# Nail growth question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 14, 2008, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nail-growth-question/437649 "2008-02-14T20:41:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TroubleAgain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e480ec/32.png) [@TroubleAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroubleAgain)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2008, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nail-growth-question/437649/1 "2008-02-14T20:41:42Z")
I have extremely curved nails as you look at them from the fingertip–sort of “C” shaped. A few months ago, I was looking at them, and they seemed to be much flatter than normal. No “clubbing” like they describe in the medical articles on abnormal nail growth, just…flatter. More of a “(” than a “C”. Now they’re back to “C” shaped. What gives? What could have caused them to grow flatter, then more curved? I don’t think a vitamin deficiency explains it, as I’ve had no changes to my diet, and I have no symptoms of disease (really, I’m healthy as a horse for the most part!), so I’m not really looking for medical advice–I’m just curious as to what can cause a change like that. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2008, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nail-growth-question/437649/2 "2008-02-14T21:39:45Z")
Have you had any fake nails? The reason I ask is that when I was buying them, the package said it contained some flat nails, some regular. And the second part is, the damn things chewed my nails all to hell. I don’t think they’ll be the same until they fully grow out (split, peeling, thinning, etc.) However, I think they’re the same shape, C-wise, as they’ve always been. ---
**Author:** ![TroubleAgain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e480ec/32.png) [@TroubleAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroubleAgain)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2008, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nail-growth-question/437649/3 "2008-02-15T16:54:55Z")
I had been wearing fake nails, which I considered as a possible reason, but these were the “flex-fit” kind, so I don’t know if that did it or not. Probably did. The only time the fakes damaged my nails is if I picked at them until they popped off instead of soaking them off like a good, patient, little girl. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2008, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nail-growth-question/437649/4 "2008-02-15T18:50:35Z")
I must have poor fragile little nails because they really did a number on mine. The thumbnails are actually pitted down near the cuticle. I only had them on about a month, with a few days between sets.