Nails

[Champagne]

... or Nay-els, as they say in Essex. :o)

I'm growing mine, but as I do I find that they grow really soft and weak and therefore split easily. What's the best product on the market to harden my nails?

[mimififi]

when I started growing my nails I found it was best to keep them quite short for several months and then gradually increase the length. I used to file mine kind of squoval and add just a tiny bit of french manicure to the ends so that they looked long, but were only just fractionally longer than my finger. They then built up strength.

I haven't had much success with nail hardeners. I think they are a bit gimmicky. Enormously expensive and then when you do paint them on, they also just peel off. Make sure you eat lots of protein and calcium too as this is good for your nails.

Good luck.

[whiskeysheri]

Morning Champagne!

I swear by Sally Hensen's Diamond Strength Nail Hardener. My nails were like paper before but since I've used this they barely even bend, let alone break (and I have nice nails for the first time ever!!!).

It's quite pricey but lasts ages xxx

http://www.sallyhansen.co.uk/NCa_Strength.htm

[ELVIS68]

No More Nails...available at all good DIY shops

[Champagne]

Hahahaha Elvis! I'll pop into B&Q in my lunch hour. Thanks!

Morning whiskeysheri! I've actually been using Sally Hensen's "Vitamin C Get Strong" (on the same page as your web link) and, as mimififi says, it is quite gimmicky and just forms a coat which peels off or chips like varnish. Does the "Diamond Strength" do that? I will try to keep my nails short and tidy in the meantime. They're not even beyond my fingertips yet but still bend and break!!

[shaneystar2]

Nails need moisture so try rubbing almond oil into them from time to time or soak them in it once a week. Hand cream all the time .Rubber gloves for housework . Some of these nail hardeners are a quick fix really as they contain formaldyhide which will weaken the nails even more with prolonged use.
Always file in one direction only and clip them with nail clippers if you have any raggedy bits. Invest in a good nail styler and buff them everyday which helps to stimulate the blood under the nailbed and promote growth.Keep the cuticles pushed back.You will soon have ten nice nails.
Having said that I snapped my thumbnail off yesterday and it bled....ouch !

[whiskeysheri]

It does peel a bit after a few days, Champers, but I usually take it off and put some fresh stuff on every three days anyway. It's not too inconvenient, it's takes no time at all to dry- thankfully!

I have done the same as mimififi so far, kept them fairly short until they're stronger. Let me know how you get on if you give it a try, hun x

[~posy-jo~]

i buy the gel nail tips kits from boots etc for about �8 and rather than putting the tip on i just coat my nails with the gel solution with gives my nails an amazingly strong top coat they are quite long now. i just do my infils every 2 weeks where my nails grow and every 4-6 weeks i take it all off and start again. i've always got my hands in bleach and stuff and my nails never break xXx

[Champagne]

I will keep you posted, whiskeysheri.

Loving the advice. Shaneystar seems to know her onions! Where do you buy almond oil? Boots?

[Pippa68]

I used to have really brittle nails until I started using Vaseline intensive care on my hands ~ they do a hand and nail lotion as well which works for me as well.

I found that using nail polish or hardener just made them worse!

[turkey154]

I swear by OPI nail strengthener...it is 17 squids a bottle though so its pricey but it honestly does do the job and it can be used as a base and top coat as well if you have coloured nail varnish

[shaneystar2]

Hi again Champagne
You can get almond oil in Holland and Barrett and lots of independent chemists ...if you have the Co-op chemist in your area this is the cheapest.

[mimififi]

I would recommend almond oil too, but something even nicer is Solar oil. You'd probably be able to get it from a nail technician shop place. I had a manicure once and the technician gave me some. It comes in a little bottle with a nail varnish style brush to apply it to your nails. It is an almond base with added vitamins and smells lovely like sweets. Plain almond oil is cheaper though and available at pharmacies. It is best to rub your hands in it as you go to bed. That way you don't get everything in the house oily!

Good luck.