QuestionHi there!
I am sure you get asked about how to harden/strengthen nails quite often. I have a particulary bad problem because I bit my nails for ... ohh... well I'm 32 now, and I bit my nails for as long as I can remember, and just stopped this past fall... So, many, many years of trauma to my nails.
I made the decision to stop biting my nails for good, and ended up getting acrylic overlays once I had some decent growth, as the natural nails were so weak and flimsy, they would just rip and tear at any moment.
I wore acrylic overlays for about 3 months, and I decided that I should have them removed so that hopefully I could begin to strengthen my natural nails. Yesterday, I had my nail tech remove the overlays and give me a manicure as well as paint the nails. I also had her cut my length down to just above the edge of the finger - because having any length right now will just cause them to snag and rip.
Now that the acrylic is gone, I'm still stuck with these hideously weak nails. I can actually press the end of the nail and bend it down if I wish! Also, because I bit them for so long, I believe the "free end" of the nail comes down lower on the finger than it naturally would if I had never bitten my nails. I don't know that this will ever correct itself, but it does lead to the nail being thinner and weaker further down the finger than it would naturally be.
So with all of this noted - do you have any information on what I can use to strengthen these nails? There are so many products out there that claim to harden nails or help them grow stronger - and I never recall having much success with any of them. But, I've worked really hard to stop biting my nails, and I really hate to see them be so flimsy that they rip and tear off and end up looking like they did when I bit them.
Thanks so much!
AnswerHi Casey. :)
I've got good news, and bad news. Most folks want the bad news first, so here goes: life-long nail biters are *rarely* able to grow their nails out under enhancements for only three months, and have the nails underneath be tough enough for everyday wear. In my eight years in the business, I've never seen it, actually. It's just too much damage to the nail plate, nail bed, and sometimes the matrix as well, and might take many more months, or even a year or two of constant enhancement wear to grow out. And that is if your nail tech doesn't overfile your nail plates, or nip off the acrylic, or you don't pick the enhancements off, or otherwise thin out the nail plates, causing damage. AND, if you have thin, weak, or brittle nails naturally, there isn't anything you can do to *change* them, although some hardeners can help a bit, and a good cuticle oil, used at least twice daily, can keep them moisturized. (I like CND's Toughen Up, with SuperShiney top coat, and Solar Oil. That stuff is FABULOUS.) The polishes don't really give any real strength to the nails, though, and they can't change what nature gave you.
But here's the good news: You can have beautiful, healthy nails, by keeping those enhancements on and having them maintained regularly! :) Yes, it is a commitment of money and time, but for many people who've bitten their nails for so long, the beautiful nails are hard to give up! My recommendation is that you find a really good, experience nail tech and have her apply a custom blended set of enhancements--these can be designed to make your nail beds look longer and sleeker (instead of the short, stubby ones you might be used to seeing). Check out www.cnd.com-- they have a salon locator where you can find a nail tech in your area who is experienced in this type of nail enhancement.
I hope this is helpful to you! If you have any other questions, feel free to follow up with me. :)
