Brittle Nails

Of all the symptoms of menopause, cosmetic changes can at times be the hardest to deal with, robbing a woman of her sense of femininity and individuality. Unfortunately during this time period, many women suffer from brittle nails, which occur naturally with age and hormonal changes.

To understand how changes such as brittle nails occur, it is helpful to learn more about the nail growth process. Both fingernails and toenails grow from roots underneath the skin, from the thin white semicircle at the base of the nail known as the lunula. This group of cells produces a substance called keratin, which forms the nails that protect women´s fragile nail beds.

When the body is healthy, a woman´s nails will  grow  with  uniformity  and strength.

If a woman has always had strong, healthy nails, she may not recognize the signs of brittle nails. The following are the most common symptoms:

Keep reading to learn more about the possible causes of brittle nails in menopausal women in order to learn how to strengthen them and reverse this irritating symptom.

While changes in nail appearance such as brittle nails can occur for a variety of reasons, the most likely cause for women of menopausal age is hormone fluctuation, particularly estrogen. One of the fundamental causes of weak or brittle nails is dehydration or lack of moisture in the body. Estrogen plays a key role in body water regulation, and water retention. When a woman´s body contains higher levels of estrogen, her overall body water levels will be higher as well, and correspondingly, when her estrogen levels are lower, this can lead to dehydration which manifests itself in such signs as dry, cracked, brittle nails.

In addition to hormonal causes, dietary issues and certain diseases can have an effect on nail growth. Certain nutrients such as Vitamin C, calcium, folic acid, protein, iron and fat all help to build strong healthy nails. Stress and anxiety can also slow nail growth and lead to weak or brittle nails.

Fortunately, nail health is relatively  easy  to  build. Read

To banish the specter of brittle nails, it is best to use a tiered approach of treatment. Due to the fact that nail health in menopausal women involves both nutritional deficiencies as well as hormonal changes, there are two levels that the issue can be addressed on.

It is generally recommended that women begin with the least invasive option, which would be lifestyle changes. If  brittle nails are being caused due to  stress

Lifestyle changes can be difficult to implement all at once for a busy woman, however. The most effective approach, as brittle nails in menopausal women is primarily caused by fluctuating levels of estrogen that leads to dehydration, is to treat the problem directly at the hormonal source. A variety of natural and alternative remedies exist that are ableto address this imbalance. A combination of lifestyle changes and natural remedies is the most effective and safest way to battle brittle nails.