If you've been researching how to strengthen nails, you and your fingertips are in luck. We’ve grilled professional manicure experts on the causes of weak nails, simple lifestyle tweaks that will make a huge difference and the best treatments that promise to lengthen and strengthen troubled talons.
Whether your nails are peeling and flaky, soft and bendy, or thin and brittle, we’ve rounded up our favourite supplements, tools and the best nail strengtheners to restore your nails to tip-top condition.
“Healthy nails should be strong, smooth and have a natural pinkish-white colour,” explains Juanita Huber-Millet, Founder and Creative Director at Townhouse. If you're itching to try out some on-trend nail designs but haven’t been blessed with tough-as-nails nails, what are the early warning signs of weakness? “You may see the nails start peeling or splitting more easily than usual,” explains Huber-Millet. “They will be visibly thinner and more prone to chipping and breaking. You might also notice that your nails aren't growing as quickly as they used to.”
Here’s how to strengthen nails that need a little extra support.
Juanita Huber-Millet launched Townhouse in 2018 with one goal: to elevate the nail salon experience. There are now 18 Townhouse salons all across the UK.
How to strengthen nails, according to manicure experts
1. Make simple lifestyle changes
“Soft and bendy nails are often a result of being exposed to too much moisture,” explains Huber-Millet. “This can happen if you're constantly washing your hands or using harsh cleaning chemicals without any protection. Your nails can absorb excess water and become overly soft, weakening the structure and making them more prone to bending and breaking.” It makes sense – think about how bendy your nails get after a long soak in the bath.
We’re here for any excuse not to wash the dishes or clean the bathroom, but if you really must, it’s vital to protect your hands and nails. “Always wear gloves when doing any household chores,” implores Huber-Millet. “Strong chemicals can damage the nails and cause them to become very weak.”
2. Tweak your diet
During times of stress, our body prioritises our vital organs, leaving ‘non-essential’ things like hair, skin and nails at the bottom of the pecking order. That being said, sticking to a healthy diet can help to improve the state of your nails. "Eating foods with a good source of Biotin like avocados, nuts and eggs, as well as iron-rich foods, such as lean meats and leafy greens will do wonders for your nails,” says Huber-Millet.
If your diet is good but your nails are still lacking, Lynn Gray, Mavala nail expert, recommends upping your levels of the following vitamins...
- A - strengthens nails and helps growth
- B - helps prevent and fight skin and nail diseases
- C - strengthens resistance against infection
- D - permits the body to utilise calcium and benefit from the sun’s rays
- E - plays an important role as an antioxidant inside the cells
Lynne Gray is Mavala's in-house nail expert.
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3. Use cuticle oil every day
Perhaps the single most important thing to do when you're wondering how to strengthen nails is to apply cuticle oil everyday. It will help to boost circulation, encourage growth, bolster weak nails and prolong the life of your manicure. Choose an oil over a cuticle cream as it will delve deeper to lock moisture into the nail plate.
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4. Moisturise regularly
Daily moisturising is the cornerstone of great skin. But this essential step is often overlooked when it comes to nail care. If your nails split, break and flake frequently, they’re probably crying out for hydration. Redirect some of your best hand cream to the nail bed every day. Alternatively, after applying your best night cream, use the excess to give your nails a little extra attention. That way you put the spare product to good use and it will keep your hands and nails in tip-top condition.
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5. File the right way
It might seem like the simplest of tasks but there is, in fact, a wrong way to file your nails. See-sawing back and forth can actually tear the nail so always move in one direction, filing inwards from each outside corner into the centre of the nail. When it comes to shaping, less is more, says Huber-Millet. “Avoid over-buffing and filing, as this can weaken the nails.”
If you can, splurge on a glass or crystal nail file. They’re gentler on the nail, making them less prone to splitting, and will last a lifetime if taken care of.
