Nail Health: How to Keep Your Toenails Strong and Healthy
Nail Health: How to Keep Your Toenails Strong and Healthy
By Sylke Bommel · Updated August 2026 · 6 min read
Key Takeaways
- Healthy toenails are smooth, uniformly colored, and free of significant ridging, splitting, or discoloration
- The visible nail plate is made of dead, keratinized cells, so most nail care works on prevention and protection, not repair of existing damage
- Clinical trials on oral biotin show modest improvement in nail thickness and splitting for genuinely brittle nails, though the studies are small
- Cuticle oil works mainly by slowing moisture loss and improving flexibility around the nail, not by delivering nutrients into the nail itself
- Sudden changes in nail shape, color, or texture can signal an underlying health issue and are worth mentioning to a doctor
What Does a Healthy Toenail Look Like?
A healthy toenail is smooth, a consistent pale pink to off-white color, and grows without significant ridging, pitting, or splitting at the edges.
Toenails grow more slowly than fingernails, typically taking around twelve months to fully regrow, which is why nail problems can take a long time to visibly resolve even once the underlying cause is addressed.
What Causes Weak or Brittle Nails?
Weak or brittle nails are usually caused by repeated wetting and drying of the nail, harsh chemical exposure, aging, or an underlying nutritional or health issue.
Frequent hand washing, exposure to detergents, and nail polish removers that strip natural oils from the nail plate all contribute to brittleness over time. Iron deficiency, thyroid conditions, and psoriasis are examples of underlying issues that can show up first as nail changes.
Does Biotin Actually Help Nail Growth?
Clinical trials suggest oral biotin can meaningfully improve thickness and reduce splitting in people with genuinely brittle nails, though the supporting studies are small and results take months to appear.
A review of the available biotin research found consistent improvement in the firmness, hardness, and thickness of brittle nails with oral biotin supplementation. Because nails grow slowly, visible improvement typically takes several months of consistent use, and biotin is most likely to help when nails are truly brittle rather than simply short or unpolished.
What Cuticle Oil Actually Does
Cuticle oil works primarily by slowing water loss from the skin around the nail and improving its flexibility, which reduces cracking and hangnails rather than delivering nutrients into the dead nail plate itself.
Since the visible nail is made of keratinized, non-living cells, oils and creams cannot repair existing damage in the nail plate. What they can do well is keep the surrounding cuticle and skin supple, which protects the nail matrix underneath, the living tissue where new nail growth actually begins.
This is the mechanism behind Imperial Feet's Nourishing Cuticle Oil: a botanical oil blend that conditions the cuticle and skin around the nail to support the conditions healthy nail growth needs.
A Simple Nail Health Routine
A basic nail health routine includes gentle drying after washing, wearing gloves for wet or chemical-heavy tasks, trimming nails straight across, and applying cuticle oil regularly.
Avoid using nails as tools for scraping or prying, which is a common and underrated cause of splitting. Filing in one direction, rather than a back-and-forth sawing motion, also reduces stress on the nail edge.
When to See a Doctor About Nail Changes
See a doctor if you notice sudden changes in nail color, shape, or thickness, especially if only one nail is affected or if changes appear alongside other symptoms.
Nail pitting can be linked to psoriasis, spoon-shaped nails can signal iron deficiency, and a single darkening nail without injury should always be checked out, since it can occasionally indicate something more serious.
25%
increase in nail plate thickness observed with daily oral biotin (2.5mg) over several months in clinical studies of brittle nails
See a Doctor If You Notice
- ✓A single nail darkening or developing a streak without injury
- ✓Spoon-shaped or heavily pitted nails
- ✓Sudden thickening, lifting, or separation of a nail
- ✓Nail changes alongside fatigue, hair loss, or other symptoms
- ✓Signs of infection like redness, swelling, or pus around the nail
ℹ️ Good to know: Because the visible nail is made of dead cells, cuticle and nail care mainly protects future growth rather than repairing existing damage; patience over several months is part of any real nail health routine.
Nourishing Cuticle Oil
Nourishing Cuticle Oil conditions the cuticle and surrounding skin, supporting the healthy environment new nail growth needs at the nail matrix.
View Nourishing Cuticle OilFrequently Asked Questions
Does biotin really help nails grow stronger?
Clinical studies show oral biotin can meaningfully improve thickness and reduce splitting in people with genuinely brittle nails, though the research is based on small trials and results typically take several months of consistent use to appear.
Why do my nails split even though I use lotion?
Regular lotion mainly moisturizes skin, while nail splitting is often driven by repeated wetting and drying, harsh chemical exposure, or an underlying nutritional issue, so a dedicated cuticle oil and gloves for wet tasks tend to help more.
How long does it take for a damaged toenail to grow out?
Toenails typically take about twelve months to fully regrow, which is why nail improvements from any routine, including biotin or cuticle care, take patience and consistency to become visible.
What does cuticle oil actually do?
Cuticle oil slows moisture loss and improves flexibility in the skin around the nail, reducing hangnails and cracking, rather than delivering nutrients into the nail plate itself, since the visible nail is made of dead cells.
When should a nail change be checked by a doctor?
A single nail darkening without injury, spoon-shaped or heavily pitted nails, or nail changes alongside other symptoms like fatigue or hair loss are all reasons to have a doctor take a look.
Clinical Sources
- Soriano-Hernandez YM, et al. Biotin for the treatment of nail disease: what is the evidence? J Dermatolog Treat. PMID: 29057689.
- Colombo VE, Gerber F, Bronhofer M, Floersheim GL. Treatment of brittle fingernails and onychoschizia with biotin: scanning electron microscopy. J Am Acad Dermatol. 1990. PMID: 2273113.
- van de Kerkhof PC, Pasch MC, Scher RK, Kerscher M, Gieler U, Haneke E, et al. Brittle nail syndrome: a pathogenesis-based approach with a proposed grading system. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2005;53(4):644-651.
- Granger C, Starace M, Alessandrini A, Aladren S, Bruni F, Narda M, et al. Efficacy and Acceptability of a New Water-Soluble Nail Strengthener to Improve the Appearance of Brittle Nails. Skin Appendage Disord. 2020;6(2):108-114.
Related Reading
- How to get shiny, strong, and healthy nails?
- Nail health is truly important, by specialist Kristy Johansson
- Soft hands tips and balms!
Owner, Imperial Feet — Third-Generation Foot Care
Sylke Bommel is the owner and third-generation leader of Imperial Feet, the Dutch professional foot care brand her grandfather founded in 2001. Raised in Aruba and based in Haarlem, just outside Amsterdam, she has led the brand's international expansion for over a decade, growing Imperial Feet from a single Dutch distributor to a professional range used by pedicurists, podiatrists, and pharmacies in more than 20 countries, including the United States.
Editorial note: Sylke writes from the perspective of a foot care brand owner and formulator, not a medical practitioner. Content is educational and does not replace individual medical advice from a qualified foot care professional.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not replace individual medical advice from a qualified foot care professional. If you have diabetes, poor circulation, or a persistent infection, consult a podiatrist before self-treating.
