Soft & Brittle Nails
NailPro. By Cheryl Louise Branche. Image: Jenika Hycc. Do you have a client whose nails bend easily? Or maybe one whose nails are so dehydrated that they’re impossible to bend at all? Perhaps you’ve encountered someone with nails that have furrowed or split. This Nail Clinic will explore how to identify such problematic nails when they come across your table, including causes and cures that you can recommend to clients to return their nails to pristine condition.
Soft Nails (Onychomalacia)
Nails are formed by keratin growth in the nail plate, and the rigidity of nails depends on the arrangement and orientation of the keratin fibers. If that keratin starts to break down, the result is soft nails, or onychomalacia. (Note: Onychomalacia shouldn’t be confused with soft nail disease, a separate condition in which all the nails of the toes and fingers atrophy.) You can spot onychomalacia in a client whose nails are easily bendable, thinner than normal, split or broken. Sometimes they may appear to be nearly translucent and bluish in tone. Soft nails are caused by a myriad of factors. They’re most commonly associated with too much exposure to water. Some reports even suggest that washing hands too often in hot water causes nails to swell, which results in shrinkage upon drying.