Why do fingernails split? My name is Clare, my online business is lovely hands. I am a trained beauty therapist and nail technician with a few nail split issues to manage myself. As healthy natural nails are my passion I have worked hard to find workable treatments that help me improve the nail split issues I have so that they are barely there anymore. If one reappears I have all the know how and treatments to manage the split quickly and get my nails back to their best.
There are a few different ways that finger nails split and I will cover each in turn.
- Why do my nails split vertically?
- Why do my nails split horizontally?
- Why do my nails split in layers?
1. Why do my nails split vertically?
This photo is of a split on my right hand, ring finger. It’s a long standing frenemy of over 10 years, that I have to be aware of and work with to get the best from it. So why did my nail split down the middle? I think it was a heavy bout of DIY using a mechanical sander on ceiling beams in my bedroom. I will have banged the nail matrix (white half moon area at the top of the nail by the cuticle) against something and this caused the irreparable damage that then shows itself as a vertical nail split. The split area doesn’t form as the rest of the nail does, it has a weakness and that is that the keratin bonds do not form and grow in the split area**. It is possible to zoom in on the picture in the half moon area at the top of the nail and see a purple mark, sometimes I can see the whole length of the faint split on the pink nail bed area, before it appears most strongly on the white tip. The only time this becomes an issue is when the split is on the white free edge of the nail as its vulnerable here to catching and pulling apart.
The answer to ‘Why do my nails split vertically?‘ in my opinion is going to be that at some point in the past you too have banged the nail matrix on that finger and have damaged it, as I did. You might be able to point to that moment in time or not, it doesn’t matter, but I am sorry to say that is it and you will need to find ways to live with the new nail split frenemy in your life. My suggestions are in the article below after I have shared information on all the different types of nail split.
** OPI Repair Mode can repair keratin bonds in the nail, see point 9 below.
2. Why do my nails split horizontally?
I think horizontal nail splits occur for 2 reasons, either weakness and softness in the nail or brittleness in the nail. These conditions are very different from each other and can have something to do with the internal ageing process and / or our underlying health.
As individuals age our bodies systems slow down and do not repair themselves as fast as they did in our youth, this can have noticable effects our skin and nails. Our diet might have become restricted and need supplementing with specific nutrition that boosts growth and repair, more later, but nails can become soft and weak for this reason – lack of specific nutrition or the bodies high demand for that nutrition or its inability to metabolise certain nutrients.
Medication for health conditions also needs to be considered, I always hear about nail issues appearing from nowhere in people on Thyroxine, for an underactive thyroid for example. Soft and weak nails just about make it to the free edge (the white bit) but not much beyond. People undergoing cancer therapies also report that their nails have been affected.
The opposite to weak and soft nails are nails that are overly thick, strong and brittle. People might wish for this type of nail if their nails are soft and weak but I have to say that overly strong, brittle nails tear viciously and always on the join of the pink nail bed and the free edge (the white bit), leaving the person shocked, a throbbing fingertip and sometimes blood on occasion. Many people find, with age, that their toe nails get thicker and more brittle, some poeple are getting the same happening on their hands.
The answer to ‘Why do my nails split horizontally?’ in my opinion is going to be down to age, nutrition, medication and lack of oil (more later, either applied topically to the nails and / or ingested in the diet).
3. Why do my nails split in layers?
Nails splitting in layers, otherwise known as peeling or flaking nails. Typically nails start peeling on the white free edge, and as people like to pick, bite and generally fiddle with irritating things the smooth surface of the nail will get roughed up as the layers start to get torn off, even back onto the pink area of the nail over the nail bed. These nails will look like they belong to a nail biter.
Why do nails peel or flake? I think it happens as a result of a combination of the 2 points above;
- Physical damage but this time on a more minor but repetitive day to day level (washing up in hot water with no gloves on, opening flick up metal tin can lids or cardboard boxes with our nails, poor quality nail file)
- A lack of oil being retained in the nail itself due to the aging process and frequently washing hands (and not applying nail oil/ hand cream) which depletes what oil is present.
The answer to ‘Why do my nails split in layers?’ in the main will come down to a lack of oil in the nail which will bind the nail layers together and not using your finger nails as general tools around the kitchen. I absolutely will not wash up with out gloves, I use a knife to slide under the metal can tabs, and a knife or scissors for cardboard. ‘Your nails are jewels not tools’ said my nail technician tutor and if you adopt this mantra you may see some swift results.
[email protected] ‘s solutions to these nail issues.
I have personally experienced nail splits and peeling and I have been very creative with my ideas to try to resolve these issues. I have had clients with the horizontal split issues and I have worked through their options with them gaining valuable insights and resuilts for them. The ladies with thick, brittle nails are the hardest to get to do anything in my experience, they seem very proud of their tough nails and the tearing that happens on occasion.
Nailtiques used to offer Protein Formulas which helped a great many people’s nails, but the brand, from the official source, has been unavailable since 2020. This is why I have been working on other suggestions for people as I know there is true demand out there. Click here for why nailtiques will not be back. New Protein Formula range click here. [email protected]
Are you doing none, some or all of the below suggestions to help fix your nail splits?
