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Did you know that a healthy head of hair and strong nails both share one thing in common? Keratin! This protein helps provide strength and resiliency to both hair and nails. On the flip side, brittle nails that chip or split easily and weak hair that feels prone to breakage are both beauty woes that can feel frustrating. Thankfully, today’s science-based beauty brands have created innovative nail-strengthening treatments and fortifying hair products that can improve the health and appearance of both your hair and nails. If you’re ready to learn more, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know, including:
“Eating a balanced diet with a variety of nutritious foods is important for healthy nail growth, and, of note, hair as well,” says Dr. Joel Schlessinger, LovelySkin CEO and board-certified dermatologist, Mohs surgeon and cosmetic surgeon. “When a patient has poor nutrition, it shows in their nails, which might be dry, brittle, splitting or discolored, and their hair, which might be thinning.”
When it comes to how to strengthen nails, you may have heard the buzz about biotin, a B-complex vitamin that’s naturally found in foods such as salmon, carrots, bananas and cauliflower. Some studies have shown that oral biotin supplements can help strengthen brittle nails by thickening the nail plate. Topical nail strengthening treatments can also help support healthy nails (more on that below).
Protecting your nails from the hazards of daily life—like wearing rubber gloves when using harsh cleaning products or washing dishes—can also help reduce potential damage and support stronger nails. “If you wear nail polish, avoid peeling it off as that can cause damage to your nail,” Dr. Schlessinger says. Instead, use non-acetone nail polish remover.
If you’re curious about how to strengthen your nails at home, you can take a look at these nourishing nail serums, conditioners and oils that can help improve the appearance of your nails with regular use.
This three-step nail kit from Dr. Dana—created by Dr. Dana Stern, a board-certified dermatologist who specializes in nail health—helps revitalize, hydrate and strengthen brittle, dry nails so they look naturally shiny even without polish.
The first step is the Glycolic Prep, an AHA-powered solution that helps rejuvenate nails. Next, you’ll use the Priming Wand, a buffer with three different surfaces to help remove damaged nail cells and imperfections. The last step is the Deep Hydrating Formula, which contains moisturizing ingredients such as coconut oil, rice bran extract and sunflower seed extract to fortify nails and enhance shine.
The brush pen applicators make this kit spill-proof and travel-friendly. In a consumer survey, 90% of users of this system said their nails appeared to have less ridges, and 100% said that their nails appeared healthier.
Created by Barcelona-based skin care company ISDIN, this serum is one of the best nail products to strengthen nails thanks to its impressive clinical results: It helps strengthen nails and improve their appearance after fourteen days of use. After twenty-eight days, 97% of users reported that their nails were harder and grew faster.
The formula contains three key ingredients that help support stronger nails and soften cuticles, including hyaluronic acid (which helps hydrate dry cuticles), Pistacia lentiscus gum (to promote production of keratin, a building block of nails) and silanediol salicylate (which supports production of silicon, an essential mineral for nail growth).
This nail strengthening treatment was formulated to help curb chipping, peeling and breaking and encourage longer, stronger nails with mandelic acid. “This is the one nail conditioner I recommend to patients who are struggling with nail damage due to past injuries,” Dr. Schlessinger says. “Patience and consistency is key, as it does take two to four months to see results.”
This luxurious oil blend created by Dr. Hauschka contains antioxidant-rich neem tree extract, soothing chamomile, apricot kernel oil and peanut oil to help fortify brittle nails and soften cuticles in one step. You can choose from a traditional dropper bottle to use at home or a travel-friendly felt-tip pen to tuck into your bag and use on the go.
First and foremost, Dr. Schlessinger believes healthy hair starts at the scalp. “A healthy, nourished scalp is in the best shape to grow strong and healthy hair,” he says. “The hair follicles need sufficient circulation and nutrients, which is why poor circulation and nutrition can result in thinning hair and hair loss.” A healthy diet that’s rich in vitamins and minerals can help support healthy hair growth from the scalp out.
Oral supplements are another hot category when it comes to proper scalp care to support strong hair. “However, not all supplements are created equal and the type of ingredients really matter,” Dr. Schlessinger says. “My patients with thinning hair have seen great improvement with long-term use of Viviscal supplements.”
In recent years, a new category of shampoos and hair treatments with bond-building technology have hit the market. These types of products help strengthen damaged hair on a microscopic level by repairing the broken disulfide bonds that are at the root of hair weakness and damage.
Dr. Joel Schlessinger often recommends his patients with thinning hair try this oral supplement. It contains AminoMar collagen complex and a number of minerals and vitamins, including zinc, iron, vitamin C and biotin to help improve hair thickness and fullness. “Hair growth is not a quick process, so I always tell my patients they should expect to see results after three to six months of twice-daily use,” Dr. Schlessinger says.
French brand PHYTO specializes in botanically based scalp and hair care, and they formulated this oral supplement to help support strong hair and nails with fatty acids, essential vitamins and antioxidants such as biotin, riboflavin and fish oil. In an independent study, 95% of users saw improvement in the quality of their hair after four months of use.
This once-weekly hair mask provides intense conditioning for dry, damaged hair. It helps strengthen hair fibers with biotin and vitamin B6 and prevent tangling with a blend of emollients. After using your usual shampoo and conditioner, you can towel dry your hair, apply this treatment from mid-lengths to ends and then rinse after a few minutes.
This Redken shampoo and conditioner duo features the innovative Strength Complex, which helps restore damaged, dry hair with arginine and a blend of amino acids. Together, these formulas help restore shine to brittle hair, strengthen strands and reduce future breakage.
This shampoo and conditioner from French brand Rene Furterer helps promote stronger hair with vitamins B3 and B5 and guarana. These plant-based formulas also contain encapsulated essential oils (orange, lemon and raspberry) to promote microcirculation in your scalp. In a consumer study, 94% of users reported that their hair felt stronger and 95% said their scalp felt nourished after using these products.
Hair care products by OLAPLEX are a great option to promote strong hair thanks to the brand’s patented ingredient, Bis-Aminopropyl Diglycol Dimaleate, which is clinically proven to prepare broken disulfide bonds in damaged hair. Once these broken bonds are repaired, hair will look shinier, stronger and more manageable. This hair care duo features OLAPLEX’s pre-shampoo treatment, No. 3 Hair Perfector, as well as No. 7 Bonding Oil. When used in tandem, you can promote strong hair, minimize frizz and flyaways and kiss brittleness goodbye.
Are you looking for more nail care tips? You can learn more about how to repair damaged nails and repair splitting nails on the LovelySkin Blog.
Aaron serves as Editor at LovelySkin. Since graduating from the University of Nebraska at Omaha in 2016 with degrees in Creative Writing and English, he has immersed himself in the beauty industry. When he’s not writing about the latest beauty trends, he spends time cuddling his dogs, scouring antique stores, playing tennis and hiking.
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