1. Your nails aren't damaged, they're dried out.
Your nails are built from keratin layers stacked like a brick wall, held together by three lipids (fatty acids, ceramides, and sterols) that act like cement.
Acetone, harsh gel removal, age-related changes, or hormonal shifts strip those 3 lipids away.
When the lipids are stripped away the keratin layers pull apart and nails turn brittle, peel and snap.