Comments on: Strong as nails!

Question: Strong as nails!

scarabic — Mon, 13 Sep 2004 12:20:38 -0800

Recently I mangled up some of my fingernails doing manual labor. I've clipped and filed them as best I can, and now I'm just waiting for them to grow out a bit so I can clip off the jagged edges completely. Is there anything I can eat/drink to make my fingernails grow faster/stronger?

By: ethylene

ethylene — Mon, 13 Sep 2004 12:24:40 -0800

gelatin, vitamin a foods, and the guarantee: prenatal vitamins
i reccommend tea tree in moisturizer or antibacterial cream
or liquid bandages. disturbingly effective for cuticles.

By: CunningLinguist

CunningLinguist — Mon, 13 Sep 2004 12:29:58 -0800

Go get yourself some Biotin at the vitamin boutique. I started taking it to make a horrific haircut grow out faster, but suddenly discovered I was talon-woman. My nails have *never* grown so fast.

Also, upping your protein intake seems to work too.

By: m@

m@ — Mon, 13 Sep 2004 13:01:29 -0800

I asked my resident nail expert, she said "keep your cuticles pushed back (apparently nails don't like to associate with unruly cuticles--and who can blame them) also, where possible, tap your fingernails on a hard surface to stimulate growth. With your situation the latter may or may not be possible. If it is, I recommend learning the drum solo from Inna Gadda Davida.

By: ethylene

ethylene — Mon, 13 Sep 2004 13:05:12 -0800

i've heard about that tapping thing, does that really do anything?

By: orange swan

orange swan — Mon, 13 Sep 2004 13:14:43 -0800

m@, your resident nail expert is wrong on both counts. Nails are dead cells - you can't exercise them anymore than you can exercise your hair. Tapping at best won't do any good and at worst will break down the nail.

I've also read that cuticles are basically a seal protecting a matrix where the nail cells grow. Paula Begoun (consumer advocate for all things beauty related) actually advocates not pushing the cuticles back at all - she says it makes her nails much stronger. I tried it for a year, and didn't notice any difference, so I went back to pushing back my cuticles. It really hasn't made any difference either way.

By: scarabic

scarabic — Mon, 13 Sep 2004 13:19:09 -0800

Which part is the cuticle? The skin near the sides of the nail? The attached base of the top of the nail? The underside of the tip of the nail? All?

By: Orb

Orb — Mon, 13 Sep 2004 13:47:38 -0800

Alfalfa tablets (I suppose alfalfa in any form really). I had tried the gelatin route, as it worked wonders for my mom's nails. It did little to nothing for mine. On the other hand, I started taking alfalfa tablets at the recommendation from a friend (detoxes the liver and helps remove heavy metals from your body). I have never had such hard and fast growing nails (mine suck badly). I mean FAST too. So not only did I have nice nails for once, I also felt better thanks to the detox qualities of alfalfa.

By: m@

m@ — Mon, 13 Sep 2004 13:56:58 -0800

Nails are dead cells - you can't exercise them anymore than you can exercise your hair.

Ummm, no, you can't exercise the nails but this activity does stimulate the nail bed and promotes growth. As for the cuticles, it's what she learned in "professional take care of people's nails school" and she's sticking by it.

By: ethylene

ethylene — Mon, 13 Sep 2004 14:23:25 -0800

um, you're both right, some people are helped by nail bed stimulation, but i think people who do things to their cuticles often go too far and cause damage, leaving the nail bed open for infection. it's best to leave them alone, but it is all very individual. mine are thin and dry and my nails are thin but not brittle.
like orb says, things like detoxifiers, tonics and things that help the body flush at a higher rate will accelerate things over all.

By: Succa

Succa — Mon, 13 Sep 2004 14:33:07 -0800

Greens Plus does that a little.

By: ursus_comiter

ursus_comiter — Mon, 13 Sep 2004 14:57:30 -0800

I recently busted up a nail too and I can definitely recommend using liquid bandages for protecting everything until things heal up enough to trim things smooth.

Can't speak to what would make things grow out faster. My nails grow fast enough as it is.

By: scarabic

scarabic — Mon, 13 Sep 2004 20:18:05 -0800

Is a liquid bandage the same as a drop of superglue?

By: ursus_comiter

ursus_comiter — Mon, 13 Sep 2004 21:15:42 -0800

More like nail polish, really.

By: stavrosthewonderchicken

stavrosthewonderchicken — Tue, 14 Sep 2004 03:01:42 -0800

Greens Plus does that a little.

I see that that's actually available in Korea. Can anyone (Succa? Bueller? Anyone?) recommend the stuff? I need all the Green help I can get!

By: Melinika

Melinika — Sun, 26 Sep 2004 06:36:09 -0800

Vitamin E capsules. Break one every night and smear the goop on all your nails and cuticles (it's very sticky so do it right before bed after taking out contacts, etc.). I did this regularly in my teen years. I have never had such strong nails since, or have been able to grow them so long. Once I even bent a nail horribly (flipped it inside out) and after the initial *ouch*, popped it back into place and it was like nothing ever happened - no break, no bend line, nothing.