Fingernail problem

Fingernails I *know* about (I used to bite my nails ferociously til about 18)!

A wife's tale is gelatin--we call it Jell-O over here.  I think you can get it in capsules form...

On the practical side:

Water--stay hydrated.  Spliting/cracking nails are a sign of dehydration.  When you wash/get your hands wet, dry them as soon as possible and put lotion/moisturizer on them, especially your cuticles (nail bed) where your nails grow from. Rub it in in that area; it will not only help the exsisting nail, but stimulate nail growth!!

Polish/varnish for exsisting nails--ya, sounds sissy, but get some clear nail polish/varnish and put a coat on your nails (or ask your girl) AFTER moisturizing them.  Seals it in and protects them from future damage.

^LMAO bushy!

Hi bolleauxp,if you do not live to far from a chicken farm,get a job there shoveling chicken poo all day,that shoud solve the biting problem . I have seen a couple of ladies that do use the stuff that they use on horse's hoves to condition them and they both swear by the stuff.

clip them regularly, this will help with the peeling (nails are made of hundreds of layers... get one layer peeling and the rest of the nail gets weak... by clipping them you will avoid a lot of problems).  Cuticle oil or a decent hand or face cream used at the nail bed will help (I personally prefer something with vitamin C for damage and regeneration on skin and nails - most swear by products with vitamin E but I personally disagree - that's my professional opinion).  Then take a swipe over the nail (avoiding the nail bed/cuticle area where the whitish half moon is present) with plain ole rubbing alcohol to remove excess oils.  And lastly, a ridge filler.  This is going to come in a "nail polish" form and you'll buy it from a beauty supply (or in any place that sells nail polish).  I say a ridge filler instead of a standard "nail strengthener" because the filler will strengthen while immediately hardening the nail and filling in any small cracks, crevices, ridges, and peeling locations on the nail.  If you know anything about construction.. think "floor leveler" The bonus to this is that they generally dry cloudy and not shiny so they don't look as "girlie"    After you've gotten the nails in nice shape, you can then either use a nail hardener or just get yourself a nail buffer type of file.  By buffing the surface of the nail to a shine you will keep any minor peeling to a minimum and help avoid any new peeling from the playing.  Moisturize just a little after playing to keep the nails from drying out too much and cracking.  And YES, washing dishes are a nail's worst enemy!  LOL!

You could also go to a nail salon and ask for a natural nail manicure.  A lot of men are doing these now.  They'll go through these same steps and you can generally buy the products you might need (strengthener or ridge filler and nail buffer) right there.

In the real world I am a licensed cosmetologist in the state of NY... Hair, skin, nails