Relatively many people suffer from problems with their nails. Brittle or crumbling nails are the most common, but as long as you keep the nails short, there is not much to worry about. It only becomes difficult if you want the nails to be a little longer. Cracks, layers that peel off or nails that (apparently) break off spontaneously. You come across all kinds of things with brittle nails. Some people have tried everything from paraffin baths to not cutting but careful filing, special cream or nail polish, nail hardener (in all colors, scents and flavors), vitamin B or clear nail polish. Even then it doesn’t help some people and can be very frustrating. Especially a slightly grown nail that tears off, can also tear painfully down to the skin of the finger. Sometimes even resulting in inflammation.

From the inside

For some people, outside aids may be enough for them. But strictly speaking, the nails, just like the hair and skin, have to do with the keratin content in the body. Too low a keratin content or damaged sulfur bridges can cause, among other things, crumbling nails. At that time, the necessary building materials for keratin and sulfur bridges are lacking. Trying to solve the problem from within (silica, sulphur) is therefore best. Think about:

• citrus fruit (do not squeeze, the required silica is in the peels)
• Oats
• Garlic
• Leek

Free radicals can also have an influence and you can encounter this through sunlight (including the sunbed). Vitamins A and C, zinc or carotene are the antioxidants that can tackle this process. When tackling it from within, don’t expect results within a week. One nail grows faster than the other, but it always takes a few weeks before you notice anything.

From the outside

Gel nailpolish

As long as your nails crumble quickly, there is little point in letting the nails grow, which can result in painful nail tearing. There are protective nail polish gels that can shield the nail. This is an expensive solution, because you have to harden this special gel nail polish with a special UV lamp. The professional nail salon may also have this technique in-house.You can then have the nails painted in this way and the nail will slowly grow without cracking, but new gel nail polish must be applied every time to prevent crumbling. The nail salon will therefore not be a cheap solution.

Nail hardener

The hardener really doesn’t work for some people, but for many people things go wrong because the hardener is not applied properly. Nail hardener is a type of treatment that must be used according to the rules. The duration of the treatment and the method of application and removal are important for success.Furthermore, it is also available as a hardener in the form of a cream and results there are also variable. This cream must penetrate the nails well and that takes time. So take a moment for yourself to do this in peace.

Finally

From within is always best, but unfortunately that does not always work. In that case, the nails can still be beautiful, but just short. A well-groomed nail, long or short, can always be provided with a nice color, nail paint or simply a pearly shine.