Taking care of your nails is more important than you think it is. Your nails can be indicators of your overall health, and not taking care of your nails can result in a number of serious health problems. The amount of people who suffer from brittle nails and weak and cracked nails is alarmingly high, and that's why you need to be aware of the simplest brittle nails treatment that can be done right at home.
Some of the most common causes of brittle nails include: long contact with water, aging and prolonged utilization of cosmetic products such as nail polish and acetone-based remover in your nails. However, other more serious causes may also result in brittle nails, such as jaundice, trauma, eczema, pollution, anemia, psoriasis, leukemia, lung conditions, endocrine disorders, etc.
Your nails protect your fingertips, which have a number of nerve-endings; therefore, if your nails aren't strong, it leaves your physique exposed and vulnerable. This is how you can facilitate brittle nails treatment in your own home, with simple, but highly effective ingredients.
Treatment Methods For Brittle Nails
Here are some of the things you can do when trying to treat your weak and brittle nails. These are simple lifestyle choices and changes, which could go a long way in ensuring that your nails don't weaken further, and instead, heal from the damage that has already been caused to them.
1. Wear gloves when doing your chores
The initial step you need to follow in the treatment of brittle nails at home is really a preventive step. Wearing gloves prevents water and chemicals from coming into contact with your nails, and reduces the chance of residual damage. Additionally, it keeps your hands dry and soft and safe.
2. Moisturize both hands
Moisturizing is a basic nail-care step that people need to follow. However, most people overlook this step, which causes problems for example brittle nails. Moisturize both hands and the area around your nails in order to prevent problems like dehydration, discoloration and weakness. It is best if you moisturize before bed, and wear gloves, so that the moisture gets truly locked in.
3. Take care of your cuticles
Your cuticles are more important than you think. However, people unfortunately try to get rid of their cuticles and cut them off, which in turn causes long-term damage and are often the leading cause for brittle and weak nails. Your cuticles form a protective layer for the nails, so it is important to protect your cuticles, so that the moisture and nutrients in your nails stay locked in. There are special cuticle creams available, which you can use to restore health to your nails as well as your cuticles, when you are moisturizing.
4. Massage your nails
When you are moisturizing your nails, try to spend 10-15 massaging your nails. This might seem like a lot, but the stimulation that you simply provide to your nails and your fingertips helps in regulating blood flow around the area, and lending important nourishment and energy to your nails. It also helps the creams and the ointments seep into your skin, so that the effect is larger on your weak nails.
5. Avoid nail polish and nail polish remover
Even simple things like resisting the urge to wear nail polish may go a long way in repairing your damaged and unhealthy nails. Nail polish contains chemicals which can cause the breakdown of your nails, if worn for a prolonged period of time. Nail polish also prevents sunlight, outdoors and water from getting to the surface of your nails and dries them out. Nail polish remover contains acetone, that is very harmful for your nails, and makes it dry and brittle.
In order to avoid all the complications that come with nail polish and nail polish remover, the simplest solution is simply to avoid it all, and allow your nails stay in their natural state for a while.
6. Drink a lot of water
This shouldn't be a surprise to you. By this time, you must have learnt that water may be the solution to everything. Water hydrates your entire body from the inside, and this is reflected in the health of your nails. actually, if you start seeing problems in your nails, then the first thing you could do is check whether you are dehydrated or not. Therefore, when you want to fix you brittle, weak or chipping nails, then you need to increase your water consumption considerably, to repair the problem from the root.
Natural Ingredients for the Treatment of Brittle Nails
Apart in the practical things that you can do to save your nails from getting ruined completely, there are also a number of natural, topical treatment methods that you can practice at home, which are highly effective. Here are some examples.
1. Coconut oil and lemon juice
Coconut oil is a wonderful natural ingredient, that is great for consumption, as well as topical use. It's full of essential saturated fats, which heals the weakness inside your nails, and smoothens out the cracks, hydrates your dried-out nails and makes it stronger.
Lemons are rich in antioxidants and Vitamin C. when combined with coconut oil, they make a strong solution which has incredible natural disinfectant properties, which heals your nails, and prevents any infection from further damaging your nails.
Simply massage your nails with a mixture of coconut oil along with a little lemon juice to see a marked difference in your brittle nails very quickly.
2. Sea salt
Another ingenious remedy which you can use at home for your brittle nails is sea salt. The properties of sea salt fix the damage that has already occurred to your nails, and strengthens it. Sea salt also includes essential minerals, which helps your nails re-grow quicker, and also improves the general quality of the nails by adding shine and brightness for your talons.
The best way to use sea salt is as simple as dissolving 2 tablespoons of the stuff in tepid to warm water and letting your hands soak in it for 15-20 minutes. Afterwards, make sure you dry your hands well, and moisturize both hands and the area around your fingernails, because sea salt also tends to dry out your skin.
3. Green tea extracts
Even though green tea extract is one of the best things to drink due to its vast antioxidant properties, it is also a wonderful topical treatment for weak and brittle nails. Green tea extract contains polyphenols, which is important in protecting your skin and your nails from DNA damage, and environmental damage, which also might be the root cause of your brittle nails.
Soak 3-5 green tea extract bags in 2 cups of warm water, and let your hands sit in the water for as long as the temperature is warm. Pat dry your hands, and make sure there is no residue left in your nails and fingers. You will see a marked improvement in the quality of the nails within one month of usage.
4. Egg yolks and milk
Your nails become weak, brittle and flaky when they lack the adequate amount of nutrition they should be in shape. Sometimes, this is because the body lacks these nutrients, as well as your diet isn't enough to supplement it, which means you need to let your nails absorb these nutrients directly. These nutrients mostly include protein, calcium and phosphorus.
Milk and raw eggs contain all these nutrients in abundance, and when you soak your nails in a mixture of eggs and milk, you emerge with stronger, healthier, more hydrated nails. Apart from its strengthening and moisturizing effects, eggs and milk also have a whitening effect on your nails, getting rid of any discoloration that might have occurred included in the damage.
5. Copper
This might sound just like a strange home remedy for weak and brittle nails, but copper might help restore life and health for your nails in no time. Copper helps restore collagen and elastin in your nails, which are the two compounds responsible for the healthy growth and structure of the nails.
You can consume copper-rich foods for example seafood and mushroom and vegetables like kale. Another efficient way to get copper into your product is by drinking lukewarm water from a copper vessel, so the atoms get into your body and work their magic.
Brittle nails treatment at home isn't as difficult as you might imagine so that it is. It is all about the little things, which include lifestyle changes and a few dietary changes, which can bring about a vast amount of difference. When you take care of your nails, it reflects on your entire body, and it is something that you have to dedicate time to, at all costs, for any healthy and happy lifestyle.
