Enhance Your Nail Strength and Health
It's important to understand that cosmetics and nail products cannot accelerate the rate at which your nails grow. This is because most of these products lack ingredients that promote faster nail growth. Your nails maintain a consistent growth rate, unaffected by the removal or application of such products.
Other than a healthy diet and lifestyle, there are only 3 scientifically proven ways to help nails GROW faster, longer or stronger:
- Pregnancy- Due to increased hormones, nail plate growth progressively increases 3.5% - 20% during pregnancy.
- Damaged nails- Due to your body's survival method nail plates grow quicker when damaged (this is not recommended).
- Warm temperatures- Due to increased blood flow to the matrix in warm climates, nail plates grow 20% faster during the summer.
According to Doug Schoon (nail scientist) “Nothing you eat will make healthy nail plates become stronger than normal, but poor nutrition can certainly make them weaker…..To date, no conclusive scientific studies have linked vitamin supplements, gelatin drinks, or special foods to the faster growth of healthy nails.”
Nevertheless, numerous women attest to the efficacy of Biotin supplements in improving nail strength. This is likely attributed to the fact that many of us do not obtain sufficient biotin from our diets naturally.
In the summer months, your nails are at their peak strength, boasting ideal hydration levels of approximately 18% water and 5% oil, rendering them highly flexible.
However, as winter arrives and moisture is stripped away, your nails tend to become brittle and prone to breaking.
On average, we wash our hands 20 times a day, and the harsh antibacterial chemicals in soaps are responsible for depleting that crucial 5% oil. While applying oil may not accelerate your natural nail growth rate, it does contribute to enhancing their strength and flexibility, reducing the likelihood of breakage.
Protect with polish
Nail hardeners and polish serve as protective measures for your nails, thanks to their denser molecular composition. Each application of polish adds a temporary layer of strength, effectively reducing the risk of breakage.
Don't forget that the beauty of your nails doesn't depend on their length. Whether long or short, well-shaped and well-manicured nails always look gorgeous.
