I am a male of somewhat advanced years. My diet is healthy and I take vitamin supplements just in case.
Lately I have been spending a lot of time working on various projects around the house, and my fingernails are suffering. They seem to chip and tear at the slightest provocation, and working on projects is more than a slight provocation. Some of them are down nearly to the quick and still chipping, and there’s nothing left to clip or file off.
So it seems there are two avenues of approach: external and internal. For external, I am currently trying Sally Hansen Advanced Hard As Nails (looks like clear nail polish), but I am not overly optimistic. Plus it looks like I’m wearing nail polish, which is not really my thing.
What about internal? I’ve heard for years about taking gelatin, but I am not familiar with any scientific support for this. I checked the article on fingernails in Wikipedia, and it did not mention gelatin at all. It did mention a lack of linoleic acid as a possibility, so I guess I can start taking Omega 3-6-9 oil supplements again.
How about you, mass of dopers? Any positive experiences to relate on how you repaired your ragged nails?
Roddy
Biotin supplements helped my nails tremendously - they used to be very brittle and would chip or peel quite easily. Taking one every day has made a big difference, as has using a cuticle cream at night. Doesn’t have to be anything fancy, but something thick and rich rubbed into the nails before you go to sleep seems to help the cuticles be healthier, which does seem to translate to healthier nails as well.
Moisturize. Moisturize like it’s your job - it’ll help your cuticles, which protect the nail making stuff under them, which will help your nails. You want nails to be strong, but flexible, so moisturize. If you really want to get after it, search out a cuticle cream or butter (Burt’s Bees makes one) or cocoa butter (because it’s more manly; there’s also the hoof-related products like “Hard as Hooves” or some such) along with a cuticle oil (even simple olive oil will work) and put on both multiple times a day. But even simple hand or body lotions will help.
I’ve heard that biotin can help strengthen nails and help them grow - there’s various formularies under the “Hair, Skin, and Nails” category. That said, I don’t take them myself, and I do hear that they can cause breakouts and acne. If you do go this route, apparently taking them with gobs of water helps on the breakout front.
You could also try other nail treatments - on MakeupAlley’s nail board, one favorite is NailTek’s Foundation II. (There’s other products out there that are similar.) As far as I know, this dries slightly cloudy (because of the ridge filling property) and possibly a little matte, so it won’t look like clear nail polish on. That said, it’s kind of an expensive $11 if you buy it and don’t like the look. I use Nail Magic, available at Sally Beauty Supply. IMO, it dries less shiny than the SH product you’re using, and could be an option.
Generally, any ridge-filling base coat will be “milkier” and may dry to a more matte finish, which could be an option to check out. Putting some sort of polish/product on them will help simply by adding an additional layer.
Hard as Hooves is based on a product for horses called Hoof-flex. I don’t know why but my years of showing horses were the best years of my nails life. If you want to be really manly you can go to a farm supply store and buy the horsey smelling version.
On second thought, Nail Envy contains formaldehyde. Isn’t that a carcinogen? Does it matter that it’s in the form “Tosylamide Formaldehyde Resin” (i.e. does that make it non-carcinogenic)?
Roddy
Formaldehyde is a common nail polish ingredient, but I think if nail polish were causing cancer, it would have shown up in salon workers, who are exposed to a heck of a lot more of it than the average polish user.
That being said, some people are allergic to formaldehyde, and there are nail products that don’t contain it.
I suggest wearing gloves while doing your projects, either the reusable household kind or spring for a box of non-latex medical gloves such as nitrile or polypropylene. You’re probably stripping out all the moisture, so as others said be sure to moisturize frequently. Wash well after a project even if you wear gloves.
To clean windows with ammonia I still have to double-glove or my nails are ruined.
I wouldn’t buy at the local store as they are pricey. Online you should be able to get a box of 100 for less than $10.
FWIW, I’ve never had any nail product help my nails.
I use gloves when I can, but did you ever try to smooth out a line of caulk with gloves on? Messy. However, I’m sure you’re right that the projects are drying out my hands even more than usual. So I am adopting a new moisturizing regimen. Maybe I’ll even get some of those white cotton gloves to wear at night.
It’s a good thing I am both gay and secure in my masculinity, otherwise the above would be cringeworthy.
Roddy
The formaldehyde in nail polish is formaldehyde resin, not formaldehyde itself. I don’t know all the details (for more info, see this blog post and this one too), but the general gist is that because the resin is a different chemical makeup from the straight stuff itself, it’s not carcinogenic. While some nail hardeners (instead of nail polishes) contain straight formaldehyde, it’s usually in such low percentages (1-3%) that it’s not harmful - you’d have to drink bottles and bottles and bottles of the stuff to cause any problems (though it can be irritating to skin). In short, the formaldehyde resin in nail polish and the formaldehyde in nail hardeners is safe as houses, and acts to strengthen your nails by providing more cross-bonds in the keratin that makes up the nail.
Why do manufacturers use formaldehyde in nail hardeners? Simply put, it works. Overuse can cause the nail to become brittle, however - this is where the moisturizing comes in.
Obviously, do your own research and use the products you’re comfortable with, but there’s really no reason to fear the nail hardeners that use formaldehyde.
And after rereading, I see that the Nail Envy product uses formaldehyde resin. Safe as houses - the resin is a completely different chemical and is not carcinogenic. Feel free to purchase.
For those projects that you find difficult to do with gloves on, I would suggest finding some hand cream with silicon in it, such as Avon’s Silicon Glove. I used it religiously when I tended bar (washing all of those glasses can really strip you hands and nails of moisture) and even now, keep a tube of it in my studio for when I use stuff to clean brushes and stamps.