Healthy nails should be hard and smooth, free from any grooves or dents, and consistent in color.
Fingernails are composed of a multilayer of a protein called “Keratin.” Your fingernails represent your overall health. If you want to grow your fingernails faster, try these home remedies:
Use Nail Hardeners
Soft nails are more prone to breaking. Experts usually recommend nail hardeners to prevent nails from breaking. Nail hardeners are substances that can be painted onto nails like polish and can be removed with a nail polish remover. It can be helpful in the short term prevention of nail breakage.
Practice Good Grooming
A regular nail grooming routine helps you boost the strength of your nails, encourage their growth, and reduces breakage. Some easy ways to keep your nails healthy include:
- Keep your nails dry and clean to prevent bacteria from growing beneath them.
- Use sharp nail clippers to trim your nails straight across, then use them to make a soft curve.
- Moisturize your nails with the hand lotion, especially at the base, where the cuticles are.
- Avoid biting nails.
Proper Nutrition
The first step towards having beautiful nails is adequate nutrition. A healthy balanced diet includes fresh fruits and vegetables, lean protein, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats. In addition to eating a healthy, well-balanced diet, the following tips will help you strengthen your nails so that they can grow durable and long overtime.
Take Biotin
Biotin is an important B vitamin that helps your body to convert food into energy. It is also a highly recommended supplement for hair and nail growth. Several pieces of research have shown that taking a biotin supplement daily can strengthen your nails. According to scientists, a 2.5 milligrams dose of biotin daily can improve your nail strength in a few weeks. Natural sources of dietary biotin include brewer’s yeast, cooked eggs, sardines, whole grains, nuts and nut butter, soy, other beans, bananas, cauliflower, and mushrooms.
Avoid Glue-On Nails and Toxic Nail Polishes
According to research, regular use of artificial nails will weaken your real nails and eventually cause their breakage. Nail polishes that contain toxic chemicals such as toluene, formaldehyde and dibutyl phthalate (DBP) can also damage your nails. It is best to look for water-based formulations as they are usually toxin-free.
Causes of Unhealthy Nails
The primary reason of abnormalities in nail growth is poor health. The most common nail growth issues are:
- Changes in color
- Changes in shape
- Changes in thickness
- Bleeding
- Swelling or pain around nails
- Separation of the nail from surrounding skin
- Slow growth
Slower growing nails are usually an indicator of illness or nutritional deficiency. A few medicines may also cause them.
Tip: Your nails reflect your overall health. A healthy diet is compulsory if you want fast-growing and healthy nails. Practicing healthy nail care habits along with a balanced diet will help you grow strong, long-lasting nails that don’t face the problem of being broken & brittle.