Improving Nail Health/Strength

[Totenkindly]

Anyone have good ways to improve nail strength?

My nails have always sucked -- they would half-moon regularly, chip, etc., but after doing about 5-6 months of acrylics, now they're in that rough brittle stage. My thumbs are particularly bad, to the degree I have to watch just trying to open pull-top cans because it will snap what remains of my nails which currently on my thumbs are down to the quick and soft/flexy if any pressure is put against the ends.

Thanks.

 

[ceecee]

The only thing I can suggest that really works, is gel polish. I had them done professionally for a long time but I've done them myself for about a year. The $$ output was around $100 for a LED light, foundation, topcoat and colors (and the prices are coming down on those). I find it relaxing to do and once they're cured I wipe them with regular alcohol and they're totally dry. They lasts a couple weeks and stay shiny. Gel doesn't do the damage that acrylic does and allows your nails to grow and strengthen on their own.

 

[violet_crown]

Anyone have good ways to improve nail strength?

My nails have always sucked -- they would half-moon regularly, chip, etc., but after doing about 5-6 months of acrylics, now they're in that rough brittle stage. My thumbs are particularly bad, to the degree I have to watch just trying to open pull-top cans because it will snap what remains of my nails which currently on my thumbs are down to the quick and soft/flexy if any pressure is put against the ends.

Thanks.

B vitamins like biotin are great for promoting healthy nail and hair growth. I take prenatals because I have issues with iron deficiency anemia and take a low dose of biotin (~1000-2000mcg/day) with it for my hair. Prenatals have a lot of folic acid (B9), which enhances biotin metabolism.

People who are neither pregnant nor iron deficient should not take prenatals as they can potentially put too much iron in your system. But you could probably reap much of the same benefit from a relatively inexpensive B-Complex supplement.

You might also consider laying off acrylics for a bit while your nails rebuild. The supplements will help your recovery time.

 

[Totenkindly]

well, I think I am done with acrylics for quite awhile... I got sick of the cost and being forced to go in for maintenance. Even stretching it to four-week intervals, I was having to pay $30+ a month and I have better uses for the money...

But yes, something I can maintain at home would be more useful, with far less cost over the long term.

 

[FemMecha]

I use these, and I think I notice a little improvement. My hair and nails have always been thin. One of the reasons I use gummies is because the vitamin E pills tend to be huge and once I choked on one for three hours. It's really hard to find the swallow-type pills that aren't huge.

 

[Totenkindly]

Thanks to everyone who gave some input.

So it has been about two months. Obviously my nails have grown out from when they had the acrylics on, over two months time (so the entire nail is probably fresh growth by now?)

While there is a small bit of chipping and cracking, I realized yesterday that the nails feel much more durable now. Before, they felt thin and brittle, but now they feel very substantial even if I can't really grow them long and have to keep them trimmed. I have just been taking my multi-vitamin on occasion but also taking a gummy a day designed for nails/hair/etc. So it seems to have helped a lot.