Moisturize the nail bed and the cuticle

While there is little in the way of medical data showing that moisturizing the nail bed will help nails grow, it can make cuticles look better and help protect nails from breaking due to a lack of moisture. If your nails are prone to breakage, it could mean they need moisture and putting oil around the cuticle helps moisturize the entire nail, which will reduce the incidence of chipping, cracking, and splitting, says Margaret Ravits, MD, a dermatologist at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey.