ladies with nice finger nails-how do you do it?

I'd look to book a girls night at my place --- and you guys can work your magic potion spells on my sad split nails!!

I'm a big fan of nail polish - it at least covers up the disaster underneath!

I had a problem with flaky/weak nails for a while. They've always been good, but perhaps I'm getting older or something.

I found Nutra Nail Bullet-Proof Strengthening Formula quite good as a basecoat for strengthening my nails. http://www.drugstore.com/products/prod.asp?pid=397188&catid=183599&aid=338077&aparam=nutra_nail_bullet_proof_&CAID=201dc7f5-a9cd-485b-aa90-445dfaf8fb6b

Plus, it's not terribly expensive.

5000mg of Biotin a day. Good for hair, skin and nails.

My nails grow fast; I'm constantly clipping them.

I have this problem too, with the splitting when they get really long! it's so frustrating. I do keep them painted the majority of the time so you can't see the layers peeling but the ends are very soft and bendable otherwise when they do grow longer, they tend to split at the base where the white part is. I didn't use to have this problem when I was younger but I did also need to keep them short (played piano and violin)..but I did also drink a lot more milk. maybe that is one of my problems now. I have taken biotin supplements for about a year now (and have been on 10,000mcg or 10mg for a while now) but they don't seem to be helping at all. I need to check out this nailtiques thing. I also read somewhere that gelatin helps? I don't know if it's actually eating of the jello or soaking your nails in it, I'll have to look into it.

as for prenatal vitamins, those are better for hair/skin/nails than regular because they contain folic acid and biotin.

I have fabulous nails. They grow long and strong with no effort on my part.

BUT I never use nail polish. I do my nails maybe once a year. Last time I did them, I looked like a hooker , because they were easily a half inch beyond my fingers.

And because I never use nail polish, I never use nail polish remover, which is the biggest enemy of your nails. It destroys the nails at a molecular level. (I also don't blow-dry my hair, but that's another issue)

If you must, use NON-Acetone, it's not quite as bad.

But honestly? I think it's hereditary or something. It has to do with the way your body processes certain proteins and stuff, and you're stuck with whatever you've got. I'm pretty sure I don't deserve great nails, and you don't deserve troublesome nails.

I will say, though, that I take a multi (Theragram M, available only at Walgreens, it's got a lot of selenium, which is an amazing substance) and a Super B complex every day, and an iron every 3-4 days. I've been taking a daily multi since I was a little kid. I think it helps, somehow.

When I was young I used to have super strong nails (I used to keep them long though I played volleyball)...
...a couple of years ago I started to have your problems: I tried most of the remedies suggested by the other posters (vitamins, curative base coats,...) but what really works for me is ferrous sulfate (a pill every couple of days).

Had a mani/pedi 2 weeks ago, took off the polish last week and started using ECRINAL. (could NOT find Nailtique in my neck of the woods but this came highly recommended by the manicurist and the drug store) Its a brush on clear polish (starts out green!) and it came with a cream to rub into the cuticle. Been using that a full week now... probably takes about a month to really evaluate properly, but I'm hoping! Plus with the summer/sun/humidity and I'm taking a calcium tablet every day now, I'm hoping things will improve - will keep you posted!

lol I was just looking for this post and thinking about nails, I did buy the nailtiques, I found it at my local CVS, I have 4 problem nails and 2 of them are much better, the other 2 are the same...so I think the nailtiques is working somewhat....hope yours work as well...I am just itching to paint my nails a nice bright red

Hey that's great that you are seeing an improvement, diamondrnglover! I hope this is the answer for both of us! Geesh... with all the jewels we must be dripping with, crappy hands just don't seem fair, do they!

And I'm wearing my garden gloves EVERY TIME I'm out there picking a weed (or whatever). I'm trying...

Written by Enerchi » May 19th, 2012, 7:56 am:Hey that's great that you are seeing an improvement, diamondrnglover! I hope this is the answer for both of us! Geesh... with all the jewels we must be dripping with, crappy hands just don't seem fair, do they!

And I'm wearing my garden gloves EVERY TIME I'm out there picking a weed (or whatever). I'm trying...

lol no they dont, I love the look of diamonds with nice long pretty nails I like long fingers with diamonds to, but I cant do anything about that lol

What store sells Ecrinal? It sounds great. I would try it.

I'm in Ontario and I got it at Rexall/Pharma Plus. Probably Shoppers Drug Mart would also carry it. No idea if it is available in the US or other countries tho.

