{"id":94535,"date":"2021-02-25T17:00:48","date_gmt":"2021-02-26T00:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nailcarehq.com\/?p=94535"},"modified":"2022-07-21T11:22:06","modified_gmt":"2022-07-21T18:22:06","slug":"why-short-nails-peel-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nailcareheadquarters.com\/why-short-nails-peel-more\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Reasons Why Short Nails Peel More"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Over the last decade working with thousands of people struggling to grow their nails longer, I have learned the top 3 reasons<\/strong> why short nails peel more than longer nails.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019ll find all kinds of reasons on websites around the internet<\/strong>. I find that a lot of them are inaccurate<\/strong> and leave you with the feeling that something might be horribly wrong <\/strong>with your health.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The TRUTH<\/strong> is that for most of us, simply living life<\/strong> does the most damage to our nails.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When it comes to nails, there are three types of people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. People with zero length and they\u2019d like them to grow longer.<\/li>
  2. People with 3mm+ of length and want them to stay that way.<\/li>
  3. People who just don\u2019t care.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    If you\u2019re reading this, it\u2019s safe to assume that you are in one of the first two categories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    #1 Tip Wear<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    The main cause can be summed up in two words\u2014tip wear.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    We use our hands all day long. No, really. All\u2014day\u2014long.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Watch yourself as you go through your day. When are your hands doing absolutely nothing?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"Photo<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    Why is tip wear a big problem for those with shorter nails?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    People with short nails use their hands differently<\/strong> from those with longer nails.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    They can grab, touch, poke, scratch, etc. with the very tips of their fingers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    My husband\u2019s nails are very short and the skin at the very tips of his fingers <\/strong>has toughened<\/strong> with use. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The advantage is that he has precise control when he touches different screen locations on his phone. I can actually hear his fingertip skin clicking on the screen!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    My nail tips<\/strong> range from 3mm to 10mm depending on my laziness at trimming them. The skin<\/strong> on my fingertips rarely touches<\/strong> anything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    As a result, on the rare occasion that I have a deep break, my fingertip is overly sensitive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    It can be painful to touch things for a few days until the skin gets tougher. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Once the nail free-edge grows to about 3mm, we start to adapt<\/strong> how we use our hands to accommodate for our nails \u201cbeing in the way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Leave a Trail<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
    \"Closeup<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    I physically CAN\u2019T pick things up<\/strong> with my fingertips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I use the pads<\/strong> of my fingers. Basically, I leave my fingerprints<\/strong> everywhere!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    As a result, my fingernails don\u2019t touch everything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Here\u2019s where we get back to the problem with tip wear.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The free edge of shorter nails takes a lot more abuse<\/strong>. They get rubbed and beaten more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Like a Book<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Although this isn\u2019t an exact analogy, pretend<\/strong> your nail layers are like the pages of a book. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"Image<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    When the pages are new, they are flat and lay nicely together. Now imagine if you kept fiddling with the edges. You fan the pages repeatedly. Maybe you accidentally drop it in the bathtub and then rush to dry it out in the sauna. Now the pages are warped and curling. You try to smooth out the edges but that just seems to make them worse. You notice that some of the pages are starting to tear. But you need to keep reading the book. It slides off your lap and crashes to the floor. You pick it up and try smoothing the pages again, but doing so causes some of the pages to rip out of the binding.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"Image<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Our fingernails can take much more abuse than this poor little book. But they aren\u2019t indestructible.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    We scratch<\/strong> places that itch, oftentimes through fabric<\/strong>. We grab, dig, push, pry, poke, and so much more. Our hands and nails take a lot of abuse. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This abuse<\/strong> can cause the layers at our tips to splay out and start to peel.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    #2 Water Damage<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Although our nails are about 50 layers of a tough, fibrous protein called keratin, they have a major weakness\u2014water.<\/strong> Think of it as Superman\u2019s weakness to kryptonite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Refer to the picture below. Water<\/strong> can travel around AND through<\/strong> all of the tiny holes in every nail cell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"Photo<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Our nails have the ability to absorb 1\/3rd of their weight in water<\/strong> in a matter of minutes. That doesn\u2019t sound like much, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Now imagine what would happen to you if you absorbed 1\/3rd of your weight in water that quickly. You\u2019d be pretty puffed up, soft, and squishy.<\/strong> The same effect happens to our nails.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    It takes one to two hours<\/strong> for that water to evaporate out of our nail tips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    But our nails need a small amount of moisture and body oil to remain flexible<\/strong> enough to bend when we bang them into things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The repetitive cycle of exposure to water with evaporative drying causes our nails to become too hard and brittle.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    People with short nails usually aren\u2019t <\/strong>doing the techniques that help decrease nail peeling and breaks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    #3 Stress Fractures<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    The official label for damage from the nail tip bending repetitively is transverse fissures. I call them stress fractures because it\u2019s a little easier to remember.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"Photo<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Nail layers are a hodge-podge of interlinking cells<\/strong> as you can see in the photo above.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If you have short nails and you\u2019re wanting to grow them longer, the 0 to 3mm time period is a \u201cdanger zone\u201d<\/strong> phase of growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Why?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Because you haven\u2019t<\/strong> started to change your behavior<\/strong> when using your hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    You don\u2019t have nail tips forcing you to change the way you navigate through life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    As a result, you\u2019re going along using your hands the way you always do. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The problem is that these short nail tips keep bumping<\/strong> into EVERYTHING<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Your tips are continually getting bent and you probably don\u2019t even notice.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    People with thicker nails don’t tend to have issues with short nail tips bending and fracturing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    But if your nails are naturally thin and weak,<\/strong> like mine, then excessive bending is a big problem.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Although there are many techniques<\/strong> and practices to successfully growing your nails longer<\/strong>\u2014ie: breaking them less\u2014there are three main ways that will really help; <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    1. Intensive hydration treatments<\/strong> with a high quality, jojoba wax ester-based nail oil<\/a><\/li>
    2. Short term use of nail strengtheners<\/strong><\/li>
    3. Learning how to use your hands differently.<\/strong><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      Let\u2019s look at these a little closer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Nail Oil<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      Water pushes our nail layers apart and nail oil can help \u201cglue\u201d<\/strong> them together. When all the little gaps around the nail cells are filled with oil, water can\u2019t get in.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      I explain the importance of nail oil to naturally strengthen nails in far more detail in another article.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \"Photo<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

