried horsetail herb to a cup of hot water. Cover and let it steep for ten minutes. Soak your nails in this water, after it cools down to normal temperature, for about 15-20 minutes. Pat dry the nails and give a gentle massage with olive oil on them. Repeat this remedy 2-3 times a week for effective results.

9. Vitamin E Oil

Very often, lack of moisture is the root cause for brittle nails. Vitamin E oil is an excellent remedy to treat brittle nails by keeping them hydrated and moisturized. It also helps to strengthen and nourish the cuticles along with nails.

Break open a vitamin E capsule to extract the oil. Apply this oil onto your nails before getting into the bed. Give a gentle massage to your nails for about five minutes. Repeat this remedy daily for a week or two, or until you get desired results.

10. Olive Oil

Thick, warm oils, like olive oil, help to improve the quality and texture of the nails. Put in one tablespoon of honey to only some drops of lemon juice and olive oil and apply it on your nails to treat brittle and fragile nails. Let the oil penetrate the nails and follow with a tepid rinse. Follow this remedy every day for desired results.

Using these remedies for brittle nails can be helpful in avoiding further injury and damage to your nails. It is important to ascertain that you take in a healthy diet in addition to following an effective nail care regime so as to maintain the health and strength of your nails.

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