A comprehensive guide on how to strengthen your nails in a simple way

It is said that hands can tell a lot about a person. And this can really be understood in many ways. The state of the hands tells not only how we take care of our exterior, but also our interior. Because healthy nails are the result of specific, wise (from the point of view of our body) decisions. How to strengthen your nails? There are many ways to do it, and we will tell you about some of the most popular ones in this article. There will be something about supplements for nail strengthening, but also about care, diet and, of course, home ways to support the nail plate.

Strengthen your nails start with...knowing about them

The mere question of how to strengthen nails does not include what is most important in care. Namely - what affects the appearance and health of nails? What factors are able to change things for the better, but also for the worse? Nails, or horny plates of the epidermis, are formed from keratin. So their structure is a fibrous protein produced by our body. How healthy they are, therefore, depends largely on what you eat and supplement. Any deficiencies, either in minerals or in the protein itself, will be seen precisely in the structure of the nails. They may become brittle, thin, which is a clear sign that something troubling is happening with the body. However, it's not just diet that affects nail health. Lifestyle does too, most notably smoking. And while you may associate a smoker's yellow nails, it's not just about this unattractive consequence of smoking. Cigarette smoking affects the formation of free radicals, and these damage skin cells (including nails), and weaken collagen fibers. Yes, collagen is also a building block of nails!

So anything that can cause oxidative stress negatively affects the health of the epidermal horny plates. Nail breakage can also be caused by external factors, such as frequent use of detergents, but also inadequate hand care. Here the most common is the frequent use of acetone. Now that you know what can damage your hands, it's worth considering how to strengthen your nails.

How to strengthen nails? Proper diet and supplementation

• Zinc - this element affects amino acid metabolism. Therefore, it will directly work to strengthen the nail plate.

• Vitamin C - a powerful antioxidant that directly contributes to sweeping free radicals from the body. In addition, it affects the synthesis of collagen.
  
  
• Fatty acids - primarily the best omega-3 fatty acids, but also other EFAs. They are the ones that make it possible to maintain the elasticity and high level of hydration of the skin and, consequently, the nails.
  
  
• Iron - an element that provides oxygen to the entire body. This includes the nails. It is iron that transports - along with hemoglobin - oxygen to the nails. In addition, it enables the synthesis of keratin, the main building block of the epidermal horn plates.
  
  
• B vitamins - vitamin B deficiencies can be seen with the naked eye on the nails. It is vitamin B7, also known as biotin, that affects their growth and hardness. Anyway, it's not without reason that biotin is the main component of many dietary supplements for healthy and strong nails.

Is that all there is to it? Supplements for nails contain many other substances, including hyaluronic acid, collagen, calcium, magnesium, selenium, vitamin A, MSM, among others. So when shopping, pay attention to the composition and choose supplements that guarantee you a lot of substances that support nail health in good amounts.

Strengthen nails through care

• File with a glass or paper file, rather than a metal file, which can damage the plate and contribute to split nails. Also, remember to always file your nails in a smooth one-way motion.
  
  
• Nail care is not just about manicures. It's also about choosing the right detergents and creams. Use mild cleansers that do not irritate or dehydrate. Inflammation within the nails also weakens them.
  
  
• And the cream? Depending on your needs - moisturizing, smoothing, regenerating. Whatever you choose will be good, as long as the cream has a good composition, and you use it regularly.
  
  
• If you want to act comprehensively, you can use various nail conditioners available on the market. They work especially well if you want to additionally decorate the plate - even with a delicate shine.
  
  
• During the regeneration, resign from hybrid manicure. Although the polish itself does not weaken the nails, taking it off does. How to strengthen nails after hybrid? Home remedies will do just fine.
  
  
• And home remedies include rubbing castor oil or vitamin A+E into the nails, soaking the hands in warm olive oil and applying generous amounts of cream to the hands, then covering them with cotton gloves. All of these methods are great for making your nails stronger and moisturizing your hands.