Brittle or ridged fingernails, fungal infections and nail discolouration are a thorn in the side. If you want to have beautiful fingernails, there are a few things you can do.

How do you get brittle and unsightly fingernails back into shape?

 

Remove nail fungus

 

Nail fungus can be very stubborn. The best way to get rid of the ugly yellow discolouration of the fungal infection on your fingernails or toenails is with tea tree oil. Tea tree oil is a powerful antiseptic and an effective medicine. Drizzle a drop of tea tree oil once or twice on the infected area, preferably directly after showering or washing when the skin is soft. Air sweaty feet as soon as possible and put on fresh socks. Avoid cutting the cuticles. The cuticle acts as a protective barrier for the nails. Fungal bacteria find their way to the nail bed more easily if the cuticle has been removed.

 

Strengthen nails

 

Biotin strengthens the nails from the inside and makes them more resistant. Of course, taking biotin does not work immediately. After 6 months of regular daily intake of 300 µg biotin you can see a clear improvement in the structure of the fingernails and toenails. Biotin can be taken in the form of vitamin capsules. Biotin is also found in nuts, rice, soya and barley.

Nail-strengthening minerals are found in silicic acid, nettle tea and horsetail tea.

 

Beautiful nails through nutrition

 

A diet rich in essential fatty acids helps to combat brittle nails. Essential fatty acids are found in sardines, salmon and trout, for example, as well as in linseed and linseed oil. Replace your usual salad dressing with a tablespoon of flaxseed oil or add a tablespoon of flaxseed to your yoghurt or muesli. 1000mg three times a day is recommended.

If your nails have whitish patches, it may be a zinc deficiency. You can increase your zinc intake by eating beef, liver, poultry, eggs and seaweed. Other sources of zinc are cheese, nuts, beans and wheat germ.

 

Protect fingernails

 

Dry and brittle nails need more moisture. Moisturise your nails with an oil-based cream that you apply to your nails so that the moisture is locked into the nails. Before going to bed, you can apply a thick layer of moisturiser to your nails and put on thin cotton gloves.

Wear cotton coated household gloves when rinsing and cleaning. Avoid nail polish remover containing acetone, as this dries out the nails extremely. Instead, use nail polish remover containing acetate.