Here's a slightly surprising fact: the nails you'll be showing off at the beach on Boxing Day are being made right now. Fingernails grow only about 3 mm a month (I measured my own to check), so the nail that grows over the next eight to ten weeks is the nail you'll have for summer. The work starts now.
And an Australian or New Zealand summer is tough on nails. Here's why, and how to have yours in good shape by Christmas.
Why summer is hard on nails
Healthy nails stay flexible because they hold a small amount of water between their layers of keratin. Summer puts that balance under constant pressure:
- Pools. Chlorinated water strips the natural oils that help seal water into the nail. Swim most days and nails can turn dry and brittle.
- Surf and salt water. Salt draws moisture out as it dries, and sand acts like a rough nail file on the free edge.
- Wet-dry cycles. Swims, showers, and all that extra hand-washing mean nails swell with water and shrink again many times a day. This repeated cycling is one of the biggest causes of peeling and splitting.
- Hand sanitiser and sunscreen. Alcohol-based sanitisers are very drying, and it's easy to forget your nails while you're rubbing sunscreen into your hands.
- Heat and humidity. Hot, sweaty hands mean more washing and more wet-dry cycling. There's some evidence nails grow a little faster in warmer weather, which is good news if you start now.
A simple plan: start now, finish at Christmas
October: stop the damage. If you've been wearing gel, now is the time to take a break, so the damaged nail grows out before summer. Have gel soaked off properly rather than picked. Keep nails shorter, with a gently rounded shape that won't catch. File in one direction with a glass file rather than a coarse emery board.
November: build strength and flexibility. Moisturise nails and cuticles every day, and wear gloves for cleaning, dishes and gardening. This is when a strengthening treatment makes the biggest difference, supporting the nail you have while the new nail grows through.
December onwards: protect and maintain. By Christmas you'll have roughly 6–8 mm of new nail. Protect it with the beach and pool habits below.
If you're coming off gel, my guide to healthy bare nails after gel goes into more detail.
Beach and pool habits that help
- Rinse after swimming. A quick fresh-water rinse after the pool or surf washes away chlorine and salt before they dry on your nails.
- Moisturise once your hands are dry. Nails absorb treatments best when clean and dry, so make it part of your post-swim routine.
- Keep them short for surfing and bodyboarding. Long nails and surfboards, sand and rocks don't mix.
- Don't pick at peeling edges. Pulling a peeling layer tears it further back. File it smooth instead.
- Pack a small file in your beach bag to deal with snags before they become breaks.
Sun, medicines and your nails: a doctor's note
A few sun-related nail issues are worth knowing about, especially in Australia:
- Some medicines make nails sun-sensitive. Certain medicines, most notably the antibiotic doxycycline, which is commonly prescribed for acne and for malaria prevention when travelling, can cause a sun reaction in which the nail lifts away from the nail bed, usually starting at the tip. It's uncommon and usually settles once the medicine is stopped, but if you're taking doxycycline this summer, keep your hands out of strong sun where you can, and ask your pharmacist or GP if you notice nails lifting.
- Sunscreen the backs of your hands. Hands get a lot of sun and are easy to miss.
- Check any new dark stripe in a nail. Australia has one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world. Most dark lines in nails are harmless, but a new or changing dark stripe running along a nail should always be checked by a doctor.
Where Dr Tom Nailcare fits in
Our treatments were designed for exactly this kind of daily wear and tear. They use hydrolysed keratin from sheep's wool, which absorbs into the nail to support its structure rather than sitting on top as a coating. They're water-based, so there's nothing to peel or soak off, and they take under a minute to apply after your post-swim rinse. In lab testing on nails grown from wool keratin, the Nail Strength Combo made nails 78% stronger in two weeks.
Australian orders ship from Sydney, and every order is covered by our performance promise. Start now, and your nails will be summer-ready by Christmas.
Across the Tasman? The same advice applies in New Zealand. Our summer is just a little cooler.
Frequently asked questions
Does chlorine damage nails?
Chlorinated pool water dries nails out by stripping their natural oils, and regular swimming adds lots of wet-dry cycles. It doesn't cause permanent damage, but it can leave nails brittle and prone to peeling. Rinse after swimming and moisturise once your hands are dry.
Is salt water good for nails?
Not really. A soak in the sea feels lovely, but salt draws moisture