Flaky nails

Reported

What a shame I was enjoying this thread up to now! My nails took a nose dive (as it were) about 2 years ago and initially Nail Envy did the trick. Recently they have got much worse and I need to rethink. Gel nails were brilliant while they lasted, but the girl who removed them wrecked the nail beds by scrubbing them with emery boards and acetone. It hurt! and I had white marks and very soft nails for months after

Just trying the Nail Nurse and hoping for some improvement. Trying to look after the cuticles as well, and so far my nails look a bit better. I just need them to grow out without ridges.

I find if I can"t get the top off a bottle or jar , give it a good tap all the way round with a knife then put on a rubber glove and twist off .
Always works for me !

Collection 2000, 2 in 1 strengthener & hardner , I find effective , cheap as well .

Me too, Nonu. I also have two little rubber circular 'things' (bought from I know not where) which are specially for getting those awkward jars open.

ROSEQUARTZ.
<Applaud>
We are clever little sausages , eh , Laugh !

The Mavala didn't seem to help at all so what I now do is keep several layers of Hard as Nails on the ends of my nails [which are squared off at the ends]; I put Mavala in the middle bit thinkng that the formaldehyde will strengthen them up but continue to massage Argan oil round the cuticles several times a day. Can now grow them as long as I want to; even had to cut them the other day because they were getting too long. I'm also finding that the ridges are not as pronounced as they were. Every few weeks I remove the Hard as Nails and put oil over the whole nail and leave overnight.

Having sorted my nail problem out to the point where they were growing too long, I was doing more decorating yesterday [the never ending decorating ] when I realised something was wrong with one nail. It had actually split across the nail half way down but the hard as nails was holding it together. I've tried the 'using a teabag and nail hardener combined [never tried it before] but it did say to use 'nail glue'..whatever that is. Has anyone else got any solutions? Got a plaster over it at the moment [scared to look at it]. Never had a nail break that far down before.

The girl that does my nails recommended massaging them with olive oil. It has made them much stronger and got rid of the ridges.

I bought a little bottle of avocado oil at great expense from Boots. I am sure it would be very good if I could just remember to use it.

I am not sure about the split, Tegan, unless you put something like a bit of micropore on it and varnish over the top? Perhaps a beauty therapist could advise?

I've used a teabag. I think what caused the problem is that the nail hardener worked so well that the nail pulled back when I was rubbing down some paintwork. I knew I should have cut them shorter but I've been so busy. I hadn't realised you could repair broken nails till I googled it. Who'd've thought of using teabags?

How do you use a teabag on a broken nail?

I think you would empty the tea out and use the porous paper to stick on the nail.

Oh! I had a vision of a tea bag strapped to your finger and was wondering which type of tea worked best on a broken nail.

Hope it mends well, Tegan

Yes, me too, rosequartz!

I think it'll grow out quite quickly on its own, Tegan as long as you keep the break stable with nail glue/polish.

Have you clipped it really short so that you don't catch it while it is growing out? [ouch]

I have now . Trouble is I found that, for some reason my nails were better kept longer [with lots of hard as nails on the ends] than if they were shorter, because the ridges became les apparent as the nail grew. I've just been brave and taken the plaster off and the repair looks pretty good. Going to slap some more polish on tonight; can't see the teabag at all [hurrah]. It's amazing what you can learn via Mr Google, isn't it!

I might try that on my very ridgy thumb nail.

Hope yours grows out quickly.

I think that cutting my nails straight across [which helps with the ridges] has made it more likely that, if they do split they split a lot further down.

Mine never seem to get long enough to cut straight across. I like the look of that style but never seem to get there.

I just put layer upon layer of hard as nails on them and I can now grow them long again but have to cut them traight across as the ridges are on both sides of the nail. It seems to take a day or so for the varnish to harden up, though.

A beautician who looked at mine the other day seems to think I have damaged the nail bed between nail and knuckle, as the damage is across the nail and keeps appearing.

Perhaps a tea bag will make it look better. I am going to try it.

After years of cultivating my nails with Nail Envy, to a state in which they looked normal, suddenly they have started to chip, peel and split. I have some 'Diamond Strength' nail hardener which I hope will strengthen them. My calcium level is OK according to my latest blood test.

I only put the nail hardener on the tips of my nails then nourish the rest in the hope that they'll grow stronger. It's the vertical ridges that cause the problems.