4 easy hacks to strengthen your nails

While strong nails can often be attributed to blessed genetics, there are simple – and gorgeous – ways for those with historically brittle or breakage-prone tips to strengthen nails. 

As with hair and skin, positive lifestyle habits and self-care routines like nail care promote beauty and strength. Whether yours tend to weaken in certain types of weather or are prone to snapping year-round, a few changes and helpful steps will have you tapping those nails fear-free.

If you’re wondering how to strengthen nails for the long term, your full-proof solution can be found here. What matters most is the supportive formulas used and how well you stick to your nail strengthener routine. To help make it easy-to-achieve, we’ve compiled a simple 5-step routine, including strengthening nail polish and the best ways to apply it. Before painting on your selected nail polish, view our comprehensive nail strengthener routine for shine and strength.

what causes nails to weaken?

Torn nails can ruin an otherwise perfectly toned set – causing uneven nail length and forcing you to start again from square one. Apart from the aesthetic drawbacks, brittle, weak and breakage-prone nails make simple daily activities a struggle. If snagging cracked nails through hair, on buttons and zips or when washing dishes sounds familiar, this guide’s for you. Before thinking about the nail strengthener solution, it’s helpful to understand the motivators behind weak nails. Genetics can play a part, but other factors you may not be aware of include:

• Extreme weather
• Chemicals found in cleaning products
• Over-exposure to moisture 
• Lack of sleep
• Stripping shampoos
• Shellac, SNS or acrylic manicures

nail strengthener routine

To ensure your nails maintain length alongside shine and durability, a proper nail strengthener routine should be followed. In the same way that skincare routines are used morning and night, your nail care tips should be followed even when nails feel strong. 

Good habits play a big part. Protecting your hands by wearing washing up gloves when cleaning and winter gloves in cold weather, and eating a nutrient-rich diet all contribute to strong nails. To accompany positive lifestyle habits, see the range of essie strengthening nail polish and other easy steps for how to strengthen nails. 

1. apply cuticle oil daily

The hydrating oil applied to nail beds at the end of manicures isn’t restricted to the salon. Cuticles – the layer of skin found at the edge of your nails – perform a really important function, protecting growth by prohibiting bacteria from breaching the area. However, cuticles are delicate themselves – becoming dry or damaged without proper hydration. That’s where cuticle oil, the nourishing and quickly absorbing helper comes in. Our vegan Apricot Oil Cuticle Treatment ensures deep hydration through nourishing ingredients like apricot and jojoba oil. Use the soft brush application 1-2 times per day for best results.

2. use top and base coats

For nail polish lovers, changing colours regularly is a way to show off individual style. To ensure that constant application doesn’t wear down nails, you should always prep and follow with top coats and base coats. To begin, a bottom coat is used to prevent nails from chipping and breaking. Strong Start bottom coat is infused with biotin for beautifully boosted nail strengthening. Then, to protect polish from peeling and to retain a beautiful shine, a layer of Gel Setter top coat should be applied after polish. For a matte look use Matte About You top coat. 

3. supplement with nail strengthener tints

If growing your nails (and keeping them the same length) feels like an impossible task, mixing up your nail polish with a nail strengthener could help. To address damaged nails or to get the length you’re after, opt for essie nail polish strengthener between colour applications. Hard To Resist Nail Strengthener Pink Tint protects against daily wear using nail bonding technology, and leaves a natural shine. Hard To Resist Nail Strengthener Purple Tint neutralises yellowness and brightens nails.

4. only use nail polish that contains supportive formulas

Whether you’re after longwear polish, enamel or the latest colour, essie’s range of polish help to support the strength of your nails. The right polish will provide extensive colour wear with a stunning finish – and our formulas help to keep you on-trend. When applying always start with cleaned nails, to ensure any impurities have been cleared. Use one layer of base coat, and two coats of your chosen essie colour. When applying your colour, make sure to polish along the tip of the nail. Finish with one layer of an essie top coat, and you’ll enjoy flawless coverage with amazing durability.