Nail hardeners that work anyone?

[MakeYerOwnDamnDinner]

I have very soft bendy nails with a very low 'smile line' due to years of biting. Have managed to ditch the biting habit but my nails now tend to break before they even get up to the level of my fingertip. I don't really want to wear fake nails (couldn't afford the upkeep anyway) and would love to be able to grow my natural nails long enough to enjoy experimenting with different nail polishes. Any tips?

OPI Nail Envy does work, it can make nails yellow however, but wear polish a lot and this will happen anyway. Get a glass or crystal file, I like the OPI one but any will do. Keep nails painted or with hardener and your nails will not break so much. User gloves for cleaning. As well as being easy to achieve a shorter square/oval shaped nail is more fashionable and lets you wear the braver colours. If you have a friend with a Sally's card OPI is nearly half price

Thank you Sedgiebaby. Have heard good things about Nail Envy before so will give it a try.

The two fail safe remedies for me have either been Nailtiques Formula 2 or, this is the one that everyone laughs at, Cornucrescine horse hoof ointment. Horse owners/riders will tell you it's horrible thick black goopy stuff that smells awful. Thing is, I don't mind the smell and you only need the tiniest amount on each nail, literally just touching your finger tip on the top of the product and using that tiny amount on your finger to dot into all 5 nails on the opposite hand and massaging in, then doing the same with the opposite hand. It's about £5 a jar and will last you for the rest of your natural life if you're only using in on your nails rather than on a horse!

Horse hoof ointment! Well they do say that Elizabeth Arden first made eight hour cream to treat her horses hooves. How does it work then? Does it stop nails from drying out and splitting?

Have exactly the same situation here OP and beautician recommended trying OPI Nail Envy but said also important to use cuticle oil and handcream to keep well moisturised and nourished. Am living in hope!

I have the same problem. the only thing which works is keeping them varnished all the time and protect from water as much as possible. I have been swimming quite a few times lately and my nails have all broken off despite being painted.

Actually, 8 hour cream was formulated for racehorses' legs to heal the chafing they suffered from all the running! Hoof ointment helps build up the keratin layers I think.

Have just been down the farmers shop and bought some cornucrescine. I live in hope!

Does anyone know if long-term severe biting can cause nails to grow slightly misshapen? A particularly kind ex once told me I had 'deformed' nails, and although that was an exageration designed to make me feel bad, they do grow a little bit funny - some seeming slightly concave whilst others seem to curl over the finger tip. Will this change with time or am I stuck with it? Has anyone else got/had the same problem?

Barabara Daly's Goodbye Yellow from Tesco's - about a fiver and is better than anything like OPI/Sally Hansen imo. Has added bonus of making your nails look 'fresh and bright' too. Fab stuff!

I think when you severely bite nails you damage the nail bed so you have to wait for the whole nail to grow out.

OPI Nail Envy plus the Avoplex cuticle oil -it is fab!
I spend all day washing my hands and have lovely non splitting nails now

I have had different nails since I starting using Nails Inc A&E - they finally grow and seem to be stronger (and I had a long term biting habit...)

almond oil massaged into nails is very good if done every day..

Moroccan oil / argan oil seems to work wonders on mine, have been using it for cleansing and moisturising face but a side benefit is that my nails no longer flake and split like they used to and are now fearsomely hard!

OPI Nail envy.
I prefer the Original as I find the matte peels.
My nails are a bugger because I work 3 days ,wear latex or vinyl gloves and wash my hands at work 40+ times a day( not counting home/ detergents and usual handwashing) I can't wear nail product at work so my nails only get treated for 4/7 days.
QVC do a duo pack _Original and Matte- for the price of one bottle.
And I use the oil at night.Can't remember the name. ??Avoplex