Recently a few people have come to me with concerns with their nail disorders and needed guidance as to what to do and how to treat them.
One salon customer had nails that were splitting vertically, from the free edge towards the cuticle. This is Onychoschizia, commonly known as nail splitting. This may be caused by nail cosmetic (hardeners, polish,polish hardeners), and occupational exposure to chemicals (cement,alkali's,acids,salt sugar solutions). People taking oral medications made from vitamin A or people with skin diseases, such as lichen planus and psoriasis may also develop nail splitting.
Another form of Onychoschizia is splitting of the fingernails horizontally peeling along the free edge. Common cause of this is from prolonged wetting and drying of the fingernails., nail polish remover, trauma to fingernails. For this is it recommended to use a lotion containing alpha-hydroxy acids, wear gloves in cold weather, keep nails short and do not peel off nail polish. Taking a multi-vitamin will help increase nail growth which will lead to healthier nails.
Another nail disorder of concern was spoon shaped nails or Koilonychia.
Though this is sometimes an inherited condition, spoon shaped nails can usually be caused by an iron deficiency. To help correct this problem, usually an Iron supplement will help.
Taking care of your nails eating a well balanced diet and taking a multi-vitamin is key to maintaining healthy nails.