Crumbling nails.

I have this problem and mine is caused by psoriasis under the nails. Perhaps you should ask your GP

I find the Hair, Skin and Nails tablets from Holland and Barrett a great help. Worth trying.

Work on it from inside, Eat things containing calcium and gelatin. The advice used to be to eat a square a day of a block fruit jelly (the kind you dissolve in boiling water to make a table jelly) plus milk, cheese, yoghurt etc, not together, obviously, unless that is what you fancy. I am not sure whether those jelly blocks have real gelatin in them any more, or if is is now caragheen or agar agar.

See your GP too.

OPI Original Nail Envy. Approximately £12.00 a bottle and worth every penny.

I have the same problems as OP with my nails and like Greciangirl have tried lots of things with little improvement. Has anyone else tried OPI Nail Envy as recommended by Chewbacca? I had never heard of it and looked it up online and it seems to have very good reviews.

I think a lot of it is just "getting older". Mine are exactly the same unfortunately. Over the last couple of years I've tried all the Hair-Skin-Nails supplements, but after months there has been zero result. I've used all the paint-on products with similar results. I've got to the stage where I just trim them short and keep them buffed and smoothed with a buffer. If anyone can recommend something which actually works I'd be happy !

Have them professionally done with gel / shellac at a nail salon. It’s expensive and does tie you in, but does solve the splitting nails problem. Plus looks nice.

Have you got any other problems ie thinning hair, tiredness, weight gain? I consulted my GP years ago with the nail issue, had a blood test to discover an underactive thyroid, since taking the meds my nails are better.

I can thoroughly recommend OPI's Nail Envy....

Greciangirl I had this problem and also tried everything that you have tried to no avail as well as the nail envy which did cover it up but it was only when I started taking really hefty doses of vitamin d accompanied by magnesium that it has started to get better. My nails are much more robust now and are starting to look good again. I keep away from nail varnish/polish too nowadays as it seems to suck the life out of my nails but they now look good enough not to need to cover them up anyway,
We all need vit d but I found the recommended dosage totally inadequate. When I realised this I increased it by starting off at 10,000 per day for a couple of months and now take one of those every other day taking it down to 5,000. I needed the magnesium to be able to utilise the vit d and have that in a cream form which works quicker and better. I don't feel as tired either now and do not intend reducing my intake at all. My coz was admiring my 'nice nails' when she was with me on Friday so job done I think. [ smile]

Synonymous which Vit D tablets are you using please?

My nails start to break and split on 1 September every year regular as clockwork. It's definitely due to vitamin D deficiency, you wait, they'll be lovely in the summer.

PS Last year mine did grow longer and stay like that for a few weeks more because of the extraordinarily long summer we had.

I have just started using the hair skin and nail supplement from Holland and Barrett but it's too soon to say if it's helping yet.
The glass nail files are awful things unless you buy the really really expensive ones with diamond in it. My mil paid £42 years ago for hers. I've tried many many cheaper ones from £4 to £10 and they wreck my nails. I now use the professional disposable ones from a wholesalers my dil has access to at about £2 each .
I always used to have a cube of jelly a day . Are they still the same ingredients of years ago though?

I urge people not to take very large doses of vitamin D without it being prescribed by a doctor. You can take too much and the body does not excrete it. Recommended daily intake is a lot lower than what you think, google effects of taking large doses.
My prescribed vitamin D3 is just 800IU.

Mine are terrible but I swim most days and had put it down to that. Then I read your post JackyB and realised mine do this more in winter. AND I havn't been taking my vits lately.

I found that Nail Envy worked well for years, but suddenly the nails started splitting and I changed to Nailtiques Formula 2 - available on line from you-know-who.They are now in much better condition than at any time in the past 50 years! May be something to do with AdCal, calcium/vitD supplement, prescribed to prevent osteoporosis. I don't have manicures but enjoy doing my own.

Greciangirl, do you consume milk? Between us, DH & I get through ten pints a week of semi skimmed. (Daily porridge plus drinks). Also six eggs a week are shared. Both of us have strong and fast-growing nails. I also use gloves for as many jobs as possible and have hand-cream to hand, around the home. And I only use nail varnish for special occasions. All of these might help?

I suggest you stop using all the various preparations you mention in case you are allergic to them and thus making the problem worse.

Increase your intake of calcium and vitamin D (our bodies only absorb calcium if we have enough vitamin D. )

I hope it helps, although I admit is hasn't stop my problem with thinning hair.

Please NOT take overdoses of vitamins - it is dangerous! Unless you are prescribed a higher dose by your doctor, you should take no more than 10 micrograms per day or 400iu (international units). As for the nails, I would keep them short, moisturise the cuticles with something simple like E45 and be patient. It takes a good 6 months to see a definite improvement, as I can attest after chemotherapy. I had haemorrhages under the nail bed and the nails split and broke off. 13 months after completing chemo, my nails are just about back to normal.

Rub almond oil onto bare nails every night. It really worked for me. Don't wear nail polish all the time.

Last year, I took vit D religiously all winter, and my nails were much improved. At this time of year we have the lowest Vit D stores, so a daily dose really seems to help.

I havent been able to use nail polish during my working life simply because we were not allowed to, being Nurses, but now I love using it and had my nails constantly covered for a month or so leading up to Christmas, and then they became flaky, splitting and generaly awful.I havent used nail polish,since Christmas, and my nails are getting back to normal of sorts, I realised they need air to them, I use daily vitamin suplements so get the Vit D I need, my hair is thick and grows quickly, and I am generally in good health thankfully, so maybe the answer is dont leave nails covered for too long.

I take a daily vitamin D tablet, and have done for a good few years.
My hair is thinning, but I’ve lost weight, not put it on.
Had thyroid tests a couple of years ago. All came back normal.
I occasionally wear clear nail hardener varnish, but not all the time.
I think a lot of problems with my nails is to do with the cold weather, maybe. I could be wrong.
I tried all sorts of vitamin supplements but they make no difference.
I have milk in tea and porridge and eat an egg a week.
Generally my diet is good. I eat very little red meat and some chicken,.
Thanks for all your advice, but I am reluctant to buy any more nail products as I have spent enough already.

crystal I think gel nail polish damages the nails but shellac is supposed to be OK. You can buy the remover in Boots so don't have to go to the salon to get it taken off.

I have terrible nails, take the H & B stuff but hasn't helped. Not sure nail strengthener does anything to the health of nails but think it might make it harder to break them. I'll try the OPI one as dil loves all the OPI stuff.