Nails.

[Longhorn]

Anyone have a good product for strengthening nails? Mine break so easily. I tried gel nails but didn't like the time or expense, not to mention they would often pop off anyway! I recently tried glue-on nails from the grocery store and actually liked them. They looked good and lasted more than two weeks before I took them off to let my nails "breathe." I loved how low maintenance they are and they were only $5. Two people who do nails in a salon thought they were acrylics.

I don't like having to constantly apply polish but my natural nails just don't look that good. Any suggestions? Thanks!

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

1. I use silk wraps.

You can get them at a beauty supply store along w/instant glue. I like the brush-on instant glue. There's no tip to clog.

Very lightly buff your nail, cut the silk to fit the end of your nail. brush on instant glue, place the silk on your nail, use an orange stick to push it in place, then brush a little more glue over it. Lightly buff again. I do it maybe once every two weeks with a touch-up of instant glue maybe every 5 or 6 days.

Wear gloves when washing dishes, etc & especially if you're using household cleaners-those are death on nails, instant glue, gels, etc.

[NashVegas]

2. About Those Gloves

Absolutely use those.

Another thing: don't wear fake nails.

When you file your nails, do an oval/oblong shape and not squared. Especially if your nails are thin.

Finally: eat healthy.

[NorthernSpy]

17. 'nother vote for wraps!

You can wrap your own nails at very little expense, and it really helps thin, weak nails a lot.

My tip: self-stick wrap makes the process a lot less tricky. You still have to use glue, of course, but the fact that you can get the wrap to stay in place on the glue by itself without getting a bunch of fingertips and implements stuck to your nail is a decided advantage. That said, I've successfully used teabag material to wrap my nails. It turns almost completely transparent when you brush the glue over it (almost a no-cost manicure -- if only it weren't so hard to make it stay in place while the glue dries!).

You can reinforce arches with additional strips of material and layers of glue. Another thing that you can do is to paint on a final layer of glue over all the layers of wrap, and dip your nail into a compatible acrylic dip powder. Shape, buff, and repeat until you have the surface you desire. The problem with glue-based nail enhancements like wraps is that while glues dry nice and hard and shiny, they can also be awfully brittle and crackly. So If you want to build a perfect, smooth, crack-free surface on top of the wrap, acrylic dip can help. You can even build a modest length of tip with wrap, glue, and powder in case you've broken a nail.

Oh, and I like regular glue with a separate instant-dry spray. Just too clumsy and slow to trust myself with the quick-drying stuff.

[politicat]

3. Neat and short is my answer.

Sorry. I can't grow them and that's okay with me - thyroid disorder. I keep them short, use lots of moisturizer for my hands, and have accepted that I don't want to be hobbled by the talons I see on women around here. I have no use for not being able to open a pop-top or scratching myself if I move the wrong way.

Personally, I think well cared for, short nails look a lot better than big, long nails because I know that the short ones are more likely to be clean. Long nails creep me out for the amount of germs they can harbor.

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

4. I've grown absolute talons,

so I guess all I can say is that I resemble your remarks. :)

best

[politicat]

5. I'm the only short nail woman in the family - mom, gran, sisters...

All of them have long nails, with kids or patients (my gran is a nurse), no less. Mom's bug me because she really does keep them long enough to interfere with daily life, and I don't get it at all. (She works as a project supervisor for a kitchen design firm.) I just don't get it. Chalk it up to geek-girl clueless gene.

I KNOW it's an irrational fear, but I can't get past it. Sorry!! I really do apologize for being squeamish on this one. There's no insult intended, really. It's me.

I promise, if there's ever a F2F, I won't be badly behaved about it.

[NorthernSpy]

18. I guess my own preference is medium length...

Some white tip beyond the finger's end, but not long enough to interfere with any activity.

Nails that are really short look kind of painful somehow, and nails that are really long look like they'd be impossible to live with. But it's all a matter of personal preference, of course.

:)

[Beaverhausen]

6. Sally Hansen Hard as Nails

an old tried and true remedy.

