When I tell you I was an terrible nail-biter for well over a decade I'm not lying and its a common misconception that these years of biting can do damage to future nail growth (from my experience anyway). I really wish I had a "before" photo to show you but I doubt I ever would even think to take a photo of them when they were so badly bitten.The hardest part is giving up the habit of biting them which isn't actually that hard once you start to see an actual nail tip growing after what feels like a lifetime. Then comes the task of maintaining this without your nail falling to pieces - chipping and cracking and flaking every time you touch something. So here's a couple of tips that come in handy!
1. USE A CUTICLE OILS AND HANDCREAMS!
A very easily forgotten part of looking after your nails is to revitalise them with hand creams and oils as this will help to prevent flaking. This is extremely important after drying out your nail with nail polish remover, water etc. The cuticle oil and handcream I use regularly are from the BODYSHOP's Almond Hand Care Range and they smell absolutely delicious, an added bonus!
2. KEEP THEM PAINTED!
Another common phrase I hear is "Oh no! You need to let your nails BREATHE" and I honestly don't think my nails need to do that when they are technically dead the moment they appear from my nail bed. So, ignoring this comment, my nails are so much stronger when painted - even if this is just a clear layer or two of base coat and top coat. When doing this its also very helpful to "wrap" the nail polish around and under the tip to prevent it peeling!
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| Revlon Colourstay Gel-Envy Nail Polish. |
Although any type of polish on your nails can help to keep them stronger, I've definitely found using a "gel" type nail polish is a lot better. My definite favourite "gel" polish is the Revlon ColourStay Gel-Envy nail polish which you can read about here.
4. CUTTING AND FILING.
Another tip I'd give to someone trying to grow bitten nails is to keep them short at first. For one, it takes some getting use to having longer nails which means you may break them easier and, secondly, the nail may be a little weak at first to withstand being longer. Also, make sure to file in one direction rather than back and fourth as this is more likely to cause cracks and splits in the nail. For someone prone to nail biting, having a nail file on hand can prevent this if a nail does happen to break!
5. REMOVING NAIL POLISH!
To make nail polish removal easier, you can prep for this by using a peel-off base coat which could reduce the use of nail polish removers altogether. However, if you do use a nail polish remover, make sure this is acetone free as to reduce dehydration and flaking! If you tend to switch up your nail polish regularly, a peel-off base coat would definitely be your best option!
There are plenty more things I'm sure you can do, especially nutritional wise, to grow strong, healthy nails but these five tips I find help me out massively!
Thank you for reading as always,
Holly Amber X
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