ABSTRACT
The nail may be damaged by trauma or by use of chemical agents such as detergents, alkalis, various solvents, and sugar solutions and even hot water.
The nail plate requires 5 to 6 months in order to regenerate and therefore it is vulnerable to daily insults. Therefore, any treatment that would increase the rate of nail growth would be benefi cial in the treatment of brittle nails. The housewife is very susceptible; particularly at risk are the fi rst three fi ngers of the dominant hand. Anything which slows down the rate of nail growth will increase the risk. Consequently it is higher in the elderly. In addition, the age-dependent decrease in cholesterol sulfate levels may also explain the higher incidence of brittle nails in women. Cosmetic causes are rare. Some varnishes will damage the superfi cial layers of the nail. Drying may be enhanced by some nail varnish removers as opposed to soaking fi ngers in a warm soapy solution, for removing the cuticle, which is especially problematic; this is common practice among manicurists. It has been shown that climatic and seasonal factors may affect the hydration of the nail plate, normally 18%.
