How To Strengthen Nails Naturally in Just 2 Weeks!

I have a friend from high school days whom I’ve always envied for her nails. They were always so strong, with really hard and naturally white tips. Let me kill the suspense – she did absolutely NOTHING special to get them that way – it was so frustrating!

I personally have lots of ups and downs with the state of my nails. I go through stages when they’re kind of soft and brittle, while other times they grow really fast and hard. It’s definitely something you can influence and see great results, within just a couple of weeks of new routines. And so satisfying too!

In this post I’ll explain how to strengthen nails naturally. I’ll also share some essential nail 101, important do’s and dont’s, and some of the most effective DIY nail serums to boost growth and strength.

What you need to know about nails

Nails are part of the epidermis, or the outer layer of the skin, and they’re made up of mostly keratin.

They can be divided roughly into the nail bed and the nail plate (the hard covering we think of as nails).

Uniting the nail plate to the skin of the finger is the cuticle, which is basically dead skin and provides a type of water barrier and basic protection from pathogens.

Nails can grow anywhere from 2 to 3 mm per month and can take anywhere from 6 to 9 months to replace themselves completely.

Toenails, on the other hand, grow slower and can take anywhere from 12 to 18 months to regrow completely.

So, let’s find out how to strengthen nails naturally.

What affects nail growth and strength?

Nails are actually an excellent indicator of health and can be a very useful tool to help diagnose certain underlying health conditions.

Their growth and appearance is strongly influenced by nutrition and health levels, sometimes drugs and medication, as well as actual nail care, of course.

Regardless of the nutrients more directly involved in producing the nail plate, almost any nutrient deficiency will have some kind of effect on nail growth and appearance. That means that improving your diet is one of the best ways to strengthen nails naturally.

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What causes soft or brittle nails?

As mentioned above, the growth and state of the nails is heavily influenced by what you eat. There are quite a few nutrients that are important for healthy, strong nails, but also external factors that contribute to it.

If your nails are brittle and break or splinter easily, it could be due to a few things:

• Deficiency in vitamins or minerals, such as vitamin A, Biotin, calcium, silica, zinc, etc.
• Deficiency in essential fatty acids (from proteins) that are the main building block of nails
• Lack of moisture (external)
• Lack of hydration/water (internal)

If, on the other hand, they are too soft, it could be:

• Again, lack of protein (absolutely necessary for keratin production)
• Frequent exposure to water
• Depletion of sulfur levels (interferes with the binding of keratin)
• Food intolerances that might interfere with proper nutrient absorption, making you deficient in the necessary building blocks

How to strengthen nails naturally with diet

So what are the most important nutrients to strengthen nails naturally?

• Essential fatty acids, such as the Omegas found in fish oil and flaxseeds. They bring moisture to the nail bed, increasing the nail plate flexibility.
• Calcium. It improves nail strength, reduces nail breakage, helps to prevent ingrown nails and ragged cuticles.
• Silica. Helps the absorption of calcium, helps to harden the nail plate.
• Phosphorus. Helps in nail growth and nail hardening. It helps maintain and repair tissue.
• Sulphur. Helps the nail growth and it’s a very important part of keratin, strengthening nails.
• Iron. Used to transport oxygen in the blood stream to all parts of the body.
• Zinc. An essential support mineral that helps the body to absorb other minerals and enzymes. It’s wonderful for skin, hair, and nail health.
• Magnesium. Helps to assimilate calcium better.
• Vitamin A. Absolutely necessary for protein synthesis and crucial for tissue building (including your nails) and skin health.
• Biotin. It’s part of the B vitamin complex and helps to metabolize fats, carbohydrates and amino acids (the building blocks of protein). It’s one of the more popular supplements to take to strengthen nails naturally.
• Folic Acid. Another B complex vitamin, it’s responsible for proper cellular growth and regeneration, DNA synthesis and repair.
• Vitamin C. Strong antioxidant, helps the absorption of iron and the synthesis and production of collagen (important part of skin tissue and bones).
• Vitamin D. Helps to absorb calcium and it’s essential for healthy bones and nails.
• Protein. Composed of amino acids that are absolutely essential building blocks of the human body. Nails in particular are mostly made up of keratin, which is built out of the amino acids in protein.

How to strengthen nails naturally
– Do’s & Don’ts

1 – Eat a nutrient dense diet

You have the most important nutrients for strong and healthy nails described above. However, like I’ve mentioned, almost any nutritional deficiency can negatively impact your nails, so the best way to make sure your diet is optimized for strong nails is to include:

• Lots of fruits and vegetables in a variety of colors
• Lots of healthy fats
• Good amounts of protein (animal or vegetable). You’ll have to decide what amounts you’re comfortable with, but if your nails are chronically soft and weak, increasing your protein intake is a good place to start.

2 – Drink plenty of water

Water is absolutely essential for the proper functioning of the body. You need it to hydrate the tissues and cells properly, and to maximize waste disposal, just to name a couple of essential things.

Regarding nails specifically, the keratin layers that make up your nail plate are sandwiched together with fat AND water.

Your nails, just like your skin, are always last in line for the nutrient and hydration distribution. Your body always prioritizes the vital internal organs, like your liver or your brain, and only if there is enough will they supply the “secondary” organs or appendages, like your skin or hair.

This is also the reason why you want to be consuming a rich and nutrient dense diet. But apart from that, also keeping well hydrated throughout the day is very important for nail strength and flexibility.

