Even if you’ve been trying your best with at-home manicures, all this extra hand washing not only leads to dry hands, but also equally dry nails. Give it a week, and nails can become weak and brittle, made even worse if you’ve committed the ultimate beauty sin: peeling your gel manicure off. After a month, nails can be pretty bendy, peely and flaky indeed.

But turning the tide on flimsy nails isn’t too tricky. In fact, rescuing nails from their weakest point can be made a whole lot easier with the introduction of a nail strengthener or hardener. But with a plethora of this kind of nail product on offer — there’s a whole lot of options to scroll through — where exactly is the best place to start? As well as finding out what causes brittle nails in the first place, we’ve narrowed down ingredients and formulas with the power to bring those poor nails of yours back to life.

HOW TO STRENGTHEN YOUR NAILS

What causes brittle nails?

“Brittle nails are caused by a lack of moisture” says manicurist, Jenni Draper. One of the main ways we lose moisture is through constantly washing our hands. “Hand wash can strip the skin of moisture repeatedly alongside simply drying your hands, but brittleness can also be down to a deficiency in your diet.” 

How to treat brittle nails?

Introduce a cuticle oil: For extremely dry nails, it’s important to replenish the moisture that’s lost. The most effective way is to add a cuticle oil to your nail routine. “Apply and massage in a cuticle oil at least twice a day” says Draper. “This will add more moisture to the nails and help the new nail growth to be healthier and stronger.” We love Famous Names 95% Organic Nail Treatment Oil, £2.99.

Invest in a hand cream: A consistent routine of hand washing hugely affects the skin’s hydration levels. “Have a hand cream and cuticle oil by the sink. After drying your hands, apply a small amount of hand cream and a drop of oil into your hands and massage it in,” recommends Draper.

Maintain nail length: It’s no secret that shorter nails are slightly easier to manage, but why is that? “You’re less likely to catch and break them on objects when they’re shorter” says Draper. “You should file them down regularly with a nail file and be careful not to file in a ‘seesaw’ motion, as this will dry them out even more.”

Stay off the nail polish until they feel stronger: The nails contain natural oils, and when wearing nail polish this is disrupted.  “Avoid nail polishes and nail polish remover as these strip the nails of their oils. When both polish and remover dry on your nails it can actually make the nail brittler” advises Draper.

Use a nail hardener: A nail strengthener and hardener serves one simple, yet very effective purpose. It’s rehabilitation for your dry, cracked, lack-lustre nails. The slightly thicker liquids aim to repair and renew the nail’s natural sheen, thickness and rigidity. 

The best nail strengtheners and hardeners:

Main image: Unsplash