Do your nails sometimes break and keep hooking in almost everything, like hair, clothes, jewellery, and so forth? It happens to many people, women especially. Just like hair breakage, nail rupture is also very frustrating, mainly when the fingernails break from the middle. It’s not only painful, but also leaves the nails unappealing. Neat nails add a charm to someone’s look, whether with polish or not. You could be wondering why your nails keep breaking often, an expert weighs in: Idi Nuwagaba, a nail technician at Inshungu Hair Salon, Gisementi, says nails are bound to break due to too much moisture, for instance, if you spend too much time in water, whether washing clothes or doing dishes or mopping, and more, chances are, your nails will soften hence easy to break. He, therefore, urges using rubber gloves while doing house chores to protect your nails from moisture or detergent chemicals. The nails expert also explains that although artificial nails look good, when done often, they’re not good, this is because the glue used to stick them on leaves your nails weak. Nuwagaba explains that when nails are used as tools, for example, to open items, or scrub off things, they are likely to break because however strong they may be, they are not meant for that. He adds that having a continuous gel manicure could be hazardous to the nails, because the liquid that removes it, known as acetone, wears out the nails. “Also, some nail technicians scrap off gel manually and file nails bare, a thing that inserts much pressure on them. “It’s advisable to apply gel manicure once in a while to allow the nails to rest, or use the traditional nail polish sometimes,” Nuwagaba says. He says to keep nails moisturised between gel manicures by often applying lotion or oil to both the nails and cuticles. Nuwagaba adds that some people have a habit of peeling off nail polish especially if it starts chipping, which isn’t good as it gets rid of the top layer of the nails, thus resulting in thinning. Sometimes nails become fragile as people age. For others, their type of nails are just soft which makes it easy for them to break, Nuwagaba adds. He says to apply coconut oil on the cuticles and nails as it is believed to cure cracked and brittle nails. The nail technician notes that nail press-ons damage natural nails. According to the American Academy of Dermatology Association (AAD), the process of getting acrylic nails can be seriously damaging to your natural nails. The combination of filing the nail’s surface until it’s rough, harsh chemicals in the products, exposure to a curing light, and soaking in acetone for removal can lead to damaged nails. Nuwagaba says that the shorter the natural nails, the better. He warns against typing on the phone or keyboard using fingernails as it can wither the nail plate. He also points out that if the situation worsens, seek professional assistance because it could be due to a health problem. According to Medical News Today, other factors can result in brittle nails such as; thyroid disorder, anaemia, and poor diet. However, taking good care of the nails can help prevent fragile nails and maintain healthy ones, through the following tips. “Gently filing away hitches or other rough spots on the nails to help prevent breaks, not using metal tools or instruments when caring for the nails, avoiding products such as nail polish remover that contains acetone, and not picking at or, biting the nails.”
