Nails breaking all the time...

[ScienceRocks]

Advice needed please! A month or so before Christmas, I started painting my fingernails. They have always been strong and quite a nice shape, and I really liked it. The only problem was that the polish chipped quite easily, despite using decent polish, base coat and top coat, and redoing the top coat each evening. So I'd end up taking it off and redoing it, just one nail or the whole lot if quite a few chipped (which happened a lot).

I must have done my nails about ten times, then got fed up of the constant maintenance and stopped, just for a while or so I thought. But now they are really weak and break as soon as they get near the edge of the nail bed (which hurts). I have used mavala scientifique for a month or so and it doesn't seem to be helping.

Any ideas? I would like to be able to do my nails again in the future, but at the moment, it seems like a distant dream

Oh, I was going to say mavala scientifique Are you using nail oil as well?

It sounds as though all the varnishing and removing has perhaps removed or weakened the top layer of your nail.

Mine are very weak normally and separate really easily, so if I use stick on nails (for say a wedding) they remove the top layer, and I then go through 6 weeks of regrowth of paper thin nails.

I found (by accident!) that taking a vit B complex works like a charm. I

was taking the supplement (not specifically for nails), and 6 weeks later my nails were the hardest they have ever been in my life. (of course my goldfish memory then kicked in and I forgot to take them for about a week - but I'm going to bring them into work - I reckon remembering to take them the 5 days a week that I am in, is better than 2 days on the weekend).

I've just started taking a multivitamin so hopefully that will help. Is nail oil different to, well, oil?

Maybe I need better nail polish remover in the future too. I usually get the cheap one (around £1) but I'll take recommendations of others that don't take the top layer of the nail off!

I had very weak nails from years and years of biting. The only thing that stopped me biting them was to a) have gel nails for a month or so and then b) once the gels were removed and the nails had grown a little, to keep them painted every day. I can't bear chipped nail polish so I regularly - at least 5 times a week - re-paint my nails.

Both a) and b) further weaken my nails (you're right that using nail polish remover every day is not good for your nails) and so try to combat this I do the following:

1. Use a better brand of remover - I use the acetone-free moisturising version from Cutex

1. Take a skin, hair and nail supplement - I use the Boots own version of Perfectil, it's about half the price. I am AMAZED that it actually works! My skin, hair and nails have never looked or felt better. my toe nails are a little bit like rhino horn though

1. Always use a base coat. I use Sally Hansen Maximum Growth. I don't know if it works but it stops my nails from getting stained.

1. Use lots of hand cream to keep your hands and cuticles moisturised. I keep some on my desk, by the sink at home and also by the bed and in the living room.

1. Use a nail oil. I've been using solar oil for a while but I'm not convinced it works as I still get split cuticles so am going to investigate alternatives.

1. Keep my nails shortish. They have a short nail bed and when they break they almost always freak right at the edge of the nail bed. I try to keep them only a couple of millimetres longer than the end of my fingers.

1. File them in a "squoval" shape - flat on top and slightly rounded at the edges.

They're still not perfect but they are much stronger than they were a year ago.

I've always found Nail Envy good for nail recovery, and also regularly rub cuticle oil or cream into my nails which also helps I think.

Thanks. Will go and research Nail Envy, nail oil and acetone free varnish.

I use the no 7 so smooth base coat, and the corresponding so perfect top coat or sally hansen version. I'm quite good for hand cream, out of necessity as I get eczema on my hands, and keep them quite short and squoval (or I did before they were breaking all the time ).

Seconding the 'squoval' shape - I use clippers to clip my nails flat across the top, then a glass file to round the edges slightly. My nails are the strongest they've ever been!

Gel nails are good as well for growing without breaking - Shellac etc, just make sure you have them removed properly or you'll be back at square 1. OPI nail envy is brilliant, also useful is eating raw jelly cubes!

Now I'm confused again! Should I use a nail oil for for a few weeks, then use the nail envy as a base coat when I start painting again? Or will the oil penetrate through the polish?

I find rubbing Lush's Lemony Flutter into my nails at least once a day makes my nails super hard. My mum also tried it and found that it makes her nails much stronger too. And as it has lemons in it, it makes your nails look lovely and white.

Ooh, I already have lemony flutter! Even better Still wondering in what order to do things so if anyone could shed some light on that for me, that'd be great

I always have one or two days polish free so that I can apply the lemony flutter to the whole of my nail. Then apply to the cuticles when my nails are polished. I always use a base coat and I'm not fussy about what.

I bit my nails for 20 years and totally credit lemony flutter with my now awesome talons. I thought I'd ruined my nails and would never be able to grow them.

Ooh this lemony flutter stuff sounds great! must investigate.

I've found that taking a Hair, Skin and Nails multivitamin has made the world of difference for me - just the cheapo tescos one too :)

Another one for gel nails.
As they only need removing once every couple of weeks there is much less removal. (and it is damage free if done properly)
I do find my nails really grow for the 2 weeks I have the polish on, and if I knock them they don't break like they would if I hadn't got polish on