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Strengthen fingernails

Some of my fingernails have ridges and waves and a few of them seem to split and break when they grow to a certain length (not long at all). Is this due to a deficiency of a vitamin or mineral? What can I do stop my nails from splitting?
( 7 May 2008)

One of the prime causes of splitting fingernails is ageing, which causes the drying out of natural oils and moisture from the fingernails, making them dry and brittle. As such, the agents that keep the layers of your nails together are lost, making your nails prone to splitting. However, apart from aging, when it comes to ridges on your fingernails, deficiency of certain vitamins and minerals is most likely the cause.

Other causes of ridges on finger nails include kidney disordersand improper absorption and assimilation of nutrients. Some of the home remedies to prevent and treat ridges and splitting of nails are as follows:

Keep your body hydrated so that your nails do not lose moisture and become dry. You should eat a lot of fruits and vegetables to up your vitamin and mineral intake, which, in turn, not only reduces the pace of aging but also provides your body with all the vital nutrients. Diet alteration to include vitamins and minerals is one of the best ways for strengthening of fingernails.

You can also apply avocado oil, shea butter, and jojoba oil on your fingernails to replenish the oil content between the layers of your nails, keeping them tightly bonded.

You should ideally wear gloves when performing chores like washing dishes and gardening.

Avoid the use of harsh chemical-based soaps and lotions on your hands and nails.

answered by S S on 15 Nov 2011, 11:00:51

What causes white spots and ridges in fingernails?

There are various ailments that might cause ridges on your fingernails. However one may wonder what does having ridges on fingernails mean. Ridges on the fingernails are essentially having fine lines on the nails, which may either be vertical or horizontal. There are different ridges in fingernails causes both physical and psychological. Vertical ridges are usually caused by iron deficiency, poor health, kidney disorders, and improper absorption and assimilation of nutrients. On the other hand, horizontal ridges on the fingernails are caused by deficiency of vitamins, especially B-complex, stress, and other infections and diseases.

If you suddenly notice white spots on fingernails, these are indicative of minor injuries to the nail bed. Since nails grow at the rate of half an inch per month, the white spots may be noticed months after the injury, typically 6 to 8 weeks. The causes of white spots indicate calcium deficiency or excessive intake of mayonnaise. Some of the home remedies to prevent and treat ridges are to consume a lot of fluids, vitamins and minerals to keep the nails hydrated. You should also wear gloves while performing chores that are hard on the hands so as to prevent injuries to the nail bed, thereby reducing the chances of white spots. In order to ensure the overall health of fingernails, you can apply shea butter, avocado oil, and jojoba oil to the nails.

answered by G R on 8 Nov 2011, 10:44:28

What does horizontal and vertical ridges in nails mean?

If you have noticed fine lines on your nails, horizontally or vertically, you can refer to them as ridges. If you have vertical ridges on your fingernails, it is indicative of poor health, deficiency of iron, improper absorption and assimilation of nutrients, and sometimes, kidney disorders. If you have horizontal ridges in fingernails, it may be inferred that the cause of the condition is lack of vitamins, particularly Vitamin B-complex, stress, and other physical diseases and infections.
Some of the remedies to prevent ridges on your fingernails are as follows:

Eat foods rich in iron and vitamin B, such as spinach, banana, lean beef, turnip, bell peppers, cheese, and eggs, among others.

You can also use aromatherapy to prevent and treat ridges on fingernails. You can use tea tree oil to prevent infections and diseases, which will prevent the formation of horizontal ridges. Lavender essential oil helps reduce stress and inculcates feelings of joy and happiness; this will also help prevent ridges caused due to stress.

Include a lot of fruits and vegetables in diet so as to ensure sufficient intake of vitamins and minerals. This will boost immunity and prevents infections, thereby preventing and curing ridges in fingernails.

Application of natural greasy agents like avocado oil, shea butter, and olive oil on the nails also helps prevent ridges.

answered by G M on 2 Nov 2011, 1:20:47

Please suggest some home treatment for splitting nails?

Splitting nails is not uncommon, especially among the working population, who are subjected to stress and lack of proper nutrition and care. The prime cause of splitting nails is desiccation of the natural oils and moisture, which serve to keep the layers of nails together. Some of the remedies for splitting nails treatment are as under:

You can apply natural oily agents like shea butter, jojoba oil, avocado oil, and olive oil to replenish the lost oil content in your nails.

One of the most effective split nail treatments is to include a lot of vitamins and minerals in your diet to slow down the process of aging, thereby preventing the nails from drying and becoming brittle. These nutrients also ensure that there are no deficiencies in your body, another common cause of weak nails.

You can also apply vitamin E oil on your nails to nourish them; alternatively, you can consume vitamin E oil supplements after consulting a doctor.

Drinking plenty of fruit juices and drink right to ten glasses of water every day to keep your body hydrated.

Avoid the use of harsh soaps and chemicals to wash your hands.

Always wear gloves when performing rough chores like dish washing.

Splitting of nails is usually caused by ageing, stress, and lack of proper nutrition, so the right diet and care of the nails can help treat the condition and improve nail health.

answered by A S on 11 Oct 2011, 2:45:10

Strengthen fingernails

Some of my fingernails have ridges and waves and a few of them seem to split and break when they grow to a certain length (not long at all). Is this due to a deficiency of a vitamin or mineral? What can I do stop my nails from splitting? ( 7 May 2008)

Some of my fingernails have ridges and waves and a few of them seem to split and break when they grow to a certain length (not long at all). Is this due to a deficiency of a vitamin or mineral? What can I do stop my nails from splitting?
( 7 May 2008)