3 – Protect your nails from trauma

Step number one in learning how to strengthen nails naturally should actually be learning how to properly protect them from harm in the first place. This means:

• Don’t use your nails as tools to poke or pry things open.
• Try not to expose them to chemical or drying agents. This could be both cleaning products, as well as things like acetone or formaldehyde-based nail products. They’re toxic and contain solvents that leach the natural oils from the nails, making them brittle. Nail polish, gel nails, or the glue used to apply fake nails all damage the nail plate.
• Wear protective gloves when cleaning.
• If you use nail polish, try to go for the more natural versions that avoid the more harmful chemicals, like formaldehyde (ubiquitous in nail polish) and of course, make sure that there’s no acetone in your nail polish remover.
• Don’t bite your nails or pick at them. It not only increases their vulnerability, it might actually cause abnormal nail growth.
• If you file your nails, try to use only crystal nail files – they’re the only ones that don’t damage your nail tips.
• Also, if your nail breaks, cut it or file it to a smooth edge as soon as possible to prevent them from catching onto things and causing more damage to the nail.

4 – Don’t overexpose your nails to water

Like I mentioned earlier, the nails are very absorbent!

This is great news on the one hand – creams and oils will be that much more effective. But it’s bad news if you’re exposing them to the wrong thing (see above) or to too much water.

Water is very easily absorbed into the nail plate, which expand the cells to accommodate it. As the nail dries (and especially if no oils or creams are applied to the hands to slow down the water evaporation) it will contract those cells back.

If you’re constantly exposing your hands to water, those cells will be constantly expanding and contracting, putting a strain on the nails. It increases brittleness and damage.

To be able to strengthen nails naturally, at the very least wear protective gloves when you’re cleaning or doing the dishes! So many people don’t bother, but it’s such an important factor. It protects your nails AND the skin on your hands, which along with the skin on your neck and cleavage, shows the earliest signs of damage.

5 – Leave the cuticles alone

The cuticles are there to protect your nail beds from infections and water damage.

It’s a bad idea to push them back or to dig at the skin surrounding your nails. Manicurists only do it for “esthetic” reasons – making sure the nail polish looks straighter and more even, as well as giving the illusion of a longer nail.

But this does absolutely nothing for the health of the nails – the opposite is true!

6 – Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize!

To strengthen nails naturally remember to keep them well moisturized. You should at the very least be moisturizing every time you wash your hands, or expose them to water.

Oils and fats slow down the natural evaporation of water through the skin and the nail plate. Applying oils or butters to the nails and cuticles will prevent dehydration and increase moisture retention.

This helps maintain nail flexibility, prevent ridges, splintering and breakage.

Not only that, but the nutrients naturally present in the fats will “feed” the nail bed and produce a better quality nail plate. To find out how to strengthen nails naturally with oils, see the DIY recipes down below.

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7 – Increase microcirculation in the nails

You can do this by getting regular exercise, which will increase general blood flow and oxygenation to all the tissues in your body.

You can add circulation boosting herbs and spices to your diet. Things like cinnamon, mint, rosemary, or thyme.

But you can also strengthen nails naturally by increasing circulation to the nail bed locally.

• A very good way to do this is to rub your nails against each other vigorously for a few minutes every day. This is a practice called Balayam Yoga, very popular in India, which supposedly also helps boost hair growth.
• And, of course, a good old fashion cuticle oil massage! This does absolute wonders for your nails! It works both by increasing microcirculation and by adding nutrient rich moisture to the actual nail plate and nail bed.

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How to strengthen nails naturally
– Treatments & Oils

Nail massage oils and treatments are absolute game-changers for nail strength and growth.

Pretty much any quality carrier oil or fat that’s massaged into your hands will improve the state of your nails – remember they’re incredibly absorbent.

However, there are a handful of ingredients that are particularly helpful to strengthen nails naturally.

The most important thing is to be consistent with your treatments. At the very least you want to be massaging a nourishing oil into your nails every night before bed.

Below are a few serums and treatments you can try to strengthen nails naturally and improve the health of your nails.

Nail strengthening treatments

Protein rich nail treatment

• 1 tsp honey
• 1 tsp avocado oil
• 1 egg yolk
• pinch of salt

Nourishing nail treatment

• 2 TB olive oil
• juice of ½ lemon
• 1 clove garlic (finely chopped)

Nail serums

Serum for nail biters

• 5ml dropper bottle
• olive, avocado, almond, or jojoba oil
• 3-5 drops clove or tea tree essential oil

Both clove and tea tree are antifungal, antimicrobial, and antibacterial, so they’ll help heal the cuticle and nail bed. Both are also bitter tasting, so they’ll help keep your fingers out of your mouth.

Nourishing nail serum

• 1 Tb olive oil
• 2 or 3 vitamin E capsules

Regenerating nail serum

• 5ml dropper bottle
• olive, avocado, almond, or jojoba oil
• 2-5 drops lemon, lavender, frankincense, or myrrh essential oil

Basic hand & nail moisturizer

• 1 oz / 30 ml carrier oil (jojoba, almond, olive, coconut, or avocado)
• 6 to 12 drops essential oils (1% to 2% concentration)
• 1 tsp vitamin E

I hope you got some valuable tips on how to strengthen nails naturally. If you try any of them, please let me know what were your results.

Also, if you have any foolproof tips or tricks to strengthen nails naturally, let me know in the comments below!