How to Get Strong Nails Naturally

To make nails stronger, avoid biting them.

Long nails can be seen as feminine and beautiful, but they need to be strong as well. A lot of things we do can weaken our nails, such as pulling hangnails, biting them, allowed them to get dry and brittle or not trimming them. Weak nails can easily bend, break or split, which can be painful and cause dangerous infections.

Things You'll Need

• Nail clippers
• Moisturizer
• File
• Zinc
• Biotin

Instructions

1. Eat foods rich in the B vitamin biotin, or take 300 micrograms daily as a dietary supplement. Biotin was originally found to strength horse hooves, which are made of keratin, the same substance that human nails are made of.

2. Eat foods rich in zinc, such as hard-boiled eggs and milk.

3. Keep your fingernails clean and dry. This will prevent fungi and bacteria from growing under the nail bed.

4. Trim your fingernails regularly. Allowing them to grow wild can improve the chances of tearing or breaking, which can cause infection.

5. Avoid biting your nails or pulling off hangnails. This can weak the nail surface and rip nail tissue.

6. Moisturize your fingernails. Rub lotion onto the nail surface to keep them from getting brittle.

References

• Reader's Digest: 14 Tips for Strong and Healthy Nails
• Mayo Clinic: Nails: How to keep your fingernails healthy and strong

Resources

• Skin Care Hub: Healthy and Strong Nails