How to improve my finger nails please

[Isthiscorrect]

All y my life I have bitten my nails. However I have recently managed to stop with a great deal of effort. The only trouble is without a covering, for example Sally Hansen diamond effect or similar the nails just peel and flake.

I appear to have quite a few nail hardener type bottles in my cupboard but what I think I need is something to help them whilst they are growing, to moisturise them before they become split and flakey. So does anyone have any ideas please? Thank you.

[LaundryQueenHatesIroning]

The best thing I ever did for my nails was taking a calcium and vit d supplement!

I would also start massaging your cuticles every day with something like coconut oil (or anything, really) and pushing them back once a week in addition to the treatment you would use.

[wombattoo]

I used OPI nail envy. It really strengthened my nails and they grew quicker

[icelollycraving]

L'Occitane nail & cuticle oil is great. Really hydrating & strengthening. It's about £12.

[FeliciaJollygoodfellow]

I like essence nail hardener to strengthen my nails - you can get it from Wilkos. It's dead cheap. Any oil to massage into cuticles regularly, do it twice a day and gently push back cuticles and you won't need to trim them (which is not recommended). Any oil is fine but the Burt's Bees one is nice, it's solid and lemony

[Isthiscorrect]

Thank you everyone. I'm off shopping tomorrow. And I did not know that about cutting the cuticles. I will make sure it doesn't happen again.

[Izzydawg]

This stuff is amazing ...
www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000BB9L0S/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

. Have never had nice nails before and polish always chipped in 12 hours, started using this bout 2 months ago and my nails long and strong, bought some for my mom and daughter too, would agree with all the Amazon reviews

[Chicinwellies]

Isthiscorrect I'm the same as you, and at 38 thought there was no hope. However a year on and after advice from here I have hands to be proud of. A life of looking after horses 24/7 and biting nails when nervous led to a post on here. Resulted in without fail booking a manicure at a local salon and, Dr Lewinns renunail, here you go m.boots.com/h5/cat_hub?unCountry=uk&path=%2Fen%2FRenunail-Nail-Strengthener-30ml_1658120%2F It has rave reviews on mumsnet and is amazing, good luck.

[goiaba]

The only product I saw some improvement on my nails was OPI Nail Envy.

[CallarMorvern]

Novice questions... What do you use to push your cuticles back and does the oil not hinder the staying power of varnish?

[SicParvisMagna]

The only thing I've found to improve my nail biting tendencies is to have gel nails done, and even then sometimes I can chew through that if I am feeling particularly desperate for a chew.
Nail envy is good though and I use that when I haven't had my nails done.

[LaundryQueenHatesIroning]

Caller you can use the little wooden stick, orange sticks I think they are called. You can get them from Boots. I would apply the nail treatment, let it dry and then later on massage the oil into your cuticles, as, yes, if it was on your nail it would stop it from setting.

[Littlebee76]

Diet is the only thing that's ever made a difference to my nails after years of trying various things on my nails. Now I make sure I have plenty of calcium and they are so strong and never break!

[StepAwayFromTheEcclesCakes]

sea kelp tablets and / or biotin tablets. help hair growth too! combine with rubbing vaseline in every night, my nails grow quickly and are very very strong now.

[Littlebee76]

I tried sea kelp & biotin but they didn't work for me.

[herbwife]

I soak my nails in warmed almond oil, then buff them. No idea why this works, but it does.

[MrsDilligaf]

Rub vaseline into your nails. Worked brilliantly on my nails to restore them back to health when I stopped having acrylics.