Cracked nails are, as the name suggests, characterized by tears in the nails. These can occur both on the fingers and on the toes. Fingernails and toenails consist of keratin.
This is a very hard and resistant material. If it is disturbed by certain factors in its composition and function, the nails can no longer withstand the everyday stresses and strains, and they tear. Therefore, people with cracked nails usually cannot let their fingernails grow very long. Since the nails, as well as the internal organs of the human being and the skin, are nourished by the blood, the general condition of the person is often reflected in the toenails and fingernails.
Frequency
About every fifth person in Germany suffers from the problem of cracked nails. Here women are usually about twice as frequently affected as men. Starting from the 35th year of life cracked nails occur more frequently, since due to the aging process in the human body the nails become rough and often exhibit a longitudinal rippling.
Causes
There are many causes that can lead to cracked nails. Most often, however, they can be traced back to nutrition. The keratin, of which nails are made, needs sufficient vitamins and minerals to maintain its resistance.
This is normally guaranteed with a balanced diet. In most cases, a lack of vitamin B or vitamin D is the cause of cracked nails. B vitamins include biotin (vitamin B7), folic acid (vitamin B9) and cobalamin (vitamin B12).
The requirement is covered by a normal diet, whereby cobalamin is found almost exclusively in animal foods. A vitamin deficiency is often caused by a diet that is not balanced. But anorexia can also lead to this.
Furthermore, an overdose of vitamin A (carotene) can lead to cracked nails. Vitamin A is mainly found in beef, but also in chicken and carrots. Not only the lack of vitamins, but also the lack of other minerals can lead to cracked nails.
Thus, iron deficiency also leads to cracked nails. The care of the hands is also important for the fingernails. If cracked hands are washed very often, the skin and nails are increasingly deprived of moisture.
If in return not enough hand cream is used, not only the hands but also the nails dry out quickly and then become chapped. Cracked nails can also be caused by nail polish or nail polish remover. Often acetone is contained in nail polish removers, which dries the nails.
In addition, permanent stress or hereditary factors can lead to cracked fingernails. A disturbed hormone balance can also lead to cracked nails. This is especially the case with a disturbed function of the thyroid gland (cracked nails can also occur as a side effect of another disease, such as eczema (skin rash) or nail fungus.
Similarly, drugs used to treat cancer (cytostatic drugs) can also cause cracked nails as a side effect. The regular use of nail polish can lead to cracked nails or aggravate already existing complaints. However, the nail polish itself does not usually cause the problem.
High-quality nail polishes do not damage the nail, but there are varieties on the market that contain substances that have a negative effect on the nail. The really critical factor, however, lies on the side of nail polish removers. These usually contain alcohol or acetone.
Especially acetone-containing nail polish removers cause dry nails. Therefore, after removing the nail polish, a special nail care with moisturizing creams should be carried out. If you have a tendency to dry and cracked nails, but still very reluctant to do without the nail polish, there are a few alternatives.
Special nail polishes have been developed that contain diamond dust. The diamond dust strengthens the nails and prevents cracks. In addition, there are also nail polishes that contain calcium and are thus distributed as a build-up varnish and should help to strengthen the nails.
In general, nail polish remover should be used as rarely as possible to keep the drying effect low. Instead, it should be tried to first only paint over the lacquer to freshen up the color, instead of removing everything. An actual vitamin deficiency is relatively rare nowadays in our latitudes.On the contrary, the body often gets more of the vital substances than it actually needs through added vitamins in finished products.
Here it is important to know that an overdose of vitamins is also unhealthy for the body. A relatively frequent vitamin deficiency is the lack of vitamin B 12, which can occur with a vegan diet of many years. Although a balanced diet with enough vegetables and fruit often rules out a vitamin deficiency, a deficiency should always be considered in the case of cracked and brittle nails if no other indications exist.
A lack of vitamins A, B, C, folic acid or cobalamin can lead to brittle nails. Furthermore, a sufficient amount of the trace elements zinc and iron is also important for healthy nails. A particularly important role is assigned to the Vitamin B7, which is called also Biotin or Vitamin H. This is particularly frequent in egg yolk, Soja, walnuts and peanuts, liver, champions, spinach or oat flakes.
Beef and pork also contain relatively high levels of biotin. Biotin not only helps the nails, but also makes the skin and hair look healthier and stronger. If the diet is changed, it takes about four months until the success is visible on the nails.
