Choosing the Best Nail Strengthener

When it comes to the supplement industry, there are thousands upon thousands of products suggested to impact the human body in a positive manner. And of these, those that positively affect the health and function of both the hair and skin are generally the most popular.

And why shouldn’t they be? Both your hair and your skin are blatantly visible to the world, available for literally everyone and anyone to see.

Unfortunately, because of this, we tend to neglect our nails – and I say unfortunately because your nails actually do quite a bit more than just sit on the end of your fingers.

You see, they also play a very important role in aiding hand grip and hand strength, are integral to a number of fine motors skills (typing comes immediately to mind…), all while protecting the sensitive skin that sits directly under them.

So in short, they deserve a lot more attention they get.

With this in mind, we should also be doing a whole lot more to make sure that they are healthy and functioning well at all times – and one way to ensure that this is the case is through the use of nail strengtheners.

What are Nail Strengtheners?

To first understand how nail strengtheners actually work, we first need to gain a quick understanding of the nails themselves.

You see, your nails are made up from multiple layers of keratin. Keratin is a specific protein made within the body that provides structure and hardness to your hair, a number of your internal tissues, and of course your nails ^[1].

If the body does not have enough nutrients readily available to create healthy keratin molecules, your nails can become weak, brittle, and dry. In this scenario, they become quite prone to cracking and breaking.

With this in mind, the key nutrients biotin, vitamin B-12, and iron are all incredibly important for keratin production and nail strength ^[2].

And this is actually where nail strengtheners also come into the discussion.

When nail strengthener is applied to the nail, it actually interacts with the keratin molecules within that nail. Building on this in a little more detail, it makes the chemical bonds within the keratin molecules themselves much firmer, increasing the rigidity of the nail itself in a very big way.

As an added bonus, these strengtheners also add a layer of protection to the top of the nail, increasing its ability to hold its natural shape. This obviously protects the nail from external damage, while also ensuring it maintains a healthy and solid shape.

What to Look for in a Nail Strengthener?

When it comes to picking a solid nail strengthener, there a only a couple of things that really require any deep consideration:

Firstly, an ideal product should contain ingredients that include either calcium or formaldehyde. Each of these has been shown to play an important role interacting with the nail at a cellular level, improving keratin quality and health ^{[3, 4]}.

With this in mind, they are some of the most effective means of improving nail strength and rigidity, making them much less prone to flaking and breaking.

Secondly, you want to avoid products that are absolutely full to the brim with ingredients.  While there are a number of unique compounds that have been shown to impact nail health in a relatively positive manner, there are also a number of chemical based compounds that have the potential to make the nails brittle as well as hard.

Quite simply, the more ingredients that appear within a given product, the greater the chance that you will find a product that can make your nails brittle – essentially worsening the state of your nails in the long run.

And that’s it! As long as you stick to these general (and lets face it – simple) rules, you should have no issue when it comes to selecting a good quality nail strengthener (or you can move onto the next section).

Best Nail Strengthener Product Reviews

Now while we have given you the necessary tools to find a good quality product, we also wanted to give you some options that you can implement into your life immediately. The three products listed in this section make up what we believe to be the best three nail strengtheners on the market at the moment.

Onyx Professional Hard as Hoof Nail Strengthening Cream

Onyx professional are a top quality cosmetic company that have built an exceptional reputation entirely on their great products and optimal customer service. With this in mind, their ‘hard as hoof’ nail strengthener is a fantastic option.

By combining calcium with key compounds vitamin B-5, absorbic acid, coconut oil, and jojoba oil, you have everything you need to enhance nail health and function.

As an added bonus, a number of these ingredients also have the capacity to naturally coat the nail and the surrounding skin, increasing its health considerably.

OPI Envy Nail Strengthener

When it comes to nail products, OPI are one of the biggest players in the game. With this in mind, this specific nail strengthener is hands down the most popular on the market at the moment.

Combining both calcium and formaldehyde with the key compounds citric acid and hydrolysed wheat protein, this is formula is slightly different from many of its competitors. With this, it offers an exceptional way to enhance nail health and promote the development of strong, hard, and natural looking nails.

This is a great choice!

Nailtiques Nail Protein Formula #2 Nail Strengthener

With a brand name like Nailtiques, it should come as no surprise that these guys prioritise producing high quality nail based products over anything else – and this particular nail strengthener is one of the best.

Using hydrolysed keratin, protein, gelatin, and calcium, this product offers everything you need to enhance nail health and function.

Conclusion

Nail strengtheners offer an excellent way to ensure that your nails are healthy and functioning well at all times. With this in mind, they also appear to be a great way to treat damaged and weak nails, making them less prone to either chipping or breaking.

The three products listed in this article are what we believe to be the best on the market, each offering an excellent option in their own right. If you have had any experience with them (or any others for that matter) then we would love to hear about it, so drop us a comment and we will get back to you ASAP.