My fingernails are freakishly HARD.

J

Jesssh

Member
Jan 20, 2012
6,493
223
#1
They have only been that way for a couple of months. They used to be much softer and they would peel.

My nails are so hard now they are scary. I'm almost afraid to touch my purses for fear of scratching them. I keep them filed and rounded for safety. If they start to get a little long, I have to file them down just because they are more comfortable that way.

I've been taking vitamin supplements for years, but about 6 months ago I changed my diet a bit to reduce carbs and eat more protein. I wonder if that is just kicking in now. Instead of eating oatmeal with fruit every other day for breakfast, I eat an egg every day. I am probably eating more fat too, but I don't know how that would help. I got sun every day walking the dog - don't know if the vitamin D helps. :shrugs:

I take one multivitamin, one hair/skin/nails vitamin (I think they recommend 3 but I only take one), and lately a calcium only every other day because I eat cheese most days. (I only added the calcium recently so I don't know if that affected the nail tips.)

My alarm clock broke, so I stopped using my nails to turn off the alarm in the morning. (I now tap the alarm button on my phone to turn it off.) Maybe I don't use my nails as tools that much anymore.

I don't put nail polish on my fingernails - just my toes. I'm not even very good at conditioning my fingernails.

Anyway.... It was such a problem for me to have soft peeling nails, and now they are super strong. Go figure.

Hope this helps someone. :smile:
 
#3
I have gotten much better about not using my nails as tools too. I use a pen to open coke cans, and use an actual stapler remover rather than using my nails to pry the staple apart. Mine aren't as hard as yours, but they're not as soft as they were either.

I used to take biotin and am thinking of taking it again. After a couple of months, it really did seem to help my nails with strength and length. I don't know why I stopped - probably just lazy.
 
#4
^^^ I think it might take 6 months for anything to kick in if that is how long it takes for the nail bed to grow out.

My nail bed injury from just over a year ago hasn't grown back completely, but it has been almost healed for 6 months.
 
#5
I think biotin may have a big part of them being so strong. I overbuffed my nails, making them thinned out. I was using a nail treatment but found that biotin made the most difference. Everyone's chemistry is different and how your body absorbs vitamins/minerals vary as well. I started with 5,000 mcg of biotin without much difference. However, after two months, I started taking 10,000 mcg, I noticed a difference after a couple of weeks. I continue to take 10,000 mcg daily and my nails are healthier then before. My thumb and index are strongest and thickest but I definitely feel and see a difference in the other nails as well.
 
#6
VodkaSoda said:
I think biotin may have a big part of them being so strong. I overbuffed my nails, making them thinned out. I was using a nail treatment but found that biotin made the most difference. Everyone's chemistry is different and how your body absorbs vitamins/minerals vary as well. I started with 5,000 mcg of biotin without much difference. However, after two months, I started taking 10,000 mcg, I noticed a difference after a couple of weeks. I continue to take 10,000 mcg daily and my nails are healthier then before. My thumb and index are strongest and thickest but I definitely feel and see a difference in the other nails as well.
Click to expand...
^^what she said :yes:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top
Back