How to Strengthen Your Nails

Give Them a DIY Hot Oil Treatment

Strengthen weak nails with warm baby oil: Pour the oil into a shallow microwave-safe bowl and nuke it until warm. When it’s cool enough to touch comfortably, soak your digits in the oil bath for a few minutes, then wipe them off with a clean towel. It will help moisturize and harden nails.

Scrap the Acetone

Do you have weak nails? Look for only non-acetone polish removers. That harsh chemical might swipe away nail polish easily, but it also sucks the natural oils from your nails and cuticles, leaving them dried out and damaged. The non-acetone removers are gentler, but they will take a little more work to dissolve your polish completely—a small trade-off for healthy, beautiful nails!

A Mayo Mani

That rich, creamy mayo in your fridge can also help nourish your nails! You can either “polish” your nails with the mayonnaise or dip your fingernails in a bowl of the stuff—after five minutes, remove and wash off.

Overnight Oil Treatment

Treat your nails and cuticles to a salon-worthy repair regimen using olive or coconut oil. Place a few tablespoons of oil in a microwave-safe bowl and heat until warm. Rub the warmed oil into your cuticles and coat the nails completely, then slip on a pair of cotton gloves. When you wake up the next morning, remove the gloves, and rinse your hands in the sink. Repeat as needed to moisturize and fortify your nails back to health.

Don’t Pick Your Polish!

Once your polish starts to chip, it can be hard not to pick at it and peel it off. However, picking at your nails also scrapes away the protective top layer of coating, which can leave your nails thinner, flimsier, and more prone to damage. To squash the urge to pick, simply remove your polish when it starts to crack and chip off.

Healthy Fats for Healthy Nails

Omega-3 fatty acids offer fantastic health benefits for the brain, heart, and immune system. But did you know they’re great for your skin and nails, too? If you aren’t eating them already, you can incorporate these fats into your diet by eating fatty fish like salmon, tuna, sardines, and anchovies, walnuts, flaxseeds and flaxseed oil, and kidney and pinto beans.

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