How to Harden Your Nails

If you get weekly manicures, purchase your own tools to prevent infections.

Dry, brittle nails can be caused by many factors including poor nutrition, chemical exposure and dry skin. Unhealthy nails can even signal health problems and bodily infection. There are several ways to improve the condition of your nails, and keep them hard and healthy. Daily care and lifestyle changes will improve the look and feel of your nails.

Things You'll Need

• Lemon juice
• Cuticle oil
• Hand cream
• Latex gloves
• Nail clippers
• Nail file
• Multivitamin

Instructions

Instructions

1. Stop biting your nails or picking at your cuticles. If you are having trouble kicking this habit, soak your fingernails in lemon juice, a natural stain remover. The sour taste on your fingertips will help keep those nails out of your mouth.

2. Apply cuticle oil and moisturize daily. Purchase a hand cream that contains phospholipids or lactic acid, these ingredients are known to prevent cracking and breaking.

3. Purchase latex gloves to protect your nails during household cleaning. Constantly washing the dishes without gloves makes nails brittle. Use the gloves when using harsh chemical cleaners.

4. Trim nails, rounding them with a nail file. Brittle and weak nails look worse when they are long. A shorter length will help you avoid breaks or cracks.

5. Avoid nail polish until the condition of your nails has improved. Acetone weakens nails.

6. Take a daily multivitamin that includes iron and ensure that you get enough protein in your diet.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep your nails and hands clean, but avoid digging too deeply when cleaning beneath the nail. You could cause an infection.

• If you have weak, brittle nails accompanied by a brown nail discoloration, seek medical help. You could have a fingernail fungus.

References

• WebMd; Healthy Fingernails: Clues About Your Health; Sherry Rauh