66-y-o female here. My nails won’t grow “long” because I have nibbled on them almost my entire life. I remember dreaming about putting my fingers into electric sockets when I tried to quit in the third grade or so.
So, they’re short. My cuticles are also a disaster. Constant hangnails.
My finger tips and palms look like … a desert. Dry & cracked. Like the Grand Canyon.
I’ve tried any number of OTC remedies / lotions, creams, things rubbed into or painted on to nails and cuticles, etc. Wearing gloves overnight w/hand cream doesn’t last, either.
I don’t know; I’m just about convinced that, like having good hair, having good nails is just a genetic thing. I’m with you in the weak nails and ragged cuticles camp. My very best stab at it is this:
I have a tin of balm on my desk. Right now it’s Trader Joe’s Head to Toe Balm, but I’ve also had the Burt’s Bees stuff. At least once a day–better twice–I goop my nails up, let it sit for a couple of minutes, then push my cuticles back.
I use Gold Bond lotion on my hands every night. Nothing else does a better job, not even fancy expensive hand creams.
Lastly, and this isn’t something I always do, but it certainly helps: regular professional manicures. You don’t have to let them paint your nails (in my case, polish exacerbates the weak fingernail problems), but they’ll clean up the dry and dead skin around your nails. Doing this regularly is probably your and my best chance of being Hand Models.
I have heard theories that nail strength really relies on nutrition. What that nutrition is, I don’t know. Prenatal vitamins? Fish oil? Gelatin? I’ve heard it all, tried most of it, and not seen a difference.
Not sure about your nails but for dry, cracked hands I recommend Mary Kay’s Satin Hands system. It is pricey but it did wonders for my father-in-law’s dry/cracked workman hands.
My tip: Use gloves when you wash dishes. Apply thick hand cream (I like Lush’s Ultrabalm, or even just coconut oil) to your hands before putting on the gloves. The warmth of the dishwashing water will help the balm absorb.
I’ll echo the recommendation for regular manicures. I also recommend drinking more water and maybe adding a biotin supplement to your diet. Don’t use very hot water to wash your hands, and consider using a humidifier.
My cuticles are always a mess. I find this helps a lot, provided I actually remember to use it. (Spoiler alert - I always forget to use it.) Regular manicures will definitely help a lot, if you’re willing to spare the expense. Despite having all the doodads and gadgets at home to do it myself, it never looks as good as when I pay somebody.
Yep, this. I regularly get pedicures, and it’s rather inexpensive for about the hour of time they spend pampering your feet.
Manicures for me last about a week, so I can’t justify the expense all the time. You can ask for a non-polish manicure, where they will trim and file your nails, buff, and trim up the cuticles.
Have you tried glycerin? You might have to order it; I no longer can find it in the few drug stores I have access to. It actually draws moisture to your skin. That’s my first choice; then coconut oil. If you can find one that’s affordable, a hot parafin bath is fandamntastic. Slather lotion on your hands, then 4-5 dips into the hot wax. Pull on the protective plastic mitts, and stick your hands into a thick pair of oven mitts. Close your eyes and drift until the wax has cooled.
I’ve tried any number of OTC remedies / lotions, creams, things rubbed into or painted on to nails and cuticles, etc. Wearing gloves overnight w/hand cream doesn’t last, either./QUOTE]
Underline mine. You need to find something which does make a change and keep using it. You don’t expect to never get thirsty, right? Think of your skin as being thirsty; it needs to keep being given drinks. At your age, skin will if anything get dryer, get used to keeping that bottle of balm handy.
Ok. Stop biting. You have to stop biting. That is doing your nails no favors.
Now just because someone says “balm works” or “oil works” or “lotion works” does not mean it will work for you. This will require some research - you need to try a bunch of different lotions and see which ones will work best with your body chemistry. Me, I ended up with Aveeno lotions. Everyone says crap like Eucerin but Eucerin doesn’t do it for me.
For the hangnails, clip them neatly. Get a hangnail clipper. Get three and keep one in your purse, in your home, etc. Same with nail clippers. And a file. Never ever bite or tear your nail. If you have a file nearby, just file them real clip. Never pull a hangnail or bite it off, cut it cleanly.
I also have a bottle of lotion everywhere I go. In the car, at home, at work. So I can apply it at any time. Definitely apply it shortly after the shower - not right after, I find it doesn’t work. Oh, and get sensitive soap for the shower, too. And yes, wear gloves when washing dishes.
What else? Drink more water, yes, and make sure you are getting all of the vitamins and such you need. Make sure you are eating healthy. Nails are our first indication in many cases that something is wrong. Diet will change how your nails look.
