To just want nice nails for once in my life ?!

[NormaNameChange]

Long story short. Persistent nail biter my entire life , despite endless encouragement to stop. Spent most of my 20s and 30s wearing false nails as I was so ashamed of how scruffy my bitten nails looked. Reached the point where I could do them myself to save time and money.

Went on holiday in August - my one time a year I wear no bra, dont take my straightners with me (let the curly unruly mop do its own thing) and most importantly... dont wear nails! Well, they started growing and I made a resolution to stop biting them all together and I did. I should add I'm now over 40 so it was about time.

However, despite my best efforts, everytime they get a decent length they snap, flake, bend and generally end up looking shit again. I currently have six decent nails (broke one this morning changing the bed) the others look awful.

AIBU to ask for your luscious long nail secrets? What do you use, take?

Thank you in advance

paint them FFS don’t pain then whatever that means you stupid phone!!

With housework/kids/dog etc, I always break my nails unless I have biosculpture gel on them. It's a way of getting a head start on growing them as they won't snap.

I have bitten my nails all my life (almost 37). I have stopped on numerous occasions, but the problem is I then find something else to pick at e.g if I've grazed anything I will pick at it until it scars, or I'll start picking at my scalp or something. Biting nails seems less harmful to me.

It's not rubbing sun cream into your nails on holiday that makes them grow, it's the sun. Vitamin D. Mine have been a lot better since I've taken a high dose vit D.

I'd recommend against shellac, it ruins my nails, but anyone for whom it doesn't, and any nail technician, will always say it doesn't, despite loads of evidence to the contrary (they aways just say it was put on or taken off incorrectly).

Cut them, don't file them. Keep them short and use a restoring oil, then a clear varnish which is also a hardener. If you try to keep this on all the time they will gradually get better. Use a varnish remover without acetone if you can.

i had very weak nails and started to use neutorgena hand and nail crème twice daily, morning and night. cheap, easy to use and it works!

I have my hands in water a lot and had problems with chipping and flaking. I've started using Sally Hansen Vitamen E nail and cuticle oil daily and it's made a huge difference, my nails are strong and long. Still got a few cracks but I think they're just growing out.

Mine are long and natural. I use nail strengthener every time I manicure them and nail oil when I remove nail varnish.

Don't use shellac or nail varnish.
Eat a healthy diet with plenty of leafy green vegetables, dairy etc.
Keep your nails shortish but filing them with a nail file, such as
www.boots.com/boots-salon-smooth-nail-files-10111173. You can get similar ones elsewhere.
Keep the shape neat by filing from the side to the centre.

I think that hand cream weakens my nails. Maybe they vary. The worst thing you can do to your nails is to put them in your mouth, followed by prolonged exposure to water, moisture or chemicals.

My absolute miracle product is Dr Haushka Neem Oil.

Left-field suggestion here - take up a musical instrument that is incompatible with long nails, and aim to keep your nails nice but short!

I managed to break a nail-biting habit by using clear nail polish regularly. Still have problems with my cuticles though.

The only time I don't bite my nails is when I have colour on them, even if they're stubs. Obviously I have a few very natural polishes that don't draw attention to them. Rimmel has one called English Rose or something which is opaque enough to deter biting but natural enough to not draw attention.

Thanks to everyone for all of the advice. I cant believe how many of you have answered with their experiences - i really appreciate it!

JammyGem as mad as it sounds, I found something to fiddle with. I spent the week on the beach - always carried a stone or shell in my pocket. I found a gorgeous piece of smoothed glass that came home with me and is still in my pocket now. Once they started growing, that was the incentive not to bite. I also gave up smoking at the same time

I think cuticle oil may be my first option and a decent moisturiser. I dont use hand lotion at all at the moment so thats a good place to start. I do have a Sally Hanson hard as nails product so will keep persevering with that and continue not using polish. Thanks again all

Vitamin d. You are lacking in it. I had same issues until i suplemented. Changed within a couple of weeks!

This is a really good video I watched recently. (Actually it's a very funny channel in general, I love her videos)

m.youtube.com/watch?v=9Mn-5pWLErg

I've also bitten my nails for at least 25 years. I'm finally getting somewhere with growing them and I've found the key is keeping them filed - even when ridiculously short - to make sure there are no scraggy bits to either bite or catch on things.

In addition the thing that's made the biggest difference is Mavala nail hardener. It's absolutely brilliant and really makes the tips stronger to stop breaking when they get longer. That and a clear nail polish on top.

The hardest thing is your nail beds will have been massively reduced. It takes time for them to lengthen so to start with your new length nails don't have anything underneath to support them. So gently filing and occasional clipping keeps them short while the nail bed lengthens and repairs. Picture of Mavala below. It's well worth the cost and lasts forever

ElspethFlashman thats so funny ! I would love the stubby nails shown on that video tho. They look so neat and tidy

Nails beyond finger ends are a) quite revolting and b) impractical unless you have staff.

I'm really interested in what makes people bite their nails. I chewed mine uncontrollably for nearly 40 years. I was totally ashamed of my hands - but everything else about me was neat and groomed. My husband bought me a voucher for a spa day which was going to include a manicure, but I couldn't make an appointment because I'd have to show my horrible hands to a beauty therapist! I gathered all the willpower I could muster and got my nails to the point that I had a two millimetre white edge on each nail, then I finally went and had my manicure. Since then, I've had a shellac manicure every two weeks. It's expensive, but it's literally my only luxury. That's been going on for nearly four years now, and if I was ever without shellac, I think I would still bite my nails!

I find the less I do to my nails, the stronger they are.

So I cut them using clippers and file with one of those glass nail files.

I then don't touch them until the next clipper session, apart from a very light filing, for any nails growing unevenly. Sometimes I will use moisturiser or the Sally Hansen brush on oil.

I'll probably have 1-2 professional manicures per year, but that's it.

I like to keep things simple

Try lemony butter from Lush. I have the same problem and find it helps.

I find that taking black strap molasses helps my nails.

If I get mine shellaced they split for months afterwards. I just keep mine filed if I want to grow and strengthen them.

Do not get shellac on weak nails. It will damage them terribly.

Moisturise, cut and file regularly

Can you show us a photo? I didn't think mine were that good, but when I got a gel manicure in September the beautician said mine were! Mine are brittle as opposed to bendy (apparently most are usually one or the other) and it's rare I have both hands with the whites of my nails visible on all. I've just got an LED light and gel nail polishes to do my own, am hoping mine won't break as much with them on, and I've started to chew at my thumbs again so hoping it will stop that. I'm quite careless and 'active' in terms of DIY which doesn't help mine to grow. This is what mine were like a couple weeks ago.

OPI nail envy is fab makes them really strong and they grow quicker.