- Everyone should be using a nail oil or moisturiser specific to nails a couple of times a day minimum, it will get absorbed even through layers of acrylic, gel or normal nail polish. As we age we need to supplement the nails own ability to produce and retain oil by rubbing some in on a regular basis. The massage action will stimulate nail growth. Nail oil, balm or creme will benefit all nail types by adding flexibility and resilience to the nail, as well as a healthy sheen. Oil adds strength to soft weak nails, it adds the lacking moisture and condition to the dry, hard, brittle nails. If you have nail splits its the No. 1 thing you can do to keep the split down the middle of the nail from splitting at the free edge. Click here for nail oils, balms and cremes.
- Wear gloves for washing up / cleaning and find tools to help you open tins, boxes etc… Click here for these gloves.
3. Consider taking a nail specific nutritional supplement, I sell 3 types of Hair, Skin & Nails formulas which contains the key ingredients Biotin, Silica and Zinc. It takes your nails 3-6 months to grow down from nail matrix to tip so you will need to commit to taking the tablets daily. I have heard good things about the benefits of Vitamin D supplements on the nails, and I try to remember to take it daily, pick some up at a pharmacy or supermarket. Click here for the nail supplements.
4. Wear nitrile gloves when you wash your hair to stop strands of your hair finding its way into the nail split and widening it. Click here for nitrile gloves.
5. Apply a nail treatment product suited to your nail type, I currently have Protein Formulas, Orly, CND Strengthener RXx and Jessica products.
6. Applying Micropore or silk to a nail treatment product whilst it is still wet will cover a vertical split and give the nail some strength and protection to grow out. To help support a torn nail I have used silk and / or micropore tape. I get the silk or micropore cut to size beforehand, I apply 1 coat of Protein Formulas, Orly, CND Strengthener RXx or Jessica whilst it is drying apply the sticky side of the silk or tape and slide into place. Let it dry and paint another coat of Protein Formulas, Orly, CND Strengthener RXx or Jessica over the top to seal it. It is pretty much invisible after it has product covering it. If you can get the Protein Formulas, Orly, CND Strengthener RXx or Jessica product into the split then do, either by gently lifting the split, or by making it a bit wider with thin cotton or floss. Be very careful and gentle with your nail.
7. Keep the nail under a few layers of acrylic or gel applied and removed by a professional. This will not fix the split but it will offer the damaged nail a protective cover and allow it to appear the same length as the rest of your nails
8. If you look at the photo’s of my nails on this blog you will see that I don’t file up the sides of the nail, I keep the nail fully intact, I believe overly filing creates more work in the long run and keeping your nails as close to how they naturally grow makes for an easy life and low maintenance. With regards to a vertical split down the middle of the nail, if the nail is fully supported on both sides it maintains the pressure across the nail, keeping it constant and potentially pushing the nail together supporting the split. Click here for nail file and cuticle pusher £1.50.
9.** I have been really impressed with OPI Repair Mode, it launched in August 2023 and I have been using it for a year. You only need to use it where the nail has a problem, I have only been using it on my vertical nail splits because thats where I wanted to build bonds inside my nail, precisely where the damage was. I traced the straight line of my vertical splits from half moon / lunula / cuticle area down to the tip of my nail 4x per day, following up when dry (15 seconds later) with a nail moisturiser to seal the OPI into my nail. OPI Repair Mode claims to repair the keratin structure within the nail, if you have a split this is exactly the problem, in part of your nail the keratin bond structure is missing and this is the product that can and will rebuild it**. OPI Repair Mode also works on nail plate surface damage, if your nails have been damaged by application and removal of gel or acrylic products, you will see it repairing the nail surface over time. The company recommend using the product on bare nails – where needed – twice a day for 6 days. I have since been told that the product will penetrate through any nail covering, but I got my results on bare nails.
I will be writing a more detailed account of my use of this exceptional product and the results I got very soon – time of writing this August 2024.
I hope you have found this useful, I look forward to helping you with your shopping experience.
Hi Clare
This is my review as promised- apologies for the lengthy delay.
So, I am post menopausal and suffer with dry nails, some are ridged and those ridges split from the top of the nail down the nail bed- opening up like a zip, they have been like that for a few years and the splits catch on everything and despite filing the split out it just gets worse, splitting again further down the nail. Over the years I have used plasters, sellotape, glue but nothing worked until I discovered by chance, the blog written by Clare in September.
Following a disastrous first dabble with gel my nails were at their very worst and I purchased the strip of silk and protein fro. Clare. Following Clare’s advice, and the protein instructions, for 3 months my nails are the best they have ever been.
I add the protein every other day over 7 days and inbetween I massage nail oil into the nail beds, after 7 days I remove and start over again. I have kept the application of varnish to a minimum, special occasionsonly, and I keep the nail oil in my bath robe so it is handy every night i massage it in whilst I sit and watching tv. I use the silk to cover the splits and put the protein and varnish when used over the top, the silk covers really well – no glue – the protein makes it stick. You need very sharp nail scissors to cut tiny pieces of the silk, it’s a bit fiddly and you have to take your time but the results are worth it. I wear gloves for washing up, housework and now washing my hair to protect my nails. Clare said it would likely take 3 months and it has! There is no quick fix and it takes time and ongoing commitment but it is worth it so give it a try.