A way to make nails stronger?

[fregly]

Originally Posted by mercy

I would think that anything left on your nail all the time would weaken the nail to uselessness.

Has not been my experience using artificial nails for years.

[Dogsnax]

Originally Posted by TRose

1) Daily Biotin supplements
2) Not clipping my nails but filing them.

It requires a bit of patience, but taking one Biotin (5,000 mcg) daily has transformed my nails - much stronger and thicker. It's an inexpensive and regarded as a safe supplement for most people.

[Don Grimm]

I play everyday with just my nails and used to have trouble with them breaking or tearing. About twenty years ago I started eating a small tub of commercial yogurt (the kind with added gelatin) every morning with fruit. It really seems to strengthen my nails. It also makes it harder to cut your toenails as well. I doubt that this would work for everyone, but it has sure helped me.

[mercy]

So Fregly, Im just wanting to know. Have you had your art nails off recently and theyve been normal, your able to play guitar with them? I tried acrylics once for a short while and in just that short time my nails were flexible and thin. Im assuming that happens to everyone and many many have reported the same.

[fregly]

Originally Posted by mercy

So Fregly, Im just wanting to know. Have you had your art nails off recently and theyve been normal, your able to play guitar with them? I tried acrylics once for a short while and in just that short time my nails were flexible and thin. Im assuming that happens to everyone and many many have reported the same.

I have not played with my real nails for years. They just were never tough enough for steel string. Comparing them to my regular uncovered nails I see no difference. I have the fake ones off regularly for short periods and would notice. Hardly scientific. Perhaps they become weaker, I just have not observed it and always wonder what people mean when they mention nail problems after fake nail use. With me the initial thing was my nails were not much use without some kind of armor.

By the way, I make nails from ultex picks. I might be an outlier in this as I have never heard anyone else doing it. Absolutely indestructable and great tone.

[SColumbusSt]

Eat a bowl of Oatmeal for breakfast. No joke, it works. It makes my nails grow like crazy. I have to file them every week. Tastes good and lowers your blood pressure as well.

Keith

[AcousticDreams]

So glad this thread came up today. I was about to start a thread asking about the effectiveness of vitamin supplements for nails.

With The positive Testimony of Biotin, I will start taking right away.

I have been using, Sally Hansen's Triple Strength for a few years now. A Sally Hansen product specialist told me that reviewers had told them that Triple strength worked the best for Guitar. However, chips and wear down can still happen even wearing this protection. It works to a degree, but certainly not bullet proof. Especially since I use a slightly heavier set than medium gauge and strum with the back of my nails as well.

However, I have been covering up the entire nail. So now I will switch and only cover up half the nail in order to let the nail breathe as others have recommended.

And while I am at it I think I will also try the Hard as Hoof recommendation as well. Can not hurt to alternate and one week use Triple strong and the next week use Hard as Hoof.

[AcousticDreams]

Originally Posted by TRose

What has worked for me is:
1) Daily Biotin supplements

Originally Posted by Villamarzia

Almost exactly my routine: biotin, My nails doubled in thickness in a few months but especially the sound has improved and I never chipped them even if I do lot of gardening and other stuff.

I was at Costco today and they had on Sale a product called Nature's Bounty. In Big letters on the box= Extra Strength Hair, Skin & Nails. Has all kinds of things in it including 5000 biotin.

What Brand of Biotin supplement do you guys recommend? How the supplements are extracted sometimes makes a difference.

[TRose]

Originally Posted by Knives&Guitars

I was at Costco today and they had on Sale a product called Nature's Bounty. In Big letters on the box= Extra Strength Hair, Skin & Nails. Has all kinds of things in it including 5000 biotin.

What Brand of Biotin supplement do you guys recommend? How the supplements are extracted sometimes makes a difference.

I can’t recommend any particular brand. I have been purchasing biotin supplements at my local drug store. They have not been able to consistently carry the same brand of supplements- might be pandemic related as of late. Vitafusion, Nature’s Bounty, and the store brand have been what I’ve used.
Hope that’s helpful,
Tom

[Villamarzia]

I also changed the biotin brand a few times and never had noticed any difference, it just works.

[Picking Moose]

Originally Posted by mercy

I would think that anything left on your nail all the time would weaken the nail to uselessness.

Originally Posted by Malcolm Kindnes

Sadly this is true.

I have been using acrylics on nails for over 6 years now. All year round, all the time.
My nails are as good as ever. They grow same as the nails on the non picking hand, same colour, same rate.
But I have the acrylic applied by an expert (and she's very good too.. I tried many with variable results).
But don't think I didn't try or use other systems. I tried them all. I have been fingerpicking for more than 40 years.
Learned to pick with metal fingerpicks in the 80's out of desperation.. used superglue+paper during my classical guitar studies at Music College.. table-tennis balls.. silk sheets.
Then 6 years ago I tried acrylic. Never looked back. Best finding ever for my playing!!

[Silly Moustache]

About a century ago I had thin fragile nails and thick hair.
I was told to eat lots of cheese!

Now my nails are thick and my hair is thin.

I file my nails about every three/four days, not a lot, just enough to keep them on edge!

Frankly a good, moderate diet with planty of protein and fresh veggies will probably give you all the biotin you need.

[Picking Moose]

Originally Posted by Silly Moustache

About a century ago I had thin fragile nails and thick hair.
I was told to eat lots of cheese!

Now my nails are thick and my hair is thin.
I file my nails about every three/four days, not a lot, just enough to keep them on edge!
Frankