You inherited your father's dazzling green eyes, your mother's perfect nose and your grandmother's gentle disposition. Unfortunately, your mails look like you picked up your grandpa's bad habit of whacking his fingers with a hammer.
As with the color of your hair, the thickness and strength of your nails can be strongly influenced by your genes. Of course, you may not be helping matters. Do you use your nails as staple removers? Do you pick or bite at them constantly? Maybe you're exposing your nails to harsh chemicals or using too much nail polish remover, both of which deprive your nails of moisture.
Natural remedies—may help improve the strength and appearance of your nails, according to some health professionals. According to Michael Murray, N.D., topical colloidal silicic acid may help improve brittle nails.
FOOD THERAPY
Eat more cold water fish such as salmon, mackerel and herring, advises John Whitaker, M.D. It's rich in omega-6 fatty-acids which can strengthen nails. He also recommends soybeans, cauliflower, peanuts, walnuts, and lentils, which are all rich in biotin, a B vitamin that he says can prevent the cutting and cracking that are associated with brittle nails.
VITAMIN AND MINERAL THERAPY
Get the essential fatty acids that strengthen nails by taking flaxseed oil. Follow dosage recommendation on the product label.
In one study, a total of 50 women with signs of aging of their facial skin, thin hair and brittle nails were enrolled in an open, uncontrolled 90-day experiment. The women took a once-daily oral dose of 10 ml of colloidal silicic acid and applied colloidal silicic acid twice daily to the face. Significant improvements were noted in the thickness of the skin, strength and health of the hair and nails. Ultrasound examination revealed that silicon supplementation increased the thickness of the dermis—the connective-tissue support structure that lies just below the surface of the skin.
Consult Your Health Care Provider When:
- You notice long-lasting and unexplpained changes in the color and shape of your nails that are unrelated to an injury.