Here is the website when I googled ECRINAL:
https://jocam.securicom.ca/en/products/index.cfm?RubriqueID=72

Great tips!

I am going to look into a ceramic file. My nails are pretty good. I take a MVI and 5,000 mcg of Biotin daily as well as extra Vit. D. I also eat lots of fruits and veggies and try to eat a healthful balanced diet, although sweet treats are my downfall. I keep them short and rarely polish. I trim them weekly and I use the Sally Hanson treatment if I polish my nails. This is mostly because I am terrible at painting my own nails. I also try to wear gloves when doing dishes and moisturize my hands frequently. I have far more problems with my cuticles than my nails, to be honest!

I can't find it at Shopper's. There is a Rexal in town. Which one did you get though, as there seem to be several? Was it in all the usual Sally Hansen and nail polish section?

still taking vitamin B and biotin, but I actually switched base coats recently and my nails seem to have improved a lot! it's poshé base coat for dry, brittle, weak, and peeling nails. they are much stronger and haven't noticed any peeling anymore. hooray!

Written by lyra » May 19th, 2012, 3:15 pm:I can't find it at Shopper's. There is a Rexal in town. Which one did you get though, as there seem to be several? Was it in all the usual Sally Hansen and nail polish section?

No not with Sally Hansen. It had its own display but it was the cosmetician on staff that pointed it out to me. It's called vitamin nail strengthener w silk lipesters. (?) and came w a sample tube of fortifying cream. Total was $17 I think for a 10 ml bottle. Recommended for soft brittle and splitting nails. Sort of aquamarine in colour.

Written by pandabee » May 19th, 2012, 3:27 pm:still taking vitamin B and biotin, but I actually switched base coats recently and my nails seem to have improved a lot! it's poshé base coat for dry, brittle, weak, and peeling nails. they are much stronger and haven't noticed any peeling anymore. hooray!

YEAH! Glad you are having success.

I found it, bought it, am trying it.

Written by iLander » May 6th, 2012, 5:56 pm:But honestly? I think it's hereditary or something. It has to do with the way your body processes certain proteins and stuff, and you're stuck with whatever you've got. I'm pretty sure I don't deserve great nails, and you don't deserve troublesome nails.

I think iLander is right. I have always had very weak hair and nails, except when I was pregnant and about 6 months afterwards. I have been using the Shellac gel on my nails to protect them, which has worked, but the biggest improvement I've had is taking a teaspoon of Silica every second night. I think it's the stuff that bonds your hair, nails and cartiledge together and I noticed a visible improvement in my hair since I've been taking it.

But in the end, I think it's just trying to make the best of what you've been handed by your gene pool! I have two daughters: one has beautiful thick hair like my husband and one has fine fly-away hair like me. I feel sorry for the latter, because there is no way her hair is ever going to be as nice as the other...and she has me to thank for it

Enerchi, lyra, pandabee and diamondrnglover, it's been a few weeks. How are your nails coming along? Some improvement, I hope.

Written by Asscherhalo_lover » May 1st, 2012, 9:25 pm:The thing that changed my nails, and my hair for that matter, was daily vitamins. A multi, b complex and D. Huge difference. They actually grow past my finger tips and don't crack or peal anything like they used to.

I agree here. It's all about growing them from the inside out. Prenatals work wonders too.

Hi Mary poppins! Mine aren't too bad and I've been religiously applying the ecrinal - either the brush on liquid stuff or the cream that I massage into my nails. Currently, I'm down to only 2 nails that are splitting - so that's HUGE progress! I am cutting my nails with a tiny pair of surgical scissors I have and I am not filing anymore. I haven't put any polishes (base/colour or top coats) on my nails in weeks. I've been taking a daily calcium pill (well, at least 5 x /week ... not so good with regular meds apparently!) and still using gloves any time I'm going to be doing things with my hands outside.

I'll never be a hand model, but it does seem like the nails are a tad better....

Mine are better, I actually painted them bright red last weekend my left hand nails are doing much better, my right hand nails not as well, but I am still putting the stuff on every night or at least every other night, I am still have some peeling issues but it is better

Written by Enerchi » May 1st, 2012, 8:38 pm:My nails have become worse over time. They are paper thin and split in layers. They peel up and off from the tips and do not grow very much at all, probably because they are splitting all the time and I keep filing them short to reduce tears. Sometimes they will grow a bit more - usually in the summer when it is humid, but not guaranteed.

I tend to keep them covered with at least a growth product from either OPI or Q-Tica and a layer or two of polish with a top coat. I moisturizer my hands. I am not soaking in hot water all day doing dishes. I do use hand sanitizer when leaving some job sites but not excessively.