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6. Soak gels off properly
There’s no denying the many, many upsides of a gel manicure – mirror-like shine, chip-proof colour and no chance of smudging – but removing it improperly will make nails as weak as a soggy paper bag. By peeling off your gels, you’re also removing the lop layers of your delicate nail cells, which will thin out and weaken your nails. Any salon will offer gel removal – some even provide this service for free if you’re booking in for your next manicure.
Alternatively, if you’re looking how to remove gel nails at home, first use a nail file to gently rough up the shiny top coat seal. Then place a cotton ball soaked in acetone remover on each nail, wrapping the tip in squares of tin foil to hold everything in place. Let the nails soak for at least 15 minutes – the polish should look as if it’s lifted, and will slide off with a fresh acetone-soaked cotton ball when it’s ready. For any remaining gel spots, use a wooden cuticle stick to gently lift it away.
When you’re practising gel-removal at home, be sure to use high-quality products and check the label for any potentially harmful ingredients. “It's important to be aware of ingredients like formaldehyde and toluene, as these can strip away the natural oils and moisture of your nails, making them more vulnerable,” explains Huber-Millet.
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7. Use a specialist treatment
Just as you might seek out a targeted serum to tackle skin issues like acne, redness, wrinkles and pigmentation, there are a myriad of specialist treatments to bolster weak nails. For soft, bendy nails try a hardening formula. If your nails are brittle and flaky, go with a strengthening serum that will reinstate moisture.
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Before and after one application of OPI Repair Mode
8. Visit the experts
We’re all for caring for nails at home but treating yourself to a regular manicure acts like a ‘health check-up’. Think about your car – you wash it, you fill it with fuel but every now and then you take it for an MOT to make sure things are all ticking over nicely. It’s the same with your nails. "Getting professional advice from a qualified nail technician will help ensure that your nails look and feel their best,” says Huber-Millet. “An expert nail technician will be able to assess your nail condition and advise you on the best nail care for you.”
She also personally recommends IBX – a 10-minute, in-salon strengthening treatment available at Townhouse. “It’s a great mani add-on for damaged, weak, brittle and peeling nails. Its conditioning monomers penetrate the nail surface to fill in grooves and ridges, preventing breakage, so that nails are tougher and can resist environmental wear and tear for longer. It completely transformed my nails," she says.
Beauty Editor, Stephanie shares her essentials for how to strengthen nails at home
FAQ
How can I harden my nails?
If you're wondering how to strengthen nails, it's likely they feel quite weak or flimsy. If your nails are dry, they’re likely to flake like pastry. As we’ve said, one of the best things you can do for nails is to apply cuticle oil religiously. Keep one in your handbag, in your car or on your bedside table – wherever will remind you to use it – and apply every day.
Don't forget – just like your hair benefits from regular trims, filing or clipping the ends of your nails will help keep them strong.
What can I do about discoloured nails?
Nails can become yellow for a variety of reasons. Sometimes, it can be a sign of underlying health conditions, so if it’s a persistent problem, check with your GP. In most cases, it’s simply caused by using dark nail polishes without a base coat.
"Nails can easily become stained if you don’t use a base coat, particularly if wearing a deep shade or green polish," says Gray. "By using a base coat you create a barrier between your nail and the polish, preventing a change in shade."
If your nails are already stained, don’t worry. "Lightly buff the nails and use a scrub, this might be enough to shift the staining," she says. "If it’s still prominent, use a whitener polish to create an optical illusion until the staining has grown out."
Do I need to let my nails breathe?
This is the second most common question we're asked, after asking how to strengthen nails. There is a school of thought that recommends giving yourself a break from polish to let the nails ‘breathe’. Huber-Millet says this isn’t necessarily the case. “Nails are made up of a protein called keratin, which doesn't need to absorb oxygen from the nail surface so in essence, the nails don’t need to ‘breathe’.”
In fact, she argues that wearing nail polish can act as a “protective layer, preventing your nails from becoming weak or damaged, as long as you remove it correctly and avoid using any low-quality products with harmful chemicals.”