At some point in our lives, we have seen brittle or scratched nails, whether on a friend, family member, acquaintance or ourselves. This is a common problem for many people, and attacking it is a duty for one’s own health.
If your nails have these characteristics, and you are willing to correct them to make you feel better, here we will provide you with some basic notions on the subject, and we will propose ideas that you can consider to improve a little the unsightly appearance that your nails have at first glance.
Diseases and disorders of the fingernails and skin
Nails are a part of the skin, i.e., they are segments of tissue of the external protective organ, which means that they perform functions in the body.
As part of the skin, it is logical that the nail also serves as a protector, and an injury to these can be dangerous. Nails protect the distal ends of our fingers, covering a very delicate and disease-prone fragment of skin.
There is a wide list of diseases and disorders that have a clinical expression in the nails, especially in the appearance of the nails. From genetic disorders, to acute or serious health problems such as systemic pathologies, to insufficiencies in intake supplements, we can observe the causes of nail anomalies.
It should be noted that, of course, there are nail-related disorders that require medical treatment, as well as others that do not, but can still show symptoms such as split, cracked, brittle, chipped or scratched nails.
On the one hand, onychomycosis, caused by fungi; paronychia, by bacteria; onycholysis, onycholysis, onixis and other diseases; Examples include cases that require medical attention.
On the other hand, there are problems reflected on the external surface of the nails, which are not subject to pharmacological or surgical treatment, such as onychophagia, onychomalacia, onycotrophy and others.
Why do I have ridged or vertically split nails? –Causes
The problem of nails with the appearance of being split vertically or in the form of stretch marks can be seen with great incidence in patients who have already entered old age. However, depending on whether these people report other symptoms, a visit to the doctor should be considered.
Although the main cause of ridged nails is old age, if it is accompanied by other signs, it is a reason to visit the dermatology professional. When pain is found in the area concomitantly, the ease of breaking or the change of color, it may be a sign of the possibility, even at first latent, of a disease.
However, it is not uncommon for these signs to also appear for other reasons such as dehydration, skin type, and frequent manicure practice. Still, when these lines appear in youth, it can be an indicator of having a genetic disorder properly called Darier’s disease.
For information purposes only, it is worth noting the existence of a similar anomaly (appearance of being split or having striations), where the marked lines are no longer oriented vertically, but horizontally; These are the well-known Beau’s lines, which can indicate the presence of an infection.
Home Remedies to Strengthen Brittle Nails
A habit that is advisable is to take strict care of our nails, as they tend to harbor many microorganisms and harmful agents that we do not perceive as harmful.
Strong nails, in addition to exerting the much more efficient protective function, indicate a high probability of having healthy skin.
If we have brittle nails, so weak that they split without significant effort, and we want to strengthen them, we must change certain habits and practices that are harmful to the nail plate.
On the one hand, just as it works for the hands, a moisturizer has beneficial effects on the nails. It is also recommended to use oils and certain bases that can make the nails stronger.
On the other hand, we should try to protect our nails from chemical substances, such as detergents when cleaning at home, wearing gloves, or liquids used to remove nail polish, which do not contain acetone. Finally, one of the habits to change should be a harmful diet, for a healthy and balanced one.