Manicures. In my town it’s $13 so $20 with tip. Don’t be embarrassed, they’ve seen it all. You may have to try a few manicurists before you find one you like. I told mine flat out that I will nibble and chew my cuticles until they bleed and she needed to get it all off. And she does. No cuticle, no temptation. And no desire to bite them anymore, I mean they look so nice!! She got rid of the horrible ridges from biting and cuticle destroying, it’s so worth it. Plus it’s kind a relaxing me time–I actually turn off the phone and just chill.
Anaamika, are you me? This is what I do to a T. I have dry, dry peeling cuticles, and I’ve found that Aveeno unscented lotion is the only thing that really helps. Eucerin doesn’t cut it. I buy those little travel-size bottles of Aveeno, and keep them everywhere: next to my bed, in my office desk drawer, in the car, in my purse, you name it. I have three cuticle nippers for bedside, office, and next to the sofa. This keeps the problem manageable, but doesn’t cure it. Nothing cures it.
Now to find something equally helpful for my chronic chapped lips.
I had one manicure and HATED it. As for my feet, no one touches those. I learned how to do a proper mani/pedi myself because I find the skin around my toes and fingers is too thin for other people to wield a file around there.
I use Eucerin Intensive Repair for my hands (I have psoriasis) and Nailtique Formula 2 for my nails. I recently had to file mine down because they were getting too long. This stuff works. http://www.nailtiques.com/products.asp?CategoryID=1
No, it won’t cure it, but it will drastically reduce it. I still get hangnails but since I clip them instantly, I don’t find they bother me.
Lips - drink more water. I mean waaaay more water. And use chapstick, but lightly. And cut down on the lipstick, if you wear it, I find it just ruins your lips if you wear it daily, no matter what they say.
I agree; whatever you do you have to keep doing it. You can’t use something for a week or two, get your hands in nice shape and then call it good. Its a constant thing.
I started taking Biotin for my hair after I lost a bunch after a surgery, and a side benefit was stronger nails. I take 10,000 mcg/day. I also be sure to get enough protein.
In case someone else can use this tip for lips. I was having trouble with dryness as well. I was talking to a wonderful beautician* who said to stop using lip balm with SPF because it’s drying. I thought she was nuts. I walk a LOT and slather the stuff on because of course I don’t want burned lips! I decided to take a leap of faith, used non-SPF lip balm for a few days and all my problems disappeared. I have lovely lips now and that’s all it took. I never would’ve thought that!
I met her at a cancer survivorship conference I attended. She donates a lot of her time and knowledge helping cancer patients. One of the most lovely people I’ve ever met.
Do you need to wash your hands constantly all day due to your job? If not, I suggest you look at your diet instead of messing about with lotions. Animal people know that the first thing you look at when the skin and coat look bad is the diet, because healthy skin comes from a healthy diet. Do you eat a low-fat diet? If you do, I suggest you stop. Do you eat a relatively low protein diet, like many women? If so, I suggest you stop. It’s also possible you are deficient in certain minerals, such as zinc. Many people find their skin dramatically improves when they stop consuming dairy products.
I agree, I have had my hands in harsh chemicals and done hard physical work all my life. I was a diesel truck mechanic. My hands have always been nice even at 68 years old. I do nothing for them at all. I say look at diet.
Maybe that’s the problem I hear with a lot of people! “I use lip balm all day and I’m still dry”. I have never used lip balm with SPF, ever. Of course it dries! But then again I’ve never had burned lips…? Are you very light-skinned? I ask out of amusement and out of a real curiosity. I didn’t even know you could get burned lips, but I am caramel-colored.
Spamforbrains is right about diet though. Definitely look at your diet. I do drink milk every day but I don’t eat any yogurt or anything. I do eat meat, I try to eat at least one meal a day with meat. You do need that protein!
It never even occurred to me that SPF is drying. I’m very pale so I use a lot of it and I haven’t had a dryness problem with my skin. Just my lips. I don’t think I’ve burned them but I thought that was because of my judicious use of lip balm with sunscreen.
Keep nail clippers with you wherever you go. I found one of my bite triggers is nail length. I cannot stand long nails, so I keep them just below the tips of my fingers. Once I feel them hitting the keys when I type (my nails, not my fingers) out come the clippers before I get the urge to chew. (It also helps that all that orthodontic work I had when I was a kid has vanished due to the passage of time and my teeth have shifted so I can’t bite my nails easily anymore–that’s effective, but I don’t recommend it.)
