nail hardeners

[eyesore]

so what brand nail hardeners do you fingerpickers use?been using Nailtiques, but coming to the end of the bottle. I once used this Sally Hansen stuff but it smelled so strong that anyone I got near ; thought I spilled glue on myself. Any really good stuff ? Thanks.

[Malcolm Kindnes]

I use "Barielle" cream on my nails. It seems to make them stronger and I don't like the chemical hardeners.

[Dave Hicks]

I used Sally when I started clawhammer banjo (I eventually found a pick that I liked, though). However, my sense of smell is pretty much nonexistent.

D.H.

[eyesore]

Originally Posted by Malcolm Kindnes

I use "Barielle" cream on my nails. It seems to make them stronger and I don't like the chemical hardeners.

So does this stuff make a difference in your nails? thanks.

[Quickstep192]

I use hoof cream. I theorize that it actually works by making your nails softer

When my nails are more supple from using the hoof cream, they don’t crack or break.

[mcmars]

I used some of the nail hardener products for a brief time and would lay up the thin fabric that was like super thin fiberglass so I could play some gigs, but after a few month/year they started destroying my nails. I think all those nail hardener products are toxic and addictive in that once you start, you have to keep it up as they make your nails brittle. I tried a few but they all smell of superglue/cyano-type chemicals. Maybe someone here knows a good one??

Now I take these supplements and they really do work and help to strengthen my nails so they do not break and crack near as often as before. If I play hard, they can crack, so I try and tone it down and make sure I take them everyday for a week if I have an event coming up. Otherwise I do them half strength or so as they are pricey and I worry about getting too much of it.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[Malcolm Kindnes]

Originally Posted by eyesore

So does this stuff make a difference in your nails? thanks.

As I said, it seems to. It's hard to be definite about it as I have been using it for a long time at least once a day. I swim most days so my nails are quite soft.
I also take a hair, skin and nails supplement but it's difficult to know whether it actually works or not.

[difalkner]

My wife got some supplements for me and my nails went from less than paper thin to much thicker and very hard like they were when I was younger. It's Beautiful Ally Hair Skin and Nails and I take two each morning. It took a couple of months but that was over a year ago and my nails are still going strong.

[brancher]

Great thread! I am about a 75-80% fingerstyle player, have spend m any hours trying to keep my nails in good shape.

I tried everything, including acrylics (which actually made my nails LESS healthy), but eventually came to 'Hard as Hoof' cream, which seemed to work.
I also take Sally's or GNC's 'Hair and Nail' supplement, and those seem to help.

Of late, I have been using Vaseline Intensive Care 'Stronger Nails, Healthy Hands' cream. It comes in a pink tube and seems to do the trick for me.

Since starting with the Vaseline product, my nails seem a touch more robust.

ymmv

[eyesore]

Hard as hoofs had no effect at all. Just looking to try something else. Most of this stuff just seems like glorified superglue.and smells like it too.

[mcmars]

Originally Posted by difalkner

My wife got some supplements for me and my nails went from less than paper thin to much thicker and very hard like they were when I was younger. It's Beautiful Ally Hair Skin and Nails and I take two each morning. It took a couple of months but that was over a year ago and my nails are still going strong.

Same for me, this stuff really works. I also tried a few brands of biotin drops that helped a tad, but these supplements really do work for me and make the difference between playing fingerstyle or not.

[Malcolm Kindnes]

Originally Posted by eyesore

Hard as hoofs had no effect at all. Just looking to try something else. Most of this stuff just seems like glorified superglue.and smells like it too.

I found "Hard as hoofs" to be quite effective but you have to use these products over a very long period of time, unlike the chemical paint-on hardeners.

[eyesore]

Originally Posted by Malcolm Kindnes

I found "Hard as hoofs" to be quite effective but you have to use these products over a very long period of time, unlike the chemical paint-on hardeners.

Hi Malcolm; yes I used it for well over a year and never noticed any difference at all. I t smells nice though.

[Malcolm Kindnes]

Originally Posted by eyesore

Hi Malcolm; yes I used it for well over a year and never noticed any difference at all. I t smells nice though.

Well of course this is the problem with all these "natural" long term treatments, it's very difficult to evaluate the results. I think my nails are better with the treatment than without, but I may just be fooling myself. As I said, I do a lot of swimming in a cold lake so that definitely doesn't help.

[godfreydaniel]

I use Mavala Nail Shield:

https://www.mavala-usa.com/nails/nail-shield

I first heard about it on a classical guitar forum. It’s a 2-part product, but I only use the first part. I put on about 5 coats, letting it dry between coats, getting it on under the nail tips as well, then buff it out. I get it on Amazon.

It has a strong smell.