My fingernails...?

Question

My fingernails are thin and bend very easily. I try to grow them out and then they bend and look terrible. What can I do to make them stronger?

Answer 1

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.

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

OPI Nail Envy comes in several different formulas. I know they make one for weak nails that tend to bend. I would also stress that if you are trying to grow your nails, be conscience of using the pads of your fingers to grab and pick up objects. Many women don't realize that they wear the nails down doing every day things.

Answer 3

Have you heard of gel overlays? They are more gentle than acrylic, and are completely clear. It's about $30 for a set, and it just coats your normal nails, no fake tips. They are really pretty and your nails will look natural, be strong, and not bend or break. And they dont hurt to take off like acrylic.

Answer 4

The best product that I've ever used is Nailtiques. You can find it at Ulta or online. Formula #2 is awesome! You will notice a change within a week. Really strengthens your nails.

Answer 5

You need more iron. Not calcium, not jello or gelatin... IRON. Brittle, thin nails are a sign of anemia. Cook your food, if you do any stove top cooking, in a cast iron pan. Eat more red meat. Or take an iron supplement.

Answer 6

Sally Hansen has good nailpolish that is a strengthener and a chip protectant. Usually when your nails are polished they are less likely to break. Maybe you can try nail-strenthening polish

Answer 7

start with your diet. make sure you get enough calcium. when you take calcium, make sure you have vitamin d too, because vitamin d helps calcium become absorbed into the body or something like that

then try using those nail hardening products. theyre almost like a clear nail polish. so you can put it on under colored polish or jsut wear it byitself.

Answer 8

Put nail strengthener on them

Answer 9

Prenatal pills always make nails stronger.

Answer 10

get fake nails