Cracked Fingernails

Cracks or split occur on fingernails when it turns brittle. The medical term for cracked brittle nails is onychoschizia. It is more commonly found in women than in men. It is a clear indication that the nails are not in a healthy state. There are several factors that can be responsible for cracks in the fingernails. Lack of moisture can dry out the nails and make them brittle. If the nails are exposed to lots of harsh chemicals present in soap, nails polish or nail polish remover, then it can become dry and brittle. Those who have underlying health disorder like malnutrition, vitamin deficiency, circulation problem, skin disease such as psoriasis may also get broken fingernails quite often.

Remedies for Cracked Fingernails

There are simple ways to get rid of the problem of broken fingernails. A few of them are as follows:

Eat Healthy Foods
When your nails are unhealthy you must include all such foods in your diet that improves your nail health. Leafy vegetables, carrot, broccoli, citrus fruits, tomatoes walnuts, peanuts, Brewer's yeast, soybeans, egg yolk are some food items that are essential for healthy nails. Additionally, take biotin supplements which can prevent breakage of fingernails.

Keep your Body Hydrated
As lack of moisture in the nails is one of the cause of dry and broken fingernails, you must keep your body hydrated with 8-10 glasses of water everyday. This will prevent drying out of the nails and thus the chances of split on them is quite less..

Protect your Nails
Frequent hand washing can have a damaging effect on your nails. When excessive moisture get absorbed into the nails, then they become weak and fragile. Moreover, harsh chemicals present in soaps can cause a lot of harm to the nails. So, you must use a mild soap with high moisturizer content for washing your hands. To protect your nails from harmful effects of laundry detergents or dish washing soap, wear rubber gloves while washing dishes or clothes.

Moisturize your Nails
An excellent natural moisturizer for damaged, brittle fingernails is olive oil. Soak your fingernails into a bowl of olive oil for few minutes and then massage the oil well into the nails and fingers. Petroleum jelly is equally effective for adding moisture and repairing cracked fingernails.

Treat the Infection
When you have yellow cracked fingernails, then it is a sign of fungal infection in the nails. Nail fungus can be treated with antifungal creams. You can try a natural remedy for nail fungus with the help of apple cider vinegar. Soak a cotton ball into apple cider vinegar and apply it thoroughly all over the infected nail. This will fight off the infection really well.

How to Repair Broken Fingernails

There is no doubt about the fact that the appearance of a split fingernail is unsightly and you hate to see it gain and again. Moreover, the crack may cause pain and discomfort as well. To get rid of this problem, you can repair the cracked nail with the help of nail glue. Take a toilet tissue and cut it in the shape of fingernail. Now, move up the cracked part of the fingernail slightly and put the tissue into the crack. While doing this, just take care that the tissue does not get folded under the nail. Next, apply a minute droplet of nail glue on the tissue that lies outside the nail. Let the applied glue spread up to the crack that lies below the nail and leave it untouched for about half an hour. Once the glue is dry, use a nail file to remove the extra portion of the tissue which is not glued to the cracked part of the nails. Thus you can repair your cracked nails.

Split fingernails can be prevented to some extent with a little bit of nail care. Keep the nails clean and dry. While cleaning the nails, do not pick the nails too much as it can cause crack in them. Nail biting is a bad habit and should be avoided as it weakens the nails. Do not use any nail polish remover which has acetone or formaldehyde as these chemicals are bad for the nails. When you go for manicure, it is advisable that you use your own instruments.