How do I make my nails not bend and make me want to bite them?

Question

When my nails start to get all soft they bend and when my nails bend it makes me want to bite the peice that is bending off. After I have bit off the bending peice it causes me to want to even out the nail and so I trim the rest of it. After all of this my nails are down so far that when I look at them they look really bad. I don't want my nails to get soft and bendy and I don't want to bite them. What do I do???? Please help! : )

Answer 1

Apply hand lotion so you taste it and avoid biting your nails. Also keep your nails short until you break this habit or wear nail polish. Some people just have flexible nails. Here are some ways to get them into better shape.

I used to have soft, peeling nails so I stopped using a nail clipper and only use a nail file to shape and shorten them. I also started protecting my nails with thicker moisturizers.

I read somewhere that nail clippers can cause the layers of the nail to separate and filing is the best way to go.

I started with Revlon's disposable files made for weak nails. File in one direction only. Start on one side and file towards the middle, then go to the other side and file towards the middle of your nail. Smooth the nail into a squoval that mirrors you cuticle or the shape of the white part of your nail bed.

Finish the edges of the nail with a hindo stone, a smooth ceramic/stone nail file or the finest grit nail file you can find. You want to make the edges really smooth.

Revlon makes a tool that should work. It is a pink half moon shape and you can run it under/across the nail from side to middle.

(I have an old hindo stone but haven't been able to find a replacement at a local store. The Revlon tool might be easier for you to find.)

Also, avoid using metal nail files. I recommend using disposable nail files and changing them frequently. The fresher the grit, the less the drag which leads to tearing and peeling.

Some people swear by glass nail files but they can shatter if dropped.

I also use a cuticle balm or nail oil to moisturize my nails and protect them from water since I wash my hands frequently.
(ex. Solar Oil, OPI Avoplex)

Vit E oil, jojoba oil, Aquaphor Healing Ointment, Vaseline or plain Chapstick will work too.

Avoid products w/ formaldehyde or toluene, they are very hard on nails.

Answer 2

(google strengthening nails for more ideas than the ones below)

If you don’t eat well, it shows--nothing can cover that up. Eating more protein-rich foods will help to develop stronger nails. Foods rich in sulfur are also vital for nail and physical health; these foods include apples, cucumbers, grapes, garlic, asparagus and onions.


The nail’s biggest enemy is water. If your nails spend a lot of time submerged, whether it be cleaning, swimming, or anything else; taking extra steps to assure you have strong nails is key.


Don’t bite your nails--it may seem like an obvious thing to say, but so many of us still do it.


Keep your nails trimmed short. We’re not talking short as in they look like a beaver has bitten them off at the base, but less than an half inch past the end of your fingers. This will help prevent breakage, as well as make your fingers look nice and slender.


Don’t use your nails as tools. They are not meant to peel off stickers, open mail or scrape food off of pots.


When cleaning, washing dishes, working with any chemicals or gardening, make sure to wear rubber gloves. Doing so will protect your nails, and the rest of your hands, from getting zapped of moisture, broken, and very dirty.


If you like to wear polish on your nails, make sure to add a clear base coat before applying the color. This will help to strengthen your nails and keep them from turning yellow. An added bonus is your color will last longer.


Keep an emery board anywhere you spend a lot of time--the kitchen, office, gym, etc. If you spot a nail that is about to break or got chipped by accident, file it down to keep it from becoming more damaged.


While watching TV, waiting for dinner to finish cooking, reading a book, or riding home from work, take the time to massage vitamin-rich hand lotion onto your palms, fingers and nails. It feels good and helps to infuse your nails with strengthening nutrients.

Answer 3

There is a fingernail polish made by Orly and its called "Bonded" it is really good for helping keep your nails strong. Even if they bend they won't break! It looks orange in the bottle but it goes on clear, no worries! My nails used to break all the time but this keeps them from all of the damage we can cause. It's awesome

Answer 4

rule 1 is to always carry a nail file around with you. any edge saw off immediately. that'll help you not notice it and not bite it.
i'd highly suggest getting a Sally Hanson or other brand Nail Hardener/ Strengthener though. Those work wonderfully and will cure the softness :)

Answer 5

try to get more calcium. u can drink milk for that. if u r in USA there is a product in cvs or Brooks called "nail tea" . if u cant get that , try to put any kind of lotion or olive oil on the nails and massage for few seconds. it should make ur nail healthier. to stop the biting u can put the polish on the nails.

Answer 6

I've been there!!!!! Go to sally beauty supply and buy All Season No Lite Gel Kit. Buff your nail lighlty With a natural hair brush apply a thin thin thin layer of the gel, spray with the gel set and you nsils will be hard as rocks, without any damage at all.

Answer 7

try purchasing some nail hardener for the brittle nails, sally hanson is a good brand.... also you can buy a product that you brush on like nail polish but it is bitter so when you bite them it tastes gross which is a good detourant..... they sell both products in most drug stores..
-also if you try painting them you will be less likely to mess up your polish by biting and picking them

Answer 8

Make a paste of curd, honey and neem oil ( if you could get original oil for medical purpose ) and apply on your tender nails as you apply mehindi before going to sleep.
The important thing is while sleeping you must think me only.

Answer 9

hi jenny! nails r soft because u r bitting them cut ur nail short when it grows, dip it in vinegar or clean it with lemon after wash until u have hard nails n then start growing ur nails,try to divert ur mind when u see ur nails or apply nail paint to stop bitting.

Answer 10

It's possible. Your teeth are not permanently fixed in place. That's why braces work, even on older people. The teeth don't bend but the entire tooth can move.