How to keep nails strong as you age

Strong nails at 60 require different care than strong nails at 30. Not more care, necessarily, just different. Growth rates change. Moisture retention shifts. Hormones fluctuate. Your routine needs to keep pace.

But nail changes over the decades are remarkably predictable, making them manageable. Once you know what typically happens when, you can adapt before problems become entrenched.

The biology of ageing nails

The changes are gradual but cumulative. Nail growth rate peaks in your twenties and declines steadily from there. By your seventies, your nails may grow at half the rate they once did. Collagen production, which provides structure and flexibility to your nails, begins decreasing in your thirties and continues declining throughout your life.

Moisture retention becomes less efficient with each passing decade. Blood circulation to your extremities reduces over time, meaning fewer nutrients reach the nail matrix, where growth occurs. These aren't sudden shifts but slow, progressive changes that compound over years. Which is precisely why your care routine needs to evolve alongside them.

Your nails through the decades

Your 20s: Building good habits 

Your nails are at peak strength and resilience in your twenties. Growth is rapid, recovery from damage is quick, and your body's natural moisture and collagen production are working in your favour. This is also when many women inflict the most damage by experimenting with acrylics, gels, and aggressive removal techniques without seeing immediate consequences.

The key focus here is on prevention. Establish protective habits now: cuticle oil after hand washing, gloves for household tasks, and proper removal techniques for polish.

The biggest mistake women make in their twenties is treating nails as indestructible. They're not. The damage you accumulate now from UV exposure, harsh chemicals, and repeated trauma will manifest more obviously in later decades when your body's repair mechanisms slow down.

Your 30s: Prevention begins

This is when you notice the first subtle shifts. Maybe your nails don't grow quite as fast. Perhaps they're slightly drier than they used to be, or you're seeing the very beginning of vertical ridging. These changes are normal as collagen production has already begun to decline, and cellular turnover is gradually decreasing.

Consistency becomes crucial in your thirties. That cuticle oil you could skip in your twenties without consequence? You'll notice if you skip it now. Hand protection matters more. If you don’t already wear sunscreen, this is the decade to introduce SPF for your hands, as sun damage to the nail bed and surrounding skin accumulates silently.

Your 40s: Perimenopause and beyond

Welcome to the decade where hormonal shifts make their presence unmistakably known. For many women, perimenopause begins in their forties, and the impact on nails is significant. Brittleness increases noticeably. Peeling becomes more common. Growth slows more obviously, and recovery from any damage takes longer.

Declining estrogen affects moisture retention throughout your body, including your nails. Collagen production has decreased considerably in your twenties. Your body's oil production is lower, leaving your nails drier despite the same care routine you've always used.

Intensive moisturising becomes essential. Cuticle oil twice daily, minimum. Richer hand creams than you needed before. Consider gentler products across the board, like acetone-free removers, Nail Oil or a treatment like The Ultimate Nail Rescue for strength, and less aggressive filing techniques. If you're using gel or acrylics regularly, schedule regular breaks for recovery.

Your 50s: Working With change

By your fifties, all those age-related changes are more pronounced. Vertical ridging is likely quite visible. Nail fragility has increased. You might notice your nails changing shape slightly or that the nail plate itself feels different. Sometimes thicker, sometimes thinner, depending on your individual biology. Growth is noticeably slower, which becomes frustrating when you're waiting for damage to grow out.

Circulation impacts become more apparent in your fifties. Your extremities may not receive nutrients as efficiently as they once did. For many women, menopause is now fully established, and the hormonal effects on nail structure continue. If you're on regular medications, be aware that many interfere with nutrient absorption, which can show up visibly in your nails. Your gut's ability to absorb nutrients also changes with age and is affected by diet quality over time, which compounds the issue. The cumulative effect of decades of use shows up more obviously when your body's repair mechanisms have slowed.

Your routine needs genuine adaptation now, not just intensification of your old routine. Consider keeping nails shorter than you might prefer. After all, functional and healthy beats long and fragile. Use richer, more nourishing products. Strategic natural nail-strengthening treatments can help, but choose formulas carefully; harsh strengtheners that use formaldehyde or formaldehyde-releasing ingredients can backfire. Professional guidance from a dermatologist becomes valuable for addressing specific concerns and ensuring you're not missing underlying health issues.

The common mistake in your fifties is over-buffing those vertical ridges in an attempt to smooth them away. Aggressive buffing removes too much of the nail plate, making nails weaker. Those ridges are normal. Gentle buffing for a smoother appearance is fine, but restraint is crucial.

Your 60s and beyond: Optimised maintenance

Nail growth in your sixties and beyond slows considerably. Full regrowth can take months rather than weeks. This makes prevention more critical than repair, since waiting for damage to grow out requires genuine patience. Fungal infections become more common and harder to treat with age, particularly for those with diabetes or compromised immune systems, where they can pose serious health risks. Your nails also become more reliable health indicators, with conditions like thyroid issues, circulation problems, and nutritional deficiencies often showing up in nail changes before other symptoms appear. 

The focus shifts to diligent daily maintenance and treating your nails as indicators of health rather than just cosmetic features. Changes in nail colour, texture, or growth pattern can signal underlying issues that warrant medical attention, such as thyroid problems, circulation issues, or nutritional deficiencies. If you've had, or suspect, any kind of nail infection, regular podiatry appointments are essential for proper monitoring and treatment, particularly as these infections become harder to resolve with age.

Daily care remains essential: cuticle oil, protective hand cream, and gloves for any water or chemical exposure. Keep nails at a manageable length where they're less likely to catch and tear. At this stage, we strongly recommend avoiding traditional nail polish and nail polish remover because both strip your nails of moisture and disrupt their natural hydration balance when they're already struggling to retain it. Water-based formulations are a far gentler option that won't compromise nail health. Regular podiatry check-ins become more important.

Nail health across your lifetime

Regardless of which decade you're in, some fundamentals always apply.

• Stay hydrated inside and out
• Wear gloves when washing or cleaning
• Choose gentler products over harsh ones
• Eat adequate protein, iron, and zinc, and foods that support collagen production and omega-3s to support moisture.
• Pay attention to changes as early detection makes problems easier to address

Strong nails at 60 don't look identical to strong nails at 30. What matters is that they're healthy, functional, and resilient for where your body is now. Browse our complete nail care range for products formulated to support healthy nails at every stage.