Home Symptoms Brittle nails

Brittle nails — what to take?

Brittle nails crack, peel, break easily. Causes: dehydration, contact with water/chemicals, nutritional deficiencies, thyroid disorders, mycoses, psoriasis.

5 recommended OTC drugs
4,387 pharmacies available

OTC — no prescription

What you can take for brittle nails

Informativ. Nu înlocuiește sfatul medicului. Consultă medicul sau farmacistul înainte de a lua orice medicament.

Common causes

Repeated exposure to water/detergents (housewives, medical staff), nail polish with toluene/formaldehyde, deficiency of biotin, iron, protein, zinc. Diseases: hypothyroidism, anemia, psoriasis, onychomycosis, Raynaud.

OTC treatment and supplements

Biotin 2.5-5 mg/day — effective in idiopathic brittle nails, improvement seen in 3-6 months.

L-cystine + B vitamins (Pantogar, Revalid) — supports keratin.

Iron, zinc — in confirmed deficiency.

Hydrolyzed collagen — 2.5-10 g/day, emerging evidence.

Topical treatments:

  • Strengthening lacquers (IBX, Mavala Scientifique).
  • Cuticle oils (argan, jojoba, vitamin E).
  • Hydroxypropyl chitosan — film-forming reparative.

Daily care

  • Gloves when washing dishes, cleaning.
  • Moisturizer after hand washing.
  • Avoid aggressive lacquers, frequent acetone.
  • Breaks between gel manicures.
  • Cut with scissors, don't tear.
  • File in one direction (not back and forth).

When to see a doctor

Very thickened or discolored nails (onychomycosis, psoriasis), pigmented spots on nail (rule out subungual melanoma), concave nails (koilonychia — iron-deficiency anemia), associated systemic changes.

Medical disclaimer: the information in this guide is for informational purposes only and does not replace medical or pharmacist advice. For diagnosis and treatment consult a healthcare professional.

Nights, weekends, holidays

24/7 pharmacies for brittle nails

Brittle nails doesn't wait for office hours. If you need a medicine at 2 AM or on a weekend, open the map with the 24/7 filter on and find the nearest on-call pharmacy. Major cities have several round-the-clock pharmacies — the per-city pages below list them all, with address, phone and verified opening hours.

Call ahead before you leave, especially at night — on-call schedules can change and stock for some prescription items may be limited between deliveries.

Search the pharmacy

Medicine categories for brittle nails

Beyond the OTC products listed above, you can also browse whole medicine and supplement categories, with prices compared across Dr. Max, Catena, Tei, HelpNet and the rest of our network. Category pages are in Romanian — the comparator works the same way for you.

Step by step

How to find a pharmacy fast for brittle nails

Open the interactive map and grant location permission — you'll immediately see pharmacies sorted by distance, each with its opening hours and a one-tap route in Google Maps. If it's night or a weekend, switch on the 24/7 filter to keep only the on-call ones. For brittle nails most of the listed remedies are over the counter, so you can walk in without a prescription, but check stock and prices first to avoid wasted trips.

If you have a preferred active ingredient (paracetamol, ibuprofen, etc.), search it in the comparator before you leave — you'll see which chain has it cheapest near you and whether it's in stock. For chronic prescriptions, save your favourite pharmacy in the app and turn on hours notifications — it saves unnecessary trips, especially when treatment for brittle nails runs over weeks.

When to see a doctor

If any of these signs appear, consult a doctor — OTC treatment is not enough:

  • Thickened, yellow nails (suspected onychomycosis)
  • New pigmented spots on nail
  • Total loss of a nail
  • Paronychia (periungual infection)
  • Changes associated with hypothyroidism or anemia

Frequently asked

Common questions

Brittle nails — from what?
Most common: water/detergent exposure, nutritional deficiency, age, thyroid, psoriasis. Test supplements + avoid external factors for 3 months.
Does biotin really help?
Yes, in idiopathic brittle nails — studies show 25% increase in thickness after 6 months. Dose: 2.5-5 mg/day.
Why do I have vertical lines on my nails?
Usually associated with aging, no pathological significance. Cuticle moisturizer helps cosmetically.
Concave nails (koilonychia) — what is it?
Sign of iron-deficiency anemia. Consult doctor, complete blood count + ferritin clarify.

See also

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