      The fastest way<\/strong> to get oil into your nail tips is to warm up the oil<\/strong>. This can be done in two ways; warm the oil in a bowl, or wear nitrile gloves to help contain your body heat thus warming the oil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      I don\u2019t like the first option because it uses a lot of oil, it can be wasteful<\/strong>, and you are stuck<\/strong> with your hands in a bowl of oil for quite a while.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      The second option uses 1 drop of nail oil<\/strong> under each nail which will also wick around to the top. Because you are wearing nitrile gloves, you can continue going about your daily tasks<\/strong> and even use your phone<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Click here for the full directions to the Intensive Hydration Treatment<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Nail Strengtheners<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      I have learned that the danger zone<\/strong> is one period in time where nail strengtheners can be really helpful. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Strengtheners have ingredients that hold<\/strong> your nail layers together<\/strong> giving them better temporary strength<\/strong> than traditional polish. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Many people think I am against nail strengtheners, but this is not true. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      I have a problem with the marketing claims. I discuss this in greater detail in my Nail Strengtheners article.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      The keyword to remember is \u201ctemporary\u201d<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      These strengtheners don\u2019t do anything to change the actual structure<\/strong> and makeup of your nail plates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      As soon as you remove the product, your nails are the same as before applying the nail strengthener. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      But they can still be helpful<\/strong> in reducing peeling<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \"Photo<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

      Nail strengtheners work in a similar<\/strong> way that an ankle brace<\/strong> provides support. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      You still have the mobility of your foot and ankle, but it\u2019s held more securely<\/strong> so you don\u2019t hurt yourself again while walking. The brace doesn’t repair the ankle. It just provides support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      It is also important to remember that once your tips have reached 2-3mm<\/strong>, you no longer need<\/strong> the strengthener. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      They can actually cause your nails to be too hard<\/strong>. They won’t bend on impact with a hard surface or object. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      At this point, it’s best to shift to using 5 layers of polish using my Fab 5 Wrap Technique.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Use Your Hands Differently<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
      \"Photo<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

      Pretend<\/strong> you\u2019re wearing wet nail polish<\/strong> all the time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      It\u2019s really quite simple<\/strong>. But I\u2019ll be honest\u2014it\u2019s not easy<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      You have to pretend you have longer nails in order to minimize the breakage and peeling while they are in this short phase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      It is when you have learned how to minimize the breaks and peeling<\/strong> that your nails will be able to grow past the \u201cdanger zone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      In Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      \u201cIf you always do what you\u2019ve always done, you always get what you\u2019ve always gotten.\u201d<\/strong> ~ Jessie Potter<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

      If longer nails <\/strong>are important<\/strong> to you, you\u2019ll simply want to change the way you do things.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \"Ana's<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

      You\u2019re learning<\/strong> new practices. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Incorporating new ways to improve<\/strong> your personal care takes thought and patience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      It can take a little time. Just know that the results will be worth the hard work.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Ana covers the top 3 reasons why short nails peel faster than longer nails. Understanding these 3 principles and how to minimize the dangers will help you grow long, strong beautiful nails.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":94638,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[484,321,4,481,491],"tags":[26,10,268,416,408],"class_list":["post-94535","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nailhealth","category-nail-strengtheners","category-peeling","category-peeling-3","category-peeling-nails","tag-nail-strengthener","tag-peeling-nails","tag-stop-peeling-nails","tag-strengthen-nails","tag-stress-fractures"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nailcareheadquarters.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94535","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nailcareheadquarters.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nailcareheadquarters.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nailcareheadquarters.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nailcareheadquarters.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=94535"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.nailcareheadquarters.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94535\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nailcareheadquarters.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/94638"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nailcareheadquarters.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=94535"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nailcareheadquarters.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=94535"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nailcareheadquarters.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=94535"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}