Why Your Nails Keep Breaking (It's Probably Not Your Diet)

You're taking biotin. You use cuticle oil. You've stopped picking at your nails and you're careful with your manicures. So why do your nails still peel, crack, and break the moment they get any length? If you've tried everything and nothing seems to work, the problem might not be what you're putting on your nails—or what you're eating. It might be something much simpler.

First, Let's Check the Usual Suspects

Brittle nails can have several causes. Before we get to the overlooked one, make sure you've ruled these out:

• Frequent handwashing — Especially with harsh soaps, this can dehydrate nails
• Acetone nail polish remover — Extremely drying; non-acetone is gentler
• Gel and acrylic manicures — The removal process can damage the nail plate
• Nutritional deficiencies — Iron, zinc, and protein affect nail health
• Dehydration — Nails are about 18% water; when you're dehydrated, they suffer
• Over-filing or buffing — This thins the nail plate and weakens it

If you've addressed these and your nails still won't cooperate, it's time to look somewhere else.

The Cause Nobody Considers

Here's the thing: your nails are soaking in chlorinated water every time you shower, bathe, or wash dishes.

Chlorine is added to municipal water to kill bacteria. It's an oxidizer—which means it's designed to break down organic material. Your nails are made of keratin, a protein. Same as your hair. Same as the outer layer of your skin. And chlorine doesn't discriminate.

With every shower, chlorine strips moisture from your nail plate, making it dry, brittle, and prone to cracking. The cuticles dry out too, leading to hangnails and peeling skin around the nails. Over time, the damage accumulates.

Why This Often Goes Unnoticed

Unlike a single harsh event—ripping off a gel manicure, for example—chlorine damage is gradual. It doesn't cause immediate visible harm. Instead, it slowly degrades your nails over weeks and months. By the time you notice the brittleness, you've been exposed hundreds of times.

And because we're taught to think about nail health in terms of what we eat or apply, water is rarely on the list of things to question.

But think about it: if you have dry skin after showering or hair that feels like straw, why would your nails be any different? They're all being exposed to the same water.

Signs Your Water Might Be the Issue

How do you know if chlorine is affecting your nails? A few indicators:

• Your nails peel in layers, especially at the tips
• They crack or break before getting much length
• Cuticles are constantly dry or cracking despite using oil
• Nail polish chips faster than it should
• You also have dry skin or dry hair (all related to the same water)
• Nail problems seem worse in places with heavily chlorinated water

What Actually Helps

There are two approaches: protect against the damage, or eliminate the cause.

To protect:

• Apply cuticle oil before and after showering to create a barrier
• Keep showers shorter and water temperature moderate
• Wear gloves when washing dishes
• Use gentler, non-drying hand soaps

These help, but you're still bathing in chlorinated water. You're just limiting the exposure.

To eliminate the cause:

A shower filter removes chlorine from your water before it reaches your body. Your nails, skin, and hair all benefit. Many people report that their nails feel stronger and less prone to breaking within a few weeks of making the switch.

The Bigger Pattern

Nails are often the last thing people think about when it comes to water quality. But they're part of a pattern. If your water is hard on your nails, it's also hard on your skin and hair. The same chlorine that's weakening your nails is drying out your skin after every shower and oxidizing your hair color.

Once you address the water, everything connected to it tends to improve.

• • •

If you've been blaming yourself, your diet, or your genetics for weak nails—consider that the simplest explanation might be the right one. You're not failing at nail care. You just haven't thought to look at your water.