Badly flaking nails

Do you put polish or gel on your nails?

Are you otherwise fit and well? Nail problems can indicate vitamin or mineral deficiency, some health conditions or be a side effect of some medications.

Rub oil on to your nails after getting them wet. I use it every morning and every night as well. I just use Jojoba oil.

There's a good channel on YouTube for getting your natural nails back in order - not a teenager, an experienced nail technician. She explains about how nails grow and why they get damaged. The ridges are almost gone from nails after using the oil as she says.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=io335eWf6R4

No keepingquiet, unless it’s a special occasion. Because the condition is so poor, I’ve been putting clear undercoat on to stop them getting grubby in the cracks. Sounds awful 🤦🏻‍♀️. I’d put a pic but I’m too embarrassed.

Thank you OldFrill. I do have a number of health conditions and have been on a pretty rigorous medication regime since I was 48. But my nails have only been this bad for about two years now. I used to paint them when I was working but now I’d like to hide them.

Sorry, not the point, I know, but how do you manage to eat just 2 jelly cubes?
If I ever buy a pack of jelly cubes, I’m so tempted to scoff the lot! Especially if it’s blackcurrant flavour!

I have the same problem from time to time. When they’re in a flaky phase I use Rimmel Nail Nurse as a protective layer. It seems to bond them and allow them to grow.
I also use oil to condition the cuticle.

I will definitely look at that channel thank you AreWeThereYet. If I’m brave later, I might post a before and after …. or not

Witzend

Sorry, not the point, I know, but how do you manage to eat just 2 jelly cubes?
If I ever buy a pack of jelly cubes, I’m so tempted to scoff the lot! Especially if it’s blackcurrant flavour!

🤣 because they are too expensive Wizend. They used to be 25p a packet (Hartley’s) when I started oh about 4 years ago, now they’re well over a pound a pack. That’s good money I could spend on wine, sorry I meant fruit. I only buy green (lime?) must try blackcurrant.

J52

I have the same problem from time to time. When they’re in a flaky phase I use Rimmel Nail Nurse as a protective layer. It seems to bond them and allow them to grow.
I also use oil to condition the cuticle.

Thank you J52, that’s one I haven’t tried yet. I’ll purchase tomorrow. I like to keep them sealed when really bad as it seems so unhygienic. I do look after my hands and feet well so not sure why they are SO bad (hands only).

I do put oil on a couple of times a week.

I make sure I eat at least 2 eggs a week, to keep my nails in a healthy condition.

I'd show them to a chemist, just to make sure everything is ok. They should tell you if it's something to see your GP about.
Once you've made sure the problem isn't something medical, perhaps you could try some natural, perfume-free hand and nail cream. Get a really good one, maybe from a health shop and massage it into your hands and nails regularly. I'd concentrate on doing that before putting nail varnish on them.

My nails were terrible , breaking splitting from the tip towards the half moon !
I started taking vitamin d3 from the chemist when Covid started , a side effect is my nails are great ! No splitting or peeling , in fact they grow so fast I’m fed up cutting them !

One thing about the OPI nail hardener if you've been using that. The original contained formaldehyde, which is very drying for the nails. I used it for ages and my nails were great but eventually they did get very dry and brittle - so I used it more because they were dry and brittle There is a formaldehyde free one available now.

CND solar oil really seems to help when my nails get like that.

I started to take a daily well woman 70+ multi vitamin tablet.
My nails have never been better. They were ridged and bumpy but since taking the vitamin pill had improved them no end.

My nails have been like this for years even though they used to be incredibly strong. They started to have ridges which split at the top of the nail. But they now seem to be much better. I have been taking VitD, magnesium and zinc. Also taking pre and probiotics. I do use Mavala but that didn’t help much previously.

Instead of using OPI nail hardener try OPI Repair Mode. Applied every day for one week then a couple of times a week. My nails have been weak and flaky all my life and this was my last shot at trying to improve them - and it worked !! My daughter is now using it with the same great results. I am so proud of my nails now and that's just six weeks in.

I have had this problem and have also been using OPI’s Repair Mode treatment twice a day. It seems to be improving the condition of my nails after three weeks of use.

My nails used to split and flake all the time when I used nail varnish, but as soon as I stopped they improved and became strong. Now they grow quickly and I have to keep cutting them. I put nothing on them at all, just take supplements, cod liver oil, glucosamine, multivitamins, bilberry and Retinex for eye health.

fancythat

I make sure I eat at least 2 eggs a week, to keep my nails in a healthy condition.

I eat one or two eggs a day fancythat.

Wish they sold jelly cubes here. Another thing you can’t get in Australia, I suppose they would melt or something. We have to use powder ,not the same. At all.

Since taking vitamin d and calcium supplements my nails are strong and grow fast,they used to be flaking and splitting.