My Experience With Weak, Brittle and Splitting Nails
After having my first daughter about 6 years I noticed my nails went from long and strong to barely there and splitting all the time. Anytime I would get any length my nails would split and break off.
It was so frustrating because as a co-worker mentioned before my nails were my signature.
Always manicured and different nail colors all the time. I loved my long nails. They weren’t obnoxiously long but long enough for me. And they’re all mine, all-natural.
But after my little girl came my nails failed to grow back. Long after the prenatal vitamins were gone my nails just did not grow back. This went on until just recently. Yup, that’s another kid later and a total of 6 years of not growing back.
Slowly, I realized that I’m just going to have short nails all the time. Embrace it and go with it. So I did for a while. BUT, damn it, I want my long nails back. It was what made me feel feminine. Everyone has that one thing that makes them feel pretty and feminine, my thing is my nails. Always has been since high school.
I tried everything recommended by the nail salon manicurist. I tried Nail Tek, OPI Nail Envy, Sally Hard as Nails nail strengthener, Zeva Nail guard, CND rescue, Zoya (love this brand) Rescue and a bunch more that I can’t remember.
Unfortunately, none of them worked!! So frustrating. Which led me to believe that my issue has an underlying problem that isn’t going to be treated topically. No matter how good the brand.
So the search for vitamin deficiency, thyroid issues, and other possible root causes began.
Don’t get me wrong these products would probably work if you just have a nail problem but I discovered later, I had a vitamin deficiency problem. So no amount of strengthening was going to help me. It was internal problems.
They say you can tell a lot by your nails. And that is true. I knew something was going on.
Again after having my second daughter 4 years ago, my nails became worse as did my menstrual periods and PMS altogether. Debilitatingly painful. Is it possible they’re linked?
What Was Happening?
You can read about my whole PMDD/PMS journey to learn more about that but it all goes back to hormonal imbalance and vitamin deficiency. And that vitamin deficiency also had side effects of weak or brittle nails. So as I started to address the PMDD/PMS and byproduct was also stronger nails.
Common Types of Nail Problems
Brittleness
Chipping
Splitting
Possible Vitamin Deficiencies That Causes Weak Nails
Calcium/Magnesium
Important to take magnesium with calcium so that your body can better absorb calcium, which is why they are listed together.
Once I added this wonderful vitamin to my regimen I not only had longer and now stronger nails but also noticeable improvements in my PMS and PMDD. Dramatic improvements.
You could just take calcium but its the combination of taking it with magnesium that you will get the max absorption. I took calcium for a bit by itself but that wasn’t enough.
This product is what helped me finally get back my long nails. It has also brought added relief to my PMS symptoms.
B Vitamins
Biotin or B7
By this point, we’ve all heard that Biotin helps you grow healthy hair and nails. This water-soluble vitamin, unfortunately, did not give me any growth or make my nails stronger. It may be that I wasn’t lacking biotin, to begin with, and didn’t see improvement because of that. I took it for a few months and didn’t notice any changes. Everyone is different so you may see results.
B12
B12 helps with iron absorption and both are needed for producing healthy red blood cells. Lacking B12 can also cause bluish-black pigment on your nails. Liquid B12 is a great option and I’ve used Global Healing b12 for some time, and notice a difference even in my energy levels.
You can also try a B complex that has all the B vitamins you need. It also makes it easier if you’re taking several different supplements already and don’t want to add more individual supplements to your hand full of vitamins.
Folate or B9
This vitamin helps with healthy cell growth in hair and nails. If you’ve ever taken a prenatal vitamin with folate you know your nails and hair grow out beautifully. Folate delivered for me in growing my nails.
Within a few weeks my nails were growing out faster and once the new nail growth reached the tip there was a noticeable change in strength. Still, for me, it was stronger and growing more but not as strong yet as it needed to be.
It definitely made my nails grow longer and stronger. The nails were growing stronger as they were no longer as paper-thin as they previously were. Still, once they had any length the nail would split or break off.
Iron
Iron is needed for keratin production which aids in healthy nails. Deficiency in iron can lead to anemia which can also cause you to have brittle nails as a side effect. In addition, you may be experiencing fatigue, lose rosy color appearance in skin color, feel weak/dizzy and more.
If you take iron get the iron slow release to avoid side effects like constipation, upset stomach, and other common side effects. I’ve used it in the past for iron deficiency and it worked great.
Omega 3 Fatty Acids
Stimulate healthy skin cells, nourish nails, skin, and hair and so much more for your health.
I take a large amount of Omega 3’s to help with lowering my triglycerides and have for some time now. This didn’t change any issues with my nails, but I do continue to take for triglycerides.
Vitamin C
This vitamin helps build collagen in hair, nails, and skin. Ester C supplements are good ones to try. I’ve used both American Health Ester C and Pure Encapsulations Ester C, the one on amazon is currently out but I found it here.
Zinc
It helps with healthy cell division and is needed for healthy nails. Spots or any discoloration on your nails may indicate a zinc deficiency. You can try a supplement pill or liquid zinc which is the one I used. It does have a very dry taste so I mixed it into my smoothie every morning.
Other Possible Reasons for Weak or Brittle Nails
Moisture
Too much moisture from washing hands, dishes or the like. Even bathing 2 kids every day in addition to all of this as I was doing, can be too much moisture. Be sure to wear gloves when able and moisturize your hands and nails after these tasks.
You can also try using regular disposable gloves for cleaning around the house for added protection from chemicals and water. I even used these gloves to bathe my dogs. LOL, I’ve tried and used it all on the quest to keep my nails strong. Get latex-free if you have a latex allergy.
As I mentioned, I went through all these one by one to find the culprit to my weak and brittle nails. It’s a process. You may have to go through each one until you find the one that works for you. Or a combination of two or more.
How Long Does It Take to See Results?
It will take you time and patience to see what works as your nails grow. It took me 6 years to find what works for me. Hopefully, it won’t take you nearly that long. I took all the different supplements, tried the polishes, wore the gloves and this all took time.
On average your nails grow 3.5mm a month. You’ll need to take your supplements if you’re taking them for nail growth, for 3-6 months to see results. However, you’ll notice that while taking these supplements your nails will grow at a faster rate.
Don’t Give up and Give It Time
You’ll have new stronger nails if you stick with it. Trust me after 6 years of trying I finally have my nails back. For me, it was the combination of calcium/magnesium and folate that did the trick.
Remember no two people are the same so no two people will have the same outcome. One thing may work for you that didn’t work for me. And that is totally okay. The goal is to find what works for you. I hope this gives you some ideas on how to find your solution.
I wish you peace and guidance on your journey. Take care and be well.
