8 Things You're Doing That Are Hurting Your Nail Health & Growth

If you find yourself with weak, peeling and breaking nails, one of these bad habits may be the culprit. We've all been guilty of at least one of these at some point. Luckily, most of these bad nail habits are easy to fix! Here are the top 8 reasons your nails aren't living up to their full potential:

1. You don't wear gloves when cleaning or washing the dishes.

Prolonged exposure to harsh chemicals and water is detrimental to your nails. In fact, water is one the most drying things you can put your nails and hands in contact with. Not only that but it causes your nail beds to swell up, which can weaken them. This brings us to the next bad habit hurting your nails:

2. You don't restore moisture after water or acetone exposure.

Even more drying than water is the acetone you use to remove nail polish. It's important to apply some type of moisturizing and hydrating product after washing your hands or using acetone. We recommend a thick hand cream for your skin (Jessie Monroe Nail Care makes a great one!) and a cuticle oil (shameless plug) for your nails. Also consider switching from pure acetone to an acetone free remover!

3. You use them as tools.

As the saying goes: your nails are jewels, not tools and you should treat them as such! This means no picking at things like stickers, popping open cans with them or opening key rings. Putting that kind of pressure on your nails can cause them to tear and eventually break. Try using something else to accomplish the task!

4. You peel/rip off your nail/gel polish/nail extensions.

This is a huge, huge, HUGE no-no! When you do this, you're peeling off layers of your nail along with the polish (yikes!) which makes them weaker each time. This practice also started the misconception that certain products such as gel polish and acrylic are harmful to your nails. The products themselves are not harmful, it's the removal process that ruins your nails! If you take away anything from this list, let it be this. Don't do this and definitely speak up if your salon tries to do it to you!

5. You buff your nails a lot.

When you buff your nails, you're wearing away layers of your nail. While a weekly light buffing won't do harm, buffing them rigorously and/or too often can weaken them and make you more prone to breakage.

6. Your diet isn't the healthiest.

Look, I get it. Junk food is delicious, we can't debate that, but we also can't deny that what you eat has effects on your entire body, including your nails. Plenty of iron, biotin and omega-3 rich foods are what you need: green veggies, fish, nuts, eggs and avocado are some great options!

7. You bite your nails.

You're probably like "duh" but nail biting not only has an affect on the length of your nails, but the health of them too. Biting your nails can leave them open to infections, ingrown nails and can even cause permanent deformities if continued for too long. Apart from this, putting your hands in your mouth especially if they haven't been washed is unsanitary and can spread germs.

8. You don't use cuticle oil everyday.

Last but certainly not least, you need some cuticle oil in your life! Oiling your nails at least twice a day (the more the merrier though!) helps keep your cuticles looking moisturized, also preventing hangnails and ingrown nails. Furthermore, when your nails are well hydrated, they tend to bend instead of break, lessening your chance of ruining your length. Consistent cuticle oil use also helps prevent peeling, another contributor to breakage.

It can be a hard habit to start up if you've never done it before, but luckily Cuticle Buddy® makes it easier than ever before to stay oiled up! It easily attaches to anything you please and has all the best oils for your healthy nail journey.