Manicures and weak nails

Special considerations: Manicures and weak nails

If you rely on manicures to make your nails look good, keep a few things in mind. Don't have your cuticles removed — it can lead to nail infection. Also, check to be sure that your nail technician properly sterilizes all tools used during your manicure. Using unsterilized tools may transmit yeast or bacterial infections.
Weak or brittle fingernails can be a challenge to toughen up. The following tips can help you protect them, making your nails less likely to split or break.

• Keep your nails short, square shaped and slightly rounded on top. Trim brittle nails after a bath or a 15-minute hand soak in bath oil. Then apply a moisturizer.
• Moisturize your nails and cuticles several times a day and after your nails have been in water. Also, apply moisturizer at bedtime and cover your hands with cotton gloves.
• Apply a nail hardener, but avoid products containing toluene sulfonamide or formaldehyde. These chemicals can cause redness or irritate the skin.
• Apply nail polish. A thin coat of nail polish may help keep moisture in the nail. Remove and reapply the nail polish after a week.
• Don't use nail polish remover more than once a week. When you do need a remover, avoid those that use acetone, which dries nails.
• Take a biotin supplement. Taking 2.5 milligrams of biotin daily may increase the thickness of nails.

Dietary changes that supposedly strengthen nails don't work. Unless you're malnourished — not getting proper nutrition through your diet — taking daily multivitamins won't strengthen your nails either. Taking gelatin supplements or soaking your nails in gelatin also won't help.
It's easy to neglect your nails. But a little basic nail care can go a long way to keeping your nails in healthy condition.