In part 5 of our series on important characteristics of natural and artificial nails, we examine brittleness. We’ve previously covered strength, hardness, flexibility, and toughness, which all play important roles in maintaining nail health. However, when the balance between strength and flexibility is disrupted, brittleness occurs, making the nail more susceptible to breaking with minimal stress or impact. Understanding brittleness is essential to the care of both natural and artificial nails, as brittleness affects nail durability and resilience over time.
What is brittleness and how does it affect the nails?
Brittleness occurs when the nail becomes less flexible and more susceptible to cracking and breaking without bending. It can be compared well with bone. Children’s bones are flexible, but as we age, bones lose their flexibility and become brittle. The same thing happens with your nails. When nails become brittle, they can break, crack, or shatter from even the slightest impact or snag without requiring much force. For example, a client may claim that their nail “just broke” when nothing was done to it. This may indicate that the nail has become brittle over time, and a small (not noticeable) trauma was enough to cause the nail to split (become brittle).
Brittleness can also occur with false nails and nail coatings, but it usually takes some time before this becomes noticeable. This may be due to the specific formulation of the product used, or improper curing may result in embrittlement. When a brittle artificial nail breaks, it is often accompanied by a crackling sound, but when the nail coating breaks down, it usually cracks silently. This needs to be fixed because you won’t notice it until you wash your hair or the coating on your nails gets caught on your clothes. Pathogens love warm, cozy places and a few drops of water, so water from a simple act like washing your hands can be the starting point for the development of an infection, so pathogens can spread between the nail coating and the nail bed. It is necessary to prevent this from occurring as soon as possible. This can be easily avoided by quickly removing and replacing the damaged nail coating.
Nail hardness and brittleness: relationship
Brittleness is closely related to the hardness of the nail, as nails that become too hard and lose flexibility will crack or break without bending. Nail hardness refers to the nail’s ability to withstand surface damage such as scratches, whereas brittleness refers to the tendency of the nail to break without bending. Nails that are too hard without being flexible enough will inevitably become brittle and more likely to be damaged. If an artificial nail coating like hard UV gel is too hard, it can become brittle and lack the flexibility your natural nail needs to bend.
Loss of flexibility is often the main cause of fragility. If the nail cannot bend under pressure, it is more likely to break. Therefore, maintaining a balance between hardness and flexibility is key to preventing brittleness in both natural and artificial nails.
*** The natural nail under the gel is constantly moving and if the nail is brittle it will pull away from the free nail coating and curl. Combine that with a brittle gel and the results are disastrous. ***
Causes and recovery of fragility
Several factors can contribute to brittle nails, including age, diet, general health, and environmental exposure to cleaning products and solvents. Artificial nails can become brittle over time, especially if they are improperly cured or the product formulation does not maintain the right balance of flexibility and strength.
Fortunately, there are ways to address and recover from the vulnerability. Since brittleness occurs due to loss of flexibility, the best solution is to restore the flexibility of the nail plate. High-quality nail oils and solvent treatments containing allantoin and urea are very effective in preventing brittleness. These oils and natural moisturizers are absorbed into the nail plate, increasing its flexibility and restoring the balance between strength and flexibility. A high-quality nail oil works similarly to a leather conditioner, softening the leather, making it less brittle and repelling moisture.
A high quality nail oil will penetrate both natural nails and most artificial nail coatings. However, some UV-cured coatings with surfaces that resist hard gel penetration are a good example. This also applies to solvents like acetone. Solvents such as acetone can have a hard time penetrating these harder UV gel coatings. For this reason, hard gel cannot be soaked through natural nails.
Restore flexibility and reduce fragility
To improve brittleness, it is important to maintain nail flexibility. This is possible by applying regularly. [TS1] Good quality nail oil. These oils help restore the natural elasticity of your nails and prevent further cracking and shattering. By focusing on flexibility, both natural and artificial nails maintain their durability and appearance over time.
Let’s take a closer look at the important characteristics of nails in this seven-part series.
- nail strength – Discover how nail strength affects nail performance and durability.
- hardness of nails – Understand how nail hardness contributes to nail health and why balance is important to prevent brittleness.
- nail flexibility – Learn how flexibility is important to prevent nail breakage and maintain elasticity.
- nail toughness – See how strength and flexibility combine for strong, healthy nails.
- Nail solvent resistance – Find out how your nails resist damage from chemicals and solvents.
- nail wear – Learn how nails withstand daily use and environmental exposure.
In summary, nail brittleness can be the result of an imbalance between hardness and flexibility. By understanding how to restore flexibility through proper nail care and the use of high-quality nail oils, both natural and artificial nails can maintain their strength, flexibility, and overall nail health, allowing both natural and artificial nails to maintain their strength, flexibility, and overall nail health. can ensure perfect harmony between our nails. I love artificial nails and coatings.
