Looking after yourself includes looking after your nails and noticing when things might be wrong.
External parts of our bodies like hair, nails, and skin can tell us a lot about what is going on inside and outside our bodies.
If you’re looking after your nails and you’re concerned that they look clear rather than white, there is more than one reason why this could be the case.
But if your nails are clear, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing and is unlikely to indicate something more serious is wrong. There are a few things that can cause your nails to appear clear or translucent.
Let’s explore clear nails in more detail and find out why your nails might look like this.
Table of Contents
- Spending Too Much Time in Water Can Cause Clear Nails
- Cleaning Products Can Affect Your Nails
- How to Prevent Clear Nails
- Conclusion
Spending Too Much Time in Water Can Cause Clear Nails
The most common reason for having clear nails is because your hands have been in water for too long.
Spending a long period of time in the shower or washing dishes can cause your nails to absorb higher levels of water.
Similarly, you might notice your nails becoming clearer when you go for a manicure and soak your hands in water or other liquid substances.
Since your nails can hold as much as a third of their own weight, this can become a pretty large percentage if you spend too long in water.
Nails should be around 18% water, so once this starts to creep up it can cause your nails to appear more translucent.
Cleaning Products Can Affect Your Nails
If you clean your home, particularly using cleaning substances, it’s a good idea to wear rubber or plastic gloves to protect your hands.
Not only does this protect your skin and prevent irritation, but it will protect the health of your nails too.
Similarly, laundry detergents and other cleaning agents can weaken your nails when they come into direct contact.
Gloves create a barrier between your nails and the cleaning products which will help to keep your nails looking healthier for longer.
If you spend a lot of time cleaning with your bare hands, they are likely to be getting wet more often too – which of course can result in clearer nails as we have seen above.
How to Prevent Clear Nails
There are a few practical measures you can start to implement in your life to prevent your nails from appearing clear and translucent.
1. Limit Time in Water
Be mindful of the effects of spending prolonged periods of time with your hands in water.
While it is not necessarily dangerous when your nails appear clear, too much water can weaken them and cause them to split or peel more easily.
If you don’t want your nails to look clear, this is an important way to prevent it.
2. Wear Gloves
Use rubber gloves when washing dishes, doing laundry, and cleaning around the home. This will help to protect your nails as well as keep your skin healthier and softer too.
3. Take Vitamins
Maintaining good nail health is about looking after the internal parts of your body too. Biotin, a B vitamin, is one of the key nutrients required for healthy nails.
Other nutrients such as Zinc can also be helpful in promoting healthy nails.
Conclusion
Clear nails are not inherently a problem, although the factors which cause them are not always healthy.
Understanding what causes translucent nails can help you to understand more about yourself and your body.
To have nails with healthy and strong white tips, it’s important to look after your hands.
You can make adjustments to avoid clear nails and keep your hands as healthy as possible.