I Wasn't Born With Strong Nails—But This Five-Step Routine Makes It Look Like I Was
Proof that even the weakest, most brittle nails can bounce back.
My mom has what I can only describe as bionic nails—long, thick, and impossible to break. I, on the other hand, got the other end of the stick. (I did, however, inherit her sensitive skin, lucky me.) My nails were always so soft they could bend, were prone to peeling, and quick to break if I so much as tapped them against a hard surface. My whole life, I figured this was just my reality, and my love for length had me booking a monthly manicure appointment and investing in the latest nail trend—BIAB, acrylics, gel extensions—just to keep them looking clean and put together, even if it meant compromising their actual health.
But about a year ago, I decided to lean into nail care like I do my skincare: invest in good-quality products and, most importantly, stay consistent. I used a cuticle oil day and night, upgraded my flimsy nail clippers, and even adjusted my diet to ensure I was getting the right nutrients for strong, healthy nails. And while my mom still wins the genetic lottery, my nails have since had a serious upgrade, and I have the flawless manicure to prove it. Below is my strong, healthy nails routine that transformed them from brittle and thin to thick and tough.
Trim & File
Just like a regular haircut, trimming and filing your nails about once a week helps prevent breakage and splitting down the line. During my nail rehab journey, I decided to keep them on the shorter side until they began to show some strength.
Clippers can actually apply pressure to the nail plate and cause it to crack, especially if the nails are already weak. Manicure scissors with a curve follow the round shape our nails naturally have—this curve is designed to follow that contour. I love these 100 percent stainless steel ones because they're designed to last a lifetime.
After I cut my nails with the manicure scissors, I rounded out the corners with a glass nail file. Crystal files are a much gentler alternative to an emery board, which is abrasive and can cause tears in the nail plate.
Cuticle Comeback
When it comes to cuticle treatments, I like to opt for a formulation filled with ingredients like hyaluronic acid, lactic acid, and panthenol to rehydrate them. The nails are extremely permeable to water, so water-binding humectants and moisture-trapping emollients are key to prevent peeling.
This luxury nail and cuticle formula boasts an impressive blend of emollients (shea butter and almond, avocado, and castor oils, to name a few), and has a built-in brush for easy application. I like to apply this before bed every night so it has plenty of time to take effect.
CND's newest launch is this cuticle care oil that—as the name suggests—absorbs "lightning" fast. It's filled with lightweight ingredients and hydrators so it's great for the daytime when I have work to do and don't want any residue on my keyboard.
Top Coat Therapy
The other side of nail strengtheners are protecting treatments. These work essentially as "hardeners" that use ingredients such as keratin, protein, biotin, and calcium to create a layer of film on the surface of the nail. In turn, they look harder and actually protect the nail from damage so that they have an optimal environment for growth.
This is the original nail hardener, which utilizes an intense blend of film-formers to create a shatterproof, almost bionic layer over the nail. To this day, I've seen the most success with this inexpensive beauty hack.
Because the nails are a hard keratinized structure, they're not easily penetrated by strengthening ingredients unless they're water-based. That said, OPI launched this serum that uses a humectant-based ingredient (i.e., water-based!) to permeate the nail structure and deliver reparative functions beneath the surface. A miracle advancement, if I do say so myself.
Seal It All In
I treat my nail care routine as an extension of my body care routine. This means that I don't neglect my hands. I focus on heavy creams that contain active ingredients to smooth and soften my hands overnight—because strong nails start with hydrated skin.
Once a week, I apply this reparative cream filled with hydrators like glycerin and panthenol to draw in water, and an emollient, squalane, to trap that moisture. I apply the cotton gloves and wake up with the softest hands in the world.
Feed Your Fingers
While you won't know what you're truly deficient in until you see a doctor for a blood test—which, FYI, you should if you're experiencing nail weakness that could be associated with an underlying condition—I began to focus on a diet rich in protein and iron. I also bumped up my routine with a few supplements.
In studies, bioactive collagen peptides have been proven to increase nail growth and decrease breakage. Every morning for the past six months, I've consistently mixed this collagen powder in my coffee.
Other studies suggest that biotin supplementation can increase nail plate thickness. These strawberry-flavored, heart-shaped gummies are an easy addition to my daily vitamins.
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