Treating Weak or Brittle Nails

Topic Overview

Home treatment may help repair weak, brittle, or splitting nails:

• Wear disposable plastic gloves or rubber gloves with cotton liners to protect your hands from water or chemicals.
• Apply moisturizing lotion directly to your nail.
• Apply a moisturizer at bedtime and cover with a white cotton glove or sock.
• Apply nail polish to slow the evaporation of water from your nail. Do not remove and reapply it more than once a week. Nail polish remover may increase splitting and breaking if used too often.
• Do not use nail lacquers, polishes, or adhesives if you think your nail problem could be caused by one of these substances.