What should you know about hard and brittle nails?

Nails can become rigid, split, peel or break after frequent hand washing, cleaning products, manicures, nail polish removal or picking. Injury can alter one nail as it grows out. A fungal nail infection may cause thickening, colour change, crumbling or separation from the nail bed, while eczema, psoriasis and other inflammatory conditions can affect several nails. The nail pattern alone cannot confirm the cause.

Notice whether the change affects fingernails or toenails, one nail or many, and whether there is pain, itch, scaling or skin change around it. Bring a list of medicines and relevant health conditions to an assessment.

Keep nails trimmed with clean tools and file rough edges in one direction. Wear gloves for prolonged contact with water or detergents, dry carefully afterwards, and apply a plain moisturiser to the nails and surrounding skin. Avoid biting, forceful scraping and lifting artificial nails. Do not start antifungal treatment solely because a nail is brittle; testing or examination may be needed, and the wrong treatment can delay the right diagnosis.

Arrange a medical review if the change persists, spreads to other nails, or comes with pain, swelling, discharge, marked colour change or separation from the nail bed. Seek prompt care after an injury if the finger or toe is very painful, misshapen or difficult to move. People with diabetes, reduced circulation or a weakened immune system should seek advice early for a new nail problem.

Ask whether the nail needs a fungal test, whether surrounding skin suggests psoriasis or eczema, which products to stop, and how long healthy nail growth may take to become visible.