Has anyone successfully brough their nails back from the dead??

[lipgoss]

I've never had great nails; weak, prone to flaking and peeling. My natural solution to this at 18 was to start getting acrylic nails.... 10+ years on I'm still getting them done, with a few breaks of a couple of weeks at best when I've tried to stop and nurse my natural nails back to health, then given up and gone back to my lovely acrylics.

Now I'm sick of fitting in the appointments and spending the money, when half the time I'm getting a short, natural coloured set done anyways, so I've had them removed and am determined to stick with it and have my own healthy nails.

But I feel like you name it I've tried it when it comes to strengthening polishes, cuticle oils, hand creams, skin hair and nail supplements - but perhaps I've never given anything enough of a chance to work.

Have you had similarly bad nails, and used something that really made them feel and look fab? I don't necessarily want them to get long, just to have a bit of backbone and stop peeling all over the shop.

Help me push through with hope that there's a chance I can bring them back to life! I'm otherwise always nicely groomed and my nails are letting me down!

I think it’s probably a case of you not giving it enough time. I’ve never had acrylics but after having gels for a year or so, gave up a couple of years ago and it took months for the nails to look good. I looked after them but it was really a case of growing out the damage - I think it was about 4/5 months until they were fully grown out. Now they’re lovely natural nails; they’re longish and don’t break/flake. I just use clear polish or slightly tinted polish and shape them nicely.

nail buffer files. Don't use the gritty side too often, but the softer sides can be used daily - first they will increase blood circulation, but also seal the top layer of nail, so nails don't get so damaged by water.
Also the new OPI repair mode made a massive difference for me after I badly removed gel polish.

Mine were ruined when I stopped having gels/BIAB.

It took a good 2-3 months for them to recover and not peel/bend all the time. I’d use a good strengthener, cuticle oil etc and just take care of them. Start now and they’ll look lovely for summer!

I only have my nails done (gel polish) in the summer hols and it takes almost 6 months for them to fully recover.
I find taking calcium and vitamin D supplements helps.

Same here. I had the BIAB removed early December, my nails are still horribly bendy, flaking and breaking off. I’m hoping that in another couple of months they might have improved.
Never having anything other than simple polish ever again.

Yes !!! Just recently I have found a solution to my peeling problem with my weak nails, that just snap off.

A colleague told to to rub jojoba oil into them daily and it works!!

They are now strong flexible and shiny. I used to paint them and I only do for nights out now as they look nice as they are !

Thanks everyone - I'll persevere! Glad to hear other people have had similarly damaged nails and managed to see an improvement... there's hope for my little stubbies yet 🤗

Mine are awful. As soon as they get a bit of length they split, always from the side & low down below the quick so really sore. I’ve tried all sorts including the new OPI Repair Mode,which seemed to make them more brittle, Nail Envy, Nailtiques, Sally Hansen etc etc. pretty fed up.

Keep it super simple for the next 2-3 months. Cut weekly, file off the rough edges only. No polish as that means using remover. Cuticle/nail oil regularly. You need the weakened nail to grow out fully.

Biotin (sp) vitamin tabs and nail rxcue. And time. At least three months.

I've never had anything done to my nails but they are dry, weak and easily break. I found the best thing is to keep them shortish (no point growing anyway) with clear varnish - have tried Sally Hansen etc - then add a topcoat every day, coloured or clear. After 4-5 days take it all off, rub in castor oil every chance I get for 2-3 days, then start again. I find the varnish protects them, otherwise I'd have to spend all my time rubbing in oil or handcream every 5 minutes.

The only thing that solved my flakey nails after trying everything under the sun was rubbing olive oil in daily. Honestly it works.

Someone told me to try Mavala Scientifique K+, which seems very good so far

Mavala Nailactan cream, you rub it in to the nails before bed but I use it during the day as well. Helped to grow my nails out after gel polish.

Took me a good 6 months for my nails to recover from gels.

There's nothing you can do really - nails grow from the nail bed so the damage has to grow out. Some of the remedies above may make them feel/look a little better but really the only thing is to grow out the damage. It takes months!

Lemon juice, olive oil and warm water soak every night for a few mins, Google it!
It really worked for me when I had time. Then when I couldn't be bothered I changed to the strengthening polishes but nothing works as well as this soak x

Any damage you have done to your nails has to grow out

Nails that you can see are DEAD

Nothing can bring the dead back to life.

So you have to let the live stuff, thats growing up, push through, and die, undamaged

OPI repair mode intensively for a few weeks, then OPI Nail Envy a couple of times a week has transformed my brittle peeling nails into long, strong healthy ones. Honestly it’s witchcraft.

Mine are fine now but became weak and flaky after long use of gel nail polish instead of the normal polish.I used a nail cream on them, buffed them then two coats of Rimmel 2 in 1 pink strengthener.Did this every week.
Gel polish is the devil’s work 👿

Its not the gels or the BIAB thats the problem, its the removal

a really quick and immense improvement with petroleum jelly. my hands were so cracked they hurt, cuticles ragged and nails split.
i trimmed the nails short and sweet, used gobs and gobs of petroleum jelly and settled to bed (after rubbing it in as much as possible).
honestly did this 3 times in a week and the hands and cuticles were 100% better and the nails not looking too shabby either.
dry nail splitting in half means more long term treatment but no nail varnish for treatments for now other than Vaseline.

I’m currently giving my nails a break from regular gel polish and I’ve noticed an improvement after just a few days of using Dr Hauschka Neem Nail and Cuticle Oil.

Vaseline at bedtime will see your nails become strong but supple.

An old fashioned remedy was to eat a cube of jelly everyday. I also use M&S buffing cream on mine to make them shiny .