How can I strengthen my fingernails? Hit me with your recommendations!

[WordInYourShellLike]

My fingernails are rubbish - if I so much as try to pick a bit of tape off the roll they start flaking and splitting. I've tried specific supplements at different times with mixed results. For example, a few years ago I tried a particular brand of Silicea (it was a bit pricey but had very good reviews) and after the two month period of waiting for my nails to grow out, it made a considerable difference. Improved my hair too. So I tried it again recently, kept it up for three months - no difference at all! Maybe I need to take more of it, but unfortunately that would make it unaffordable. I take a few general supplements every day, including zinc, but none of these have helped. If you have the same problem, what have you taken that has genuinely made a difference?

I’ve been taking biotin supplements for about six months and my nails are really strong and healthy looking now after I’d ruined them with gel manicures. I was sceptical but it actually has worked, got it from Amazon

I came on to say Zinc. Also second vote for selenium. Just half a brazil nut a day has all the selenium you need. Is it Perfectil that is the vitamin for hair and nails? What is in that? Biotin?

Biotin supplement and Jelly

Zinc!

Right, I now have a shopping list and a to-do list and I'm going to get cracking. I might be over 50 now but hopefully it's not too late! I do always wear rubber gloves for washing up but often end up cleaning without (because the gloves are downstairs and I'm upstairs!) so that's another thing I need to address. You're all brilliant, I'm feeling very positive that I can sort this out

My nails went very snappy, seemed to go all the time at work, as soon as look at something like a cupboard or piece of equipment. Then I realised I was horrifically deficient in iron, went on supplements for that and as a side effect my nails improved no end. I think the nail damage was a combination of lack of the proper nail structure plus my clumsiness
/fogginess due to lack of oxygen to my brain! Thankfully that improved as well.

Interesting. I have bendy nails. I was told to take zinc. But too much zinc can inhibit iron absorption. And I am often anaemic. Be careful taking zinc if you are anaemic. Brazil nuts are a better bet. Yet nothing has ever changed my bendy nails.