Tap to Read ➤

How to Treat Cracked Nails

Ujwal Deshmukh
Many of us suffer from nail cracking mostly due to poor nail care or malnutrition. This information sheds light on how to treat cracked nails and also mentions the possible reasons for its occurrence.
Nails are one of the most beautiful feature of our body. In fact, well-grown, clean, and maintained nails reflect your concern towards personal hygiene and beauty.
Our body is a complex mechanism and it is prone to pain, damage, and rupture if we do not take adequate care. Cracking of nails is one such problem encountered by many people in this world.
Nails look beautiful when they are healthy and do not lose their natural color. Irrespective of how hard you work to make them shine, if you do not maintain them properly, none of the cosmetics work. Malnutrition and improper nail care are not the only reasons that lead to their cracking. There are a lot of other factors also that lead to such a condition.

Probable Causes

Improper Diet

It is the primary cause of a cracked nail. Non inclusion of foods rich in vitamins A, B12, and C; minerals such as calcium; biotin such as bananas, mushrooms, egg yolks, etc., are some of the features of an incomplete diet leading to this problem. In many cases, lack of sufficient amounts of iron has also resulted in this condition.

Moisture Deficiency

Nails mostly crack due to overdrying. Such an overdrying is mainly caused due to lack of moisture in the skin and nails.

Ignorance Towards Nail Care

Nail care is an important prerequisite to maintain the beauty and health of nails. Negligence towards it can lead to nail cracking, loss of moisture and natural color, and brittleness.

Menopause

Menopause actually brings in many changes in a woman's body. One of them is nail cracking.

Treatment Options
The remedy mostly depends upon the cause.
  • If lack of moisture is the main reason behind cracked nails, then applying a good quality moisturizer on the nails is an effective remedy for it. This would prevent the nails from cracking and would also enhance their look.
  • You can moisturize your nails even by applying vegetable oil. All you need to do is dip a cotton swab in some vegetable oil and then apply it to your nails. You can do this at least 2 - 3 times a day.
  • Including foods rich in minerals, vitamins, etc., is another effective treatment. This will help in providing all the essential nutrients and maintain the health and beauty of the nails. In short, a balanced diet is a must for curing this condition.
  • Do not bite your nails or cut them in a haphazard manner. This would lead to an improper nail growth, and it would become difficult to reshape them. Although this is not a treatment measure, but it surely is a good preventive measure.
Nail cracking is not a serious problem. In fact, some people are not even bothered by it, because it doesn't affect their lifestyle at all. However, if you are conscious about your nails, then you need to follow the treatment and preventive measures along with the intake of medicines prescribed by the doctor.
Not only humans, but even pets suffer from the problem of nail cracking. So, if cracked nails in dogs is your concern, then you can meet the local veterinary doctor and know about the exact causes and treatment measures for it.
You can consult your doctor for some more information on the best lotions and moisturizers available in the market or can also refer to expert reviews pertaining to the same.
Disclaimer: This conent is for informative purposes only and should not be used as a replacement for expert medical advice.