How To Strengthen Brittle Nails, According To Dermatologists

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Step one: take a break from the polish.

When you have weak nails, it may seem like a constant (and impossible) battle to keep them from breaking. While getting your nails done frequently or doing them yourself at home may seem like the solution to maintaining the look and health of your nails, it may be doing more harm than good, especially when your nails are noticeably weak.

Double board-certified facial plastic surgeon, Jaimie DeRosa, MD says that "what you use to polish your nails can also weaken the nails. Gel nail polish and acrylic nails can harm the nails, as can the use of acetone-based nail polish remover."

Meet Our Experts: Jaimie DeRosa, MD, double board-certified facial plastic surgeon, Hadley King, MD, FAAD, board-certified cosmetic and medical dermatologist

This may be the last thing you want to hear if you're a regular in the nail salon, but the good news is, if you've noticed your nails getting weaker, there are things you can do to strengthen them and prevent further damage.

"There are several practices that can weaken or damage your nails," Dr. DeRosa explains. "Over-washing your hands or over-use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers can dry out the nails and make them weak," she explains.

Getting your nails done at a salon and continually getting gel or acrylics on your nails isn't helping the health of them either. Board-certified cosmetic and medical dermatologist Hadley King, MD, FAAD shares that "acrylic and gel nails can reduce evaporation of water from the nail, which causes the nail and nail bed to be excessively hydrated and makes the nail bed more likely to separate from the nail plate." In that case, if you refresh your acrylics or gel manicures every few weeks, you may want give your nails a short a break every once in a while.

You may also notice that your nails feel a little weaker during the winter time. That's because your hands being exposed to extreme cold weather and freezing temperatures can also have a negative effect on your nails.

The signs of damaged nails can vary, but you may want to look out for the following:

"Your nails should also be smooth and without pits, as well as no horizontal ridges," Dr. DeRosa explains. One thing you should keep in mind is that it's ok to have vertical ridges in the nails, which are more common with aging.

There are actually a handful of things you can do to make your nails stronger. "One of the easiest is to limit the amount of time your nails are soaking in water," Dr. DeRosa explains. "So whenever you're able, put on a pair of gloves before washing the dishes or cleaning."

More tricks include:

Sydney is a freelance writer in the beauty, lifestyle, and wellness space. She has written for multiple publications throughout her career, including InStyle, Architectural Digest, Glamour, and Elle, in addition to a copywriting for a handful of beauty and wellness brands.

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