Is it something I am not eating or should be eating? Is it an age thing? Is polish bad not good? What do you suggest? How do the beautiful nails and hands of PS get and stay that way? Help me - I'm open to all ideas!

Hi Enerchi! Your post motivated me to start using Nailtiques again, and ohmygosh, it works so well! I hadn't used it in many years--and although I remember it working well, it's even better than I remember! I don't know if you were ever able to find it--I know you had mentioned you tried a few places without luck, so I wanted to tell you that I ordered it from Drugstore.com. I needed some razors and stuff, and if you spend $25 or more the shipping is free.

Anyways, I hate to sound like an infomercial, but... after only six weeks my nails are growing longer, stonger and healthier than ever before! {cue cheesy voice-over}. I have been using it about once a week after FILING and buffing my nails. They are not chipping, splitting and cracking like they were before and I am doing NOTHING else differently. I am hard on my hands--lots of hand-washing, I'm bad about wearing gloves when I clean or do dishes and I have been using acetone polish remover, oopsie!

Let me know you a before and after:
BEFORE:


AFTER:

WHOA!!! that's impressive, Tuffyluvr!! Wow - congratulations on the amazing improvement! I should take a pic of my nails right now and show off the incredible difference in mine! not a single split in months! I actually have about 1/4" long nails on *ALL 10 FINGERS*!!!

I'm still using the Ecrinal lotion and cream and now as a clear coat, I use a single coat of the OPI Nail Envy. I have the occassional file moment but I use a metal file not a paper one.

(I sure hope, now that I've bragged about 10 long nails, they don't all break tonight!)

Written by Enerchi » October 3rd, 2012, 8:36 pm:WHOA!!! that's impressive, Tuffyluvr!! Wow - congratulations on the amazing improvement! I should take a pic of my nails right now and show off the incredible difference in mine! not a single split in months! I actually have about 1/4" long nails on *ALL 10 FINGERS*!!!

I'm still using the Ecrinal lotion and cream and now as a clear coat, I use a single coat of the OPI Nail Envy. I have the occassional file moment but I use a metal file not a paper one.

(I sure hope, now that I've bragged about 10 long nails, they don't all break tonight!)

That's fabulous! Glad you're getting results--it's strangely gratifying, right? I like that you can actully *measure* the progress! Please post pictures! I want to see!

Regarding files: I use paper files without a problem, but I use the fine-grit ones and I'm gentle.

If you have great nails, you are likely to have been born with them.

I take no vitamins, no nail care, use polish, gels and acetone removers all the time and my nails are so so strong that I've never broken one and they grow like weeds. I can have inch long nails easily but then I'd never be able to put my contacts in (plus I'd look like a hooker )

I think if you are vitamin deficient, then topping up with pills is a good idea but it's probably not necessary if you have a good varied diet.

and here is a gratuitous pic of my medium-long nails going on holiday

ps. my recommendation for a great topcoat is Seche Vite

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Written by rosetta » October 4th, 2012, 4:23 am:If you have great nails, you are likely to have been born with them.

I take no vitamins, no nail care, use polish, gels and acetone removers all the time and my nails are so so strong that I've never broken one and they grow like weeds. I can have inch long nails easily but then I'd never be able to put my contacts in (plus I'd look like a hooker )

I think if you are vitamin deficient, then topping up with pills is a good idea but it's probably not necessary if you have a good varied diet.

I agree--DF has nails that are so strong he:
1. Chipped a tooth biting one
2. Can only clip his nails when they are soft after a hot shower or soak.

He hates them because they're such a pain to clip, and he certainly doesn't do anything to make them stronger.

This nailtiques stuff has really worked for me, though. I didn't have severe problem nails--they were just really flexible and on the brittle side, but they're growing longer and are much stronger than before I was using strengthener. It seems to me that even if you aren't born with great nails you can do things to make them better.

I also think that the shape of your nailbed may have something to do with the integrity of your nails--I don't know if this is actually the case, but my ring finger nail and pinky nail have much more curved beds. My other nailbeds are quite flat and they chip and break much more often. I suppose it could be because I use them more, but they do seem to bend a lot more easily when I press on them.

Your hands and nails are lovely, Rosetta! So elegant!

Here are my nails!!! Oddity note: my middle finger on the RH does this weird hook once it gets to a certain length and it has been this way all my life. Weird...

I'll have to come back and view this pics in the winter, once the dry season of winter heat attacks my skin and nails and they revert back to splitting and breaking.

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