How To Strengthen Nails: 9 Expert-Approved Tricks For Shiny, Smooth Tips

Even if you have immaculate, smooth-to-the-touch nails—nary a fray in sight—keeping them strong is an entirely different story.

Sure, your nails might not feel dry, or brittle, but that doesn't mean you're completely off the hook. You wouldn't shrug off your daily skin care routine just because you don't see any blemishes or areas of concern, would you? Same goes for nail care: The best offense, after all, is a good defense. 

Cuticle care is always a good idea, problem nails or not. That's because dehydrated, frayed cuticles can lead to damaged nailbeds and infection if they're left untreated (not to mention, it's pretty painful); rehydrating and moisturizing that surrounding skin is key for top-notch nail care.

Add a cuticle oil to your daily routine: Many options include fatty acids and vitamins that nourish the nails and fill in any micro-cracks in the skin. 

"Pay attention to your diet," explains Amy Lin, the founder of sundays—a nail care brand focused on wellness. "Your nails are made of proteins and naturally need a lot of vitamins."

Specifically, your nails consist of keratin, so it's important to make sure you're getting your fill of keratin-building amino acids. Two of the most popular (and widely studied) are biotin and collagen, as they tend to be the most effective in supporting nail health.*

First up: Biotin has been shown to support thickness and firmness of nails1 in several human studies.* One study, in particular, found that those who took biotin supplements had 25% thicker nailbeds2 than the placebo group.*

As mentioned, cuticle care is crucial. But beyond oil, Lim mentions regularly pushing your cuticles back can keep them from overgrowing.

"When [the cuticle] becomes thick and overgrows onto the nail, it's tough to push back. You don't want to ever get to that point," she says. "When that happens, your cuticles are prone to cracking and infection."

You don't have to get too meticulous about it; a great tip is to gently push them back every couple of days after stepping out of the shower, as the nails will be softened from the spray.

Which brings us to our next point: monthly maintenance. Whether you opt for a DIY manicure or take a trip to the salon, a regular tuneup is key to keeping those tips strong.

Your nails can tell you a lot about your overall health, so use that time to make regular check-ins as well. "When you take your nail polish off, check your nail color and the strength of your nail plate before you go ahead and apply polish or treat your nails," says Lin.

Of course, make sure the polishes you use (that includes base coats, colors, and top coats) contain nourishing, conditioning ingredients rather than harmful chemicals like formaldehyde, camphor, and toluene. 

Same goes for polish removers to swipe off your mani: "If you want to keep your nails strong, you don't want to use 100% acetone removers," Lim says.

Gels, dips, and acrylics may offer a candy-shell lacquer you adore, but they can actually be quite harsh on your nail plate. (Read more about how gels affect your nails here.)

"Not only are acrylic and dip powder nails full of potentially nail-harming ingredients, but the process and wear can be very damaging to your nailbeds, and if done improperly can even lead to infection," organic manicurist Eunice Montes-Hamaguchi has told us.

To keep your tips healthy and strong, you might want to forgo the faux nails and stick to a bare-nailed look or coat of clean polish. 

Did you know every nail file has an accompanying grit number? It's typically a tiny number stamped either on the packaging or on the file itself, and it conveys how coarse the board will be against your nails. The higher the grit number, the softer the file. 

In terms of maintaining strong nails, you'll want to go with a file that has a higher grit number (aka, a softer file). "You want something that's just a little bit more coarse than a regular buffer," says Lim.

While these tips zero in on how to strengthen your nails naturally, sometimes you need a little extra help. Understandable!

A nail strengthener on hand can work wonders—just make sure you're choosing one that doesn't have formaldehyde (which is what traditional nail strengtheners are made of, as it makes polish dry stiff).

In case you didn't know: Your nails can experience sun damage4, too, turning them yellow, brittle, or dimpled.

To protect your tips, experts recommend a UV filter polish that's able to absorb the rays (you can also paint on an opaque shade to physically block the sun). 

On the chemical front, it's important to be mindful of any harsh ingredients seeping into your nails. You might have swapped your acetone polish remover, sure, but think about other ways your nails are exposed to chemicals on the daily.

For example, if you have traditional dish soap in your kitchen, perhaps wear gloves while cleaning to avoid drying out the nails. (And even some natural-leaning dish soaps can have drying ingredients, like vinegar or lemon.)