Where to start with my horrible nails?

[Chocchops72]

My nails are a state, they have been for years. I bit them badly as a child, stopped in my 20s, but do tend to nibble them these days: they are short, rough, uneven. I can stop this when they look better, but they generally look rubbish! I’ve never had a manicure of any sort. I don’t have any kind of routine.

Atm they are short and uneven. They are a bit lopsided due to years of biting. I have persistent hangnails / torn cuticles which I tend to pick as the skin dries up.

what should I do to improve the overall condition, and generally get them looking nice? My mum and MIL have lovely nails: both have a little bowl of nail files / cuticle sticks etc sitting by their chairs where they watch tv that they use every night. Do I need to go that? Should I be carrying an emery board everywhere I go and whipping it out every time I feel a rough bit?

please share your easy nail care routine!

I have no advice because my nails are pretty shocking but I'm interested in any replies you get!
I didn't bite my nails when I was younger, I picked them. I have on occasions been able to grow them now but they are very flaky and some nails have vertical splits in them. I do wash my hands A LOT.
It's so lovely to see people with beautiful nails isn't it?!

Opi nail envy to strengthen them and yes I have a nail file next to me bed so I can shape them when needed

Hmmm. I can only tell you what I do - my nails are diamond hard and always have been. Cut them weekly with clippers and smooth the rough edge only with a file. When I file my nails frequently they start breaking. Polish - fine, but give your nails a break regularly, as I find the remover dries them out and weakens them. Never use shellac or other gel polish. Also a collagen supplement can be good - I use marine collagen powder. Use cuticle clippers to trim any loose skin so it's not tempting to bite it (I have a terrible habit of doing this).

Basically, the less you mess about with them while they're getting stronger, the better.

I bit my nails up to my elbows. I now have a gel manicure every 3 to 4 weeks and they look perfect. No torn cuticles and bleeding stumps. During lockdown my oh learnt how to do it for me as he say how painful they were.

Get nailtiques2, it will help them grow and be stronger. Think it was originally developed to help people who’d gone through chemo. It is really good!

almond oil on the nails/hands before bed will soften skin and nourish nails, also v affordable.

kelp or biotin tablets will help too. Grounded do a biotin which is cheap and very good, get it on Amazon.

good luck, it’s a long process but something nice to focus on :-)

Nail oil on your cuticles and the skin around the area, at least twice a day (more if you can).

Just use almond oil from the health food shop, doesn't have to be 'proper' stuff

Go and have a manicure. Not the sort where you get polish, just to have your nails and cuticles tidied up. I always feel so much better when I do and it encourages me to look after them with cuticle cream, handcream etc.

Optibac and Hair/Skin/Nails vitamins really made a huge difference to how quickly they grow and helped with strength. They are loads stronger when I take these. Also I just bought some pink time to glow or something from Essie which is really good and makes them shine but no colour, but sure any nail strenghtener would help lots.

As BMIwoes said 'basically, the less you mess about with them while they're getting stronger, the better'.

Use clippers to trim your nails neatly and keep filling to a minimum - just to take off any sharp corners or rough bits. Keep a nail file with you to smooth out any rough bits from snags/breaks during the day.

Personally I don't think messing around with cuticles is a good idea, they are there for a reason. Just trim any loose bits of skin.

Other than necessary hand washing and showering, keep your nails out of water as much as possible. Use rubber gloves for washing up.

Use hand cream regularly and rub it in around your nails.

Don't forget that if you do use polish remover to wash your hands after. If you leave it on it continues to dry your mail out. I got this advice on here and it's been a game changer for me.

I have mine gel'd now they're much better as a result

Find a good nail tech and ask for BIAB. Your nails will grow in no time.

Also recommend biab. Along with cutcle oil (£1 primark) and hand cream.It's amazing how long and healthy they get in such a short time

I'd start by growing them for a week or so then going for a manicure so they can tidy up your nails and cuticles for you.

Then really it's a question of lots of hand cream (before bed is a good bet if you forget during the day) and maybe a cuticle oil applied at night. Push your cuticles down regularly (I just do this with my thumbnail) and keep them moisturised. OPI Nail Envy is a brilliant invisible strengthening product too.

You'll be amazed how quickly you see results with a few small steps, honestly! Hands respond quickly to nice treatment!

I'd start small and just use cuticle oil / almond oil/ olive oil around the cuticles morning and night.

Use cuticle oil every night, a great hand cream like weleda and start having biogel manicures which strengthen your nails. Not extensions as they wreck your nails.
Also drink plenty of water, take a multivitamin and take a selenium supplement too x

Manicure then BIAB. Should last 4 weeks

im quite low maintenance re beauty - but find that my nails grow best and feel strong when I make a conscious effort to apply decent hand cream often through the day, wear rubber gloves for housework but otherwise leave them alone.

I usually use Bodyshop Hemp hand cream and notice a difference when I don’t use it.

Another vote for BIAB manicure. I am a long term nail biter and have never managed to stay on top of any at home/DIY nail care routine. I started getting BIAB about 6 months ago and I can’t believe how strong my nails are, I don’t even think about biting my nails/picking at my cuticles anymore.

What is BIAB? Off to Google

Builder in a Bottle. It's a builder gel that goes over your natural nail. My nails are so long now and I could never grow them! These were my Xmas ones 😁

I'm using a keretin treatment that comes like a nail polish but doesn't dry like one iyswim.

Also taking collagen supplements and massively upping my gelatine.

Same here

I have same problem, nails were really really bitten and sore and sometimes bleeding round the edges. I had periods that I stopped with will power but best thing I've found was to paint a thin layer of clear nail strengthen most days, this conditions and makes nails less likely to flake as well. If you do pick or bite, you can just get your fix from picking/biting that layer. Then once they had healed enough I booked to get builder gel manicure. Everyone I know has said it's help grow and strengthen their nails, my sister has had it for a while and hers look better than false nails! I just got a naturalish colour with a bit of sparkle and it's really improved my confidence with my hands, I feel like I can actually wear rings or pass people things without thinking twice. Its an expense but I don't have to get it forever and its pretty much the only self care thing I do so for me it's worth it. Its roughly about 30£ every 4 weeks.

I think you should explore BIAB.. your nails will not just grow without breaking otherwise.

I think nails are like hair.. you either have thick fast growing nails or you don't. Vitamins may help a little but we are just all made differently