Also make sure you are eating enough protein.

[Longhorn]

7. The fake nails are off!

I shaped and buffed and then applied two coats of Qtica Natural Nail Growth Stimulator followed by some Qtica cuticle cream. That's all I'm going to do from now on until they are strong and healthy!

[NMDemDist2]

8. "in the day"

the girls all used Knox Gelatin for shiny hair and strong nails

it's still available in the grocery store (it also helps keep your joints healthy)

[DemBones DemBones]

9. I get a newsletter from Paula "Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without

Me" and just got one about nails. She says forget gelatin and all the nail hardening formulas. Your nails' characteristics are basically genetic.

The best things to do are to wear gloves when washing dishes, etc., and, when you do have your hands in water for some time, moisturize your nails and cuticles immediately afterwards. She suggests olive oil for a good moisturizer.

Nails swell when wet and then can crack while drying; you're trying to prevent that.

Makes sense. Oh, she also cautions to see a doctor if your nails undergo some sort of radical change rather than try drugstore remedies since you could have a medical condition that needs treatment.

[Longhorn]

10. Amazing that this thread got kicked -- my nails have dramatically improved

My nails would always acquire a little length but then, one by one, break off and I'd have to start all over. Well, in the last few weeks, as they reached some length, I started expecting them to break and none did! So I kept them shaped and kept knocking on wood but still no break. One got a tiny chip in it and I shaped it right away. I noticed that they even feel harder -- more difficult to bend. I've even had some of those mishaps that usually leaves me with a chip or broken nail and they remained intact.

The only thing I can figure that is causing this is that I have been having three or four Luna bars every day for snacks and meal replacement for about six months. These are soy-based nutrition bars especially for women, with higher concentrations of folic acid and calcium. It can't just be the vitamins because I've taken these supplements in the past with no change in my nails.

Whatever is causing this, it's pretty amazing to have nice nails with little effort at this point in my life!

[Longhorn]

22. Luna bars did not help my nails after all.

I had a great crop of long, hard nails and then they all broke off. Subsequent attempts to grow them back have failed over and over. So I finally gave in yesterday and got acrylics. I've had gel nails before but they popped off a lot and it wasn't convenient to get them repaired. This time, I'm going to the salon where I get my hair done every six weeks. I'll just have to go once in between each visit for fills. They look great -- I hope they last!

[u4ic]

11. My nails got harder and grew faster

with essential fatty acid supplements (evening primrose and fish oils). My ex found his the same when he started taking flax and fish oil.

[Nikia]

12. I have problems with my nails too

I think that it is gentic because my sister has bad nails too. She works as a flight attendent and they made her get fake nails so that her nails would be acceptable under their appearance codes.
For me, I don't know if I can improve my nails because I work at a food plant. I must wash my hands literally all the time. I am not allowed to wear nail polish either.
I suppose that is just as well because any time that they do manage to get long, I am not used to them and they get in the way. Still, it would be nice if they weren't so thin and fragile.

[flamingyouth]

13. They made her get fake nails?

What would be wrong with just neatly trimmed nails with some clear polish? That doesn't seem fair to me. :(

[Hello_Kitty]

14. Seriously. I'd prefer seeing that to fake nails any day. n/t

[Nikia]

15. You would think that would be alright

But evidently it is not. It does seem gender discriminatory. The male flight attendents don't have to have long polished nails.

[likesmountains 52]

16. I fly a lot and honestly have never noticed the fingernails of the

flight attendants...amazing! I guess I am too busy noticing how small the leg space is instead!

[NMDemDist2]

19. Knox Gelatin mixed in OJ

it's good for your joints too

[Cathyclysmic]

20. Nailene nail strengthener

It came free with a french manicure set I bought at Costco. But it really worked. My nails were so long, I clipped them because I was having trouble typing at work. Never had that problem before!

[Liberty Belle]

21. There are supplement pills in health food stores for healthy nails & hair.

My friend, who has hepatitis, tried them and it worked like magic.