How to keep your nails strong through a Toronto winter

If your nails start peeling and your cuticles start cracking around the same week you dig out your winter boots, you're not imagining it. Winter is hard on hands.

The good news is that most of it is preventable, and it doesn't take a ten-step routine. Here's what's going on and what actually helps.

Why winter does this

Your nails are made of layers of keratin, and like your skin, they hold a little water. When they dry out, those layers get stiff and start to separate. That's the peeling and splitting you see at the tips.

A Toronto winter dries them out from every direction:

• Cold, dry air outside. Cold air holds very little moisture.
• Dry heat inside. Furnaces and radiators pull moisture out of the air at home and at work.
• Hand washing and sanitizer. Great for staying healthy, rough on skin and nails. Hot water makes it worse.
• Going gloveless. Wind and cold chap the skin around the nail, which is where hangnails start.

The routine that works

1. Cuticle oil, every day

If you only do one thing, do this. A drop of cuticle oil on each nail, rubbed into the cuticle and the nail itself, keeps everything flexible. Jojoba-based oils absorb well. Bedtime is the easiest time to remember, and it gets a full night to soak in.

Keep a second bottle at your desk or in your bag. Three seconds, twice a day, makes a visible difference in about two weeks.

2. Hand cream after you wash

Water evaporating off your skin takes moisture with it. Pat your hands dry and use hand cream straight away, working it into your nails and cuticles too. At night, use something thicker. If your hands are really dry, put on cotton gloves over the cream and sleep in them.

3. Gloves, outside and at the sink

Wear gloves outside, even for short walks. Wear rubber gloves for dishes and cleaning. Hot water and cleaning products are some of the fastest ways to weaken nails and lift a manicure.

4. Lukewarm, not hot

Long hot showers and steaming dishwater feel amazing in January. Your nails don't love them. Lukewarm water is gentler.

5. Keep them a little shorter

Long nails take more knocks, and dry nails break more easily. Winter is a good time to keep length moderate and the shape soft, like oval, round or squoval. You'll catch them less on zippers and car doors.

6. File gently, one direction

If a nail starts to split, file it smooth right away so it doesn't catch and tear further. Use a fine file and move in one direction rather than sawing back and forth.

7. Don't pick, peel or bite

Hangnails are tempting. Pulling them tears live skin and can get infected. Clip them with clean cuticle nippers instead, or leave them for your next appointment. And never peel off gel or Shellac. It takes layers of your natural nail with it.

What we can do at the salon

• BIAB (builder gel) adds a layer of strength over your natural nail and protects it from splitting while it grows. It's our go-to for weak or peeling winter nails.
• Paraffin is a warm wax treatment for hands. It feels like a hug in a bowl and leaves dry, chapped skin noticeably softer. Ask to add it to any manicure.
• Proper removal. If you wear gel, have it taken off properly rather than picking it off at home.

About supplements

You'll see biotin recommended everywhere. The evidence for it is mixed, and it can interfere with some blood tests, so talk to your doctor before starting it. A balanced diet with enough protein and plenty of water helps your nails grow well no matter what.

When to see a doctor

Dry, peeling nails are common in winter. But if a nail changes colour, thickens, lifts painfully from the skin, or the skin around it gets red, swollen or sore, see your doctor or a pharmacist rather than covering it with polish.

Want a reset before the cold really sets in? Book a manicure and ask your tech to add paraffin. Your hands will thank you.

— The Luxify Nails team