Badly flaking nails

I find that a daily Vitamin D tablet through the winter has helped a lot. Sun (perhaps) in the summer does the job instead.

I wish you good fortune with all that you try. I’ve had this ongoing for years, biggest puzzle being why not my toenails too?
The only other supplement I’d suggest is collagen.
I too give in now and again and paint on Rimmel nail nurse followed by a coat of something plain and clear.
I thought when I retired from work and my hands weren’t constantly being washed it would improve sadly not. They’ve certainly had time to grow out.

Spinnaker

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.

That sounds really promising! Thank you for the info.

Thank you for all the suggestions. I’d never thought of some of these and will start a list for shopping. I can’t take magnesium or any off the shelf supplements as most don’t agree with various meds I’m on. But I do take daily vitamin D and C. I’ll check again about the magnesium, I read it can help with sleep, that would be a nice bonus.

Steelygran

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.

Thanks Steelygran. I have paid a fortune for the good hand creams, including an unknown one at a chemist who made his own. Skin’s lovely but hasn’t helped the nails.

aggie

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 !

Will Google about vitamin D3, I’ve never heard of that but I’ll see if I can try that. I’m glad it’s worked for you aggie.

I wonder whether you might have a calcium deficiency? Cows milk in the diet can be helpful, or you can buy calcium tablets. Worth researching?

I have tried creams, oils, powders, buffing, soaking in almond oil, vitamins B and D tablets and always wear gloves when washing up or cleaning with a bucket of water.

My nails are nice for the last three days or so of August and start to break off on 1 September. By Christmas they are in shreds. At Easter they are not much better and now, some time after Whitsun they are beginning to neaten up and grow again.

I was talking to my hairdresser last week about this and she said her nails had never been good but she recommended a nail oil which seems to work better than most.

The trick is to apply it every time you wash your hands, so at least 6 times a day, and to massage it in thoroughly. I have now got some of this and will try and get into the habit of massaging. It's my last hope. I've been fighting this battle since I was at least 16 and I'm 70 this year!

I also recently had my bloods checked and Vitamin D was deficient although I was taking vitamin D supplements. I have doubled the dose so maybe that will help.

The tablets I was taking were 1000 i.E. (not sure if that is a German abbreviation) but I have seen that you can get up to 25000 over the counter!

That’s a thought Davida1968. I drink whole milk so would be surprised, but it’s possibility. Anther one for the list to check out. Thank you.

JackyB

I have tried creams, oils, powders, buffing, soaking in almond oil, vitamins B and D tablets and always wear gloves when washing up or cleaning with a bucket of water.

My nails are nice for the last three days or so of August and start to break off on 1 September. By Christmas they are in shreds. At Easter they are not much better and now, some time after Whitsun they are beginning to neaten up and grow again.

I was talking to my hairdresser last week about this and she said her nails had never been good but she recommended a nail oil which seems to work better than most.

The trick is to apply it every time you wash your hands, so at least 6 times a day, and to massage it in thoroughly. I have now got some of this and will try and get into the habit of massaging. It's my last hope. I've been fighting this battle since I was at least 16 and I'm 70 this year!

I also recently had my bloods checked and Vitamin D was deficient although I was taking vitamin D supplements. I have doubled the dose so maybe that will help.

The tablets I was taking were 1000 i.E. (not sure if that is a German abbreviation) but I have seen that you can get up to 25000 over the counter!

Thank you JackyB, I’ll ask the chemist about that. I’m lucky in that they haven’t always been like this. It’s a relatively minor thing I know, but not nice and especially if you’ve put up with it always. Good luck.

I’ve been taking Vitamin D for the last 4 years and my dry, ridged, flaky nails are no more. I highly recommend.

dogsmother

I wish you good fortune with all that you try. I’ve had this ongoing for years, biggest puzzle being why not my toenails too?
The only other supplement I’d suggest is collagen.
I too give in now and again and paint on Rimmel nail nurse followed by a coat of something plain and clear.
I thought when I retired from work and my hands weren’t constantly being washed it would improve sadly not. They’ve certainly had time to grow out.

We’re definitely not alone in this dogsmother. I’m going to try everything that’s been recommended.

glammagran

I’ve been taking Vitamin D for the last 4 years and my dry, ridged, flaky nails are no more. I highly recommend.

Been in vitamin D for years glamgran, doesn’t help mine unfortunately.

Have you tried biotin tablets? I take them to help with thinning hair and found my nails improved as well. It is one of the D vitamins

MissInterpreted

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

Just ordered this online 👍 thank you MissInterpreted.

Llamedos13

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

Calcium is one I haven’t thought of Llamedos13, I’ll have to check if it will be ok with my meds. I already take vit D. Thank you.

Good point by OldFrill. Aside from that, Clean Collagen supplements can help (well they did for me).

Gin

Have you tried biotin tablets? I take them to help with thinning hair and found my nails improved as well. It is one of the D vitamins

Not Biotin Gin but I take Nourkrin for my hair, when I ran out I used Boots own for hair and and nails as it’s so much cheaper. I think it’s called Perfectil. I started to get a raging appetite with those, really bad, I was eating like a teen, hungry all the time. I hadn’t had a decent appetite in years. I found they have biotin in them which can increase your appetite so I stopped them after five months. I’m still struggling to shift the whole stone I put on in the five months of taking them. I couldn’t go to bed without something to eat first, it was crazy. My nails didn’t grow much in that time only my waistline 🙄. Must be different for everybody I think.

Spinnaker

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.

This one’s in my list thank you Spinnaker. I’m going to try everything (consecutively) to I get an improvement. Great it worked for you and your daughter.

Slightly off topic, I have a very bad lifelong nervous habit of picking the skin around my nails (as has my DD) to the extent I have spent lots of time with plasters on my fingers…

I now have acrylic nails done at a salon and can’t pick. Lovely nails, never have to think about them and worth every penny.
I wouldn’t bother if I didn’t have this problem and wish it was offered by the NHS!

Slightly off topic, I have a very bad lifelong nervous habit of picking the skin around my nails (as has my DD) to the extent I have spent lots of time with plasters on my fingers…

*:!'"

This is also one of my problems - perhaps not quite as bad as you hollysteers. It is definitely a genetic thing. I have very few memories of my paternal grandmother, but her fiddling with her cuticles is one very prominent one. My father combatted it with very strict self-discipline, but it came through to me. None of my children have got the habit, but they all seem to be obsessed with cutting their children's finger- and toe-nails.

Gin

Have you tried biotin tablets? I take them to help with thinning hair and found my nails improved as well. It is one of the D vitamins

I was going to suggest this too. Biotin tablets are excellent for nail health (and healthy hair)

I have taken iodine daily for years and have not gained any weight and I’ve not had an issue increased appetite.

Eating nuts, especially walnuts, almonds and peanuts (if you're not allergic to them) are good for strengthening your nails, also sunflower seeds. My nails used to be soft and bendy till I started eating nuts and seeds every day, now they are really strong

I have psoriasis which affects my scalp and nails .Weak slw growing.etc. A complete mess. Any suggestions please.