Every one of us has already experienced a damaged nail bed. Some had more traumatic experiences figuring out how to speed up the damaged nail bed repair process. Others were lucky to avoid the nail bed damage. We have gathered the 10 most common reasons to cause nail bed damage and how to repair damaged nail bed. So, bear with us to avoid this pain in the future!

#1 You text too much

Have you ever heard people complain about you typing too loud? Every time you hear the clicking sound your nails make when touching the screen, indicates nail bed damage. It might not be the most apparent reason to cause the nail bed damage, but it is crucial to know.

How to repair damaged nail bed: pay attention to how you type. Try to type with your fingers and not the nails.

#2 You keep nail polish for ages on

The longer you keep your nail polish on, the weaker it makes your nails, causing obstacles to damaged nail bed repair. Many nail polishes contain skin-drying and irritating ingredients that cause nail bed damage.

How to repair damaged nail bed: take the nail polish off after five days and keep your nails nail polish-free for the next couple of days.


#3 You use acetone-based nail polish removers

If you are currently in a toxic relationship with acetone-based nail removers, stop thinking of what causes nail bed damage. This is it. Acetone is literally making your nails as brittle as possible, adding the terrible yellowish hue to them.

How to repair a damaged nail bed: get yourself some acetone-free nail polish remover alternative and enjoy your healthy nails.

#4 You apply the base coat

Thinking that applying a base coat as a first step actually protects you from nail bed damage is a myth. In reality, a base coat could destroy your nail plate and leave a damaged nail bed.

How to repair damaged nail bed: forget the base coat and use the hand lotion as your first step. Alternatively, you can use a base coat that does not contain harmful chemicals. 

#5 You find your nails tastier than breakfast

As appealing as it may look to you, biting your nails is what causes nail bed damage. You certainly heard your mom or friends complaining whenever they saw you doing that nasty thing. Guess what, they were right. Whenever you bite your nails, not only do you cause nail bed damage, but you also increase the possibility of an infection getting under your nail.

How to repair damaged nail bed: change your habits and take care of the existing nail bed. Be patient until your nails fully recover and once they do, forget about biting them ever again.


#6 You don’t apply hand cream regularly

One of the reasons you experience nail bed damage is dried skin. It might come out as a surprise: but your nails are attached to the skin. And skin, in turn, should get hydrated regularly for your nail bed to live a healthy and happy life.

How to repair damaged nail bed: Apply the hand cream every time after washing your hands and make sure your nails get all the nutrition all the time.

#7 You apply too much sanitizer

Not only does the sanitizer kill all the bacteria, but it also causes nail bed damage. The alcohol contained in a sanitizer dries your nails, turning them into brittle and weak accessories on your hands.

How to repair damaged nail bed: avoid the area around your nails every time you apply a sanitizer.

#8 You lack iron

Having a damaged nail bed can be a sign that your body lacks iron. Decreased iron levels, also known as anemia, are often blamed for causing nail bed damage.

How to repair damaged nail bed: take a blood test. If you have low iron levels, think about changing your diet to iron-rich foods to never see your nails getting depressed again.

#9 You suffer from Vitamin B deficiency

Multiple studies in the US have proven that taking a daily norm of vitamin B for around 9 months enhances nail strength.

How to repair damaged nail bed: in this case, try to change your diet. Focus on eating biotin-rich foods to prevent nail bed damage.

#10 You underwent an injury

Closed the door with your hand being inside? Hit the wall with your hand by accident? Accidentally cut the nail out when cutting a salad? Each situation described above is what causes nail bed damage.

How to repair damaged nail bed: in this case, it’s time. Let your nails grow back (yes, sometimes it might take as long as half a year) and make sure they get enough nutrition in the meanwhile.

We hope you found an answer on what causes nail bed damage in this article. Having listed obvious and not so evident reasons that cause nail bed damage, we hope you will take better care of your nails.