How Does Menopause Impact Nail Growth? Dermatologist Weighs In on Brittle Nails, Dry Cuticles and More

From our head to our toes, from hot flashes to hair loss, menopause can kick off a whole range of issues—including changes that extend right down to our fingertips and impact our nails. “Menopause brings about a variety of changes in a woman’s body, and the nails are no exception,” says Hannah Kopelman, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at Kopelman Hair Restoration and host of Derm Club, a weekly dermatology podcast. In fact, studies show that 65% of women feel like menopause weakens their nails. So whether you’ve noticed more brittle nails to cracked cuticles, if you’re wondering ‘how does menopause impact nail growth?’ keep scrolling to find out.

How does menopause impact nail growth?

As we age, our formerly pliable nails may become more dry and brittle thanks to the drop in estrogen levels that many of us over 50 experience. “Estrogen plays a crucial role in maintaining the moisture and strength of our nails,” explains Dr. Kopelman. “As a dermatologist, I see many women experiencing nail concerns during this time of their lives due to the significant hormonal shifts that occur.” Since estrogen helps regulate water retention levels in the body, once this shift happens and the hormone becomes more scarce, it also becomes more difficult for nails to hold onto water. In turn, this dehydration can lead to problems like brittleness, dried out cuticles, an increased likelihood of breakage and more.

Menopause and nails: Brittleness

If you’re wondering, ‘How does menopause impact nail growth?’ The most obvious way is perhaps that it causes nails to become more brittle. This is because the protein called keratin,which nails are made of, requires estrogen to help hold onto moisture, and so the absence of this hormone leads to a drier, more fragile nail structure, explains Dr. Kopelman. “When estrogen levels drop, nails can become brittle and more prone to breakage and peeling.”

Menopause and nails: Splits

With the reduction in hormone levels of estrogen, nails also lose some of their flexibility. “This makes them more likely to split and break,” says Dr. Kopelman. “As the keratin structure becomes less resilient this can lead to deep, painful splits.” As we age ournails may become thicker, and as nails also become more dry, this can cause them to break much more easily.

Menopause and nails: Slower growth

Yet another answer to ‘how does menopause impact nail growth?’ Is that it stalls growth altogether. Nails tend to grow more slowly during menopause. “This slowed growth is also partly due to the reduction in estrogen,” says Dr. Kopelman. “This is because the hormone influences cell turnover and growth rates, including those of nail cells.” With slower growth, nails also have less time to repair themselves and are more prone to damage.

Menopause and nails: Cracked cuticles

It’s not just the nail bed that can be affected by fluctuating hormones. Cuticles tend to dry out and develop painful cracks during menopause as well. “This dryness can be attributed to both hormonal changes and reduced oil production by the skin,” explains Dr. Kopelman. “The hindering of oil production is yet another effect of lower estrogen levels.” As the body halts oil production, this also makes cuticles less supple, so they can more easily crack.

Menopause and nails: Ridges

Menopause can also lead to vertical ridges — or raised lines on your nail that run from your cuticle to your fingertip — becoming much more noticeable. “These ridges are often related to the overall decrease in nail health caused by hormonal shifts,” says Dr. Kopelman. “These shifts make nails more vulnerable to damage and less capable of retaining moisture.” Basically, the mix of declining keratin production along with overall dryness can make ridges more visible as they appear even more pronounced.

Now, with all this info at your fingertips, hopefully we’ve pointed you in the right direction and you now have the answer to the question ‘how does menopause impact nail growth?’

For more on menopausal beauty content, click through these stories:

Guide to Menopausal Hair Loss According to a Trichologist

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Tired of Menopause Hair Loss? MDs’ 4 Home Remedies to Spark New Growth