In this fifth part of our series on the key properties of natural and artificial nails, we examine brittleness. We’ve previously covered strength, hardness, flexibility, and toughness, all of which play crucial roles in maintaining nail health. Brittleness, however, occurs when the balance between strength and flexibility is lost, causing nails to break easily, even under minimal stress or impact. Understanding brittleness is essential for both natural and artificial nail care, as it affects the durability and resilience of the nails over time.
¿Qué es la fragilidad y cómo afecta a las uñas?
Brittleness occurs when a nail lacks flexibility and becomes prone to cracking or breaking without bending. A great comparison can be made with bones—children’s bones are flexible, but as we age, our bones lose flexibility and become brittle. The same happens to nails. When a nail is brittle, even a small impact or snag can cause it to break, crack, or shatter without much force. For example, clients might claim that their nail “just broke” while doing nothing; this could indicate that their nails have become brittle over time, so some small (unnoticeable) trauma was enough to break (brittle) the nail.
Brittleness can develop in artificial nails or nail coatings as well, though it typically takes a little time for this to become noticeable. This could be due to the specific formulation of the product used, or brittleness may result from improper curing. When brittle artificial nails break, it is often accompanied by a snapping sound, but when a nail coating breaks it usually quietly fractures and we don’t notice until we wash our hair or the nail coating snags on our clothing, this needs to be fixed as soon as possible to stop pathogens from nestling between the nail coating and the nail bed as water from simple things like washing our hands can be a starting point for the development of an infection because pathogens love warm cozy places and a few drops of water. This can be easily avoided with a quick removal and replacement of the damaged nail coating.
Dureza y fragilidad de las uñas: La conexión
Brittleness is closely tied to nail hardness, as a nail that becomes too hard and loses its flexibility will crack or shatter instead of bending. While nail hardness refers to a nail’s ability to resist surface damage like scratches, brittleness describes the nail’s tendency to break without bending. Nails that are too hard without enough flexibility will inevitably become brittle, resulting in a higher likelihood of damage. Artificial nail coatings, like hard UV gels, are sometimes brittle if they are too rigid and lack the necessary flexibility to bend with the natural nail.
La pérdida de flexibilidad suele ser la principal causa de fragilidad. Cuando las uñas ya no pueden doblarse bajo presión, es más probable que se fracturen. Por eso, mantener un equilibrio entre dureza y flexibilidad es clave para prevenir la fragilidad de las uñas naturales y artificiales.
*** La uña natural bajo el gel está en continuo movimiento y, si es quebradiza, se separará del recubrimiento de la uña en el borde libre, lo que combinado con un gel quebradizo es una receta para el desastre. ***
Causas y reversión de la fragilidad
Several factors can contribute to nail brittleness, including age, diet, overall health, and environmental exposure to cleaning agents and solvents. Artificial nails can also become brittle over time, particularly if improper curing has occurred or if the product’s formulation doesn’t maintain the right balance of flexibility and strength.
Fortunately, there are ways to address and reverse brittleness. Since brittleness occurs due to a loss of flexibility, the best solution is to restore flexibility in the nail plate. High-quality nail oils or solvent treatments containing Allantoïne and or Ureum are highly effective in combating brittleness. These oils and natural moisturisers absorb into the nail plate, increasing its flexibility and restoring the balance between strength and flexibility. Good quality nail oils work similarly to leather conditioners, which soften and reduce brittleness in leather with the added ability to hold water at bay.
Los aceites para uñas de buena calidad pueden penetrar tanto en las uñas naturales como en la mayoría de los esmaltes de uñas artificiales, excepto en algunos esmaltes de curado UV con superficies que se resisten a la penetración, como los geles duros. Esto también es cierto para disolventes como la acetona, que pueden tener dificultades para penetrar estos recubrimientos de gel UV más duros, por esta razón un gel duro no puede ser remojado de una uña natural.
Restaurar la flexibilidad para reducir la fragilidad
Para revertir la fragilidad, es importante mantener la flexibilidad de las uñas. Esto puede hacerse aplicando regularmente [TS1] good quality nail oils. These oils help restore the nails’ natural elasticity and help prevent further cracking or shattering. By focusing on flexibility, both natural and artificial nails can maintain their durability and appearance over time.
Explore más propiedades clave de las uñas en nuestra serie de 7 partes:
- Fuerza de las uñas – Discover how the strength of nails impacts their performance and durability.
- Dureza de las uñas – Understand the crucial role of hardness in nail health and how to maintain the perfect balance.
- Flexibilidad de las uñas – Understand the importance of flexibility in preventing nail breakage and maintaining resilience.
- Resistencia de las uñas – Find out what makes nails tough and how this property differs from strength and hardness.
- Uñas quebradizas – Learn what causes brittleness in nails and how to prevent it.
- Resistencia a disolventes para uñas – Explore how nails can resist damage from chemicals and solvents.
- Uñas – Understand the factors that affect how well nails withstand regular use and environmental exposure.
En resumen, la fragilidad de las uñas puede ser el resultado de un desequilibrio entre dureza y flexibilidad. Al comprender cómo restaurar la flexibilidad mediante el cuidado adecuado de las uñas y el uso de aceites de uñas de alta calidad, tanto las uñas naturales como las artificiales pueden mantener su fuerza, flexibilidad y salud general de la unidad ungueal, garantizando la perfecta armonía entre la uña natural y nuestras tan queridas uñas artificiales o recubrimientos.
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