What can I do to keep a nail from flaking underneath as it grows out? I always have to file it short and start

Answer 1

Use a cuticle balm or nail oil to moisturize your nails and protect them from water. Exposure to water causes your nails to become brittle or flaky.
(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.

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 to protect them from exposure to water which dries them out & makes them brittle.

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.

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.

Answer 2

Maybe you could use a nourishing and strenghtening polish? You can get clear ones or ones with a pearly shine. Nivea does great ones, but so do Bourjois and Maybelline.