Dirty Little Secrets Are your fingernails dry or damaged? Here’s my secret for healthy, beautiful nails… Here’s the secret: If your fingernails are dry, damaged, or weak, first off, be sure you’re not peeling off your nail polish. Doing so is really, really bad for your nails as it peels off the top layer. Use nail polish remover for regular nail polish, and go to a professional, reputable salon to have gel nail polish removed. Second, soak your fingernails in extra virgin olive oil for ten minutes a day, rubbing the oil into your cuticles, every other day. This will keep your nails from becoming dry and brittle and will help fortify them.