5 ways to strengthen your nails

When it comes to nails, there are so many different ways to keep them looking good.

Some of us like them long, while others prefer to keep nails short and simple. 

Whichever you prefer, the key to success is knowing how to strengthen nails and keep them that way. 

There’s a number of ways to strengthen nails. This can be both naturally, and with a little help from the beauty industry.

To help, we’ve rounded up five of our top tips when it comes to knowing how to keep nails strong and healthy, for good. 

5 ways to strengthen your nails

1. Increase supplements 

First thing’s first, the place to start is usually on the inside. This can be both through food and drink, as well as with beauty products and supplements. 

Supplements to strengthen nails range from Biotin to Omega 3, and most of them can be increased naturally (and pretty easily), within your diet. 

Biotin is found in eggs, milk and fruit, such as bananas. It’s absolutely vital in avoiding brittle, weak nails, which break at the earliest chance.

It’s also very important for other health aspects, too. 

Omega 3 fatty acids are found in all the ‘good fat’ foods, such as oily fish and nuts.

It’s super easy to add a little more into your diet for the sake of your nails, but if you struggle, you can also buy supplements over the counter, which do the same job. 

Folic acid is another great way to speed up the repair process, as it works to increase cells within the nails.

Folic acid can be found in foods like leafy green vegetables, some pasta, certain breakfast cereals and citrus foods.

2. Collagen is key 

Another vital supplement for healthy nails is collagen. 

Many people don’t know this, but collagen is actually a form of protein. It can be found in our bodies and created naturally.

In fact, around 30% of all protein in our bodies is collagen. 

Collagen, along with keratin, is a major part of your nail bed. Collagen provides structural support to your nail, and can ensure that your nails stay strong and grow healthy. 

However, as we age, our natural collagen production starts to decline. so any extra help is surely welcomed, right?

You can always give yourself that little extra boost with the help of award-winning Absolute Collagen. 

Absolute Collagen contains 800mg of collagen, as well as Vitamin C and 7.7g of protein, to keep your nails (and skin, and hair, and insides) super healthy. 

What’s more, it also helps slow down the ageing process, keeping these body parts looking young, too.

What’s not to love? You can show off your new strong nails loud and proud once you have them in the best state possible. 

3. Style correctly 

When looking to strengthen nails, you need to ensure you’re using the correct method of styling, too. 

When filing, file in one direction (avoid the see-saw method), and file smoothly and gently. 

File flat against the nail to avoid snagging - the ultimate no-no - and avoid over-buffing.

When buffing nails, many of us make the mistake of focussing on buffing down the higher ridges. 

However, the lower ridges are the weakest part of the nails, so they should be left alone if you don’t want to damage your nails even further. 

Clipping hangnails also helps to avoid any damage further down the nail bed.

Although we know it’s tempting to just leave them there (or worse, rip them off), it’s only going to cause more problems in the long run by doing so. 

4.  Moisturise 

If you’re trying to strengthen nails, moisturising is key.

For starters, invest in a really good hand cream and apply several times a day, especially after washing your hands. 

Nail oils are also a great way to increase moisture quickly. Simply apply a small amount and rub in gently on a daily basis. 

Creams and oils are also a fantastic way to increase your vitamins and minerals, without having to change up your diet completely. 

Just remember, they only work to a certain extent, so it’s always recommended to start from the inside first (through diet and supplements like Absolute Collagen), before relying on creams to do the same job as nutrition. 

Although moisture is essential to keep nails strong and healthy, you should avoid over-exposure to water. 

This can often soften nails and cause them to weaken and become damaged.

To help avoid some of this, wear gloves when washing up, and try not to keep your hands in the water for too long when having a bath. 

After all, it’s better to put them to use by reading a book or holding a nice cold glass of wine! 

5. Safety first 

Last but by no means least, avoiding handling products that damage skin and nails is a key factor in keeping them strong. 

There are endless products we come into contact with which can damage our nails, many of which are unavoidable, but there’s a couple of easy ways in which we can tackle this. 

First off, wearing gloves is key when handling any products that might have an impact on our nails. 

This includes things like washing up (as mentioned before), cleaning the house, and gardening.

Cleaning products are notoriously damaging to nails, so make sure you cover up when scrubbing the bath and you won’t have anything to worry about. 

If you work in an environment that handles products like this, be wary of that too, and make sure you limit exposure of your nails to these types of products if possible. 

Finally, items such as nail polish remover can be equally as damaging, although we might not think it at first.

Swap out your usual polish remover for one without acetone, as this will help strengthen and condition your nails, leaving them smoother and shinier.

Remember that the best way to care for your nails is to limit your time at the salon, as well as cut back on the amount of nail polish you use.

Gel and acrylics are very harmful to your nail bed, and while they look great, they aren’t doing anything to strengthen your nails.

Even if you prefer a DIY, at home manicure, having a few days without any polish will give your nails and cuticles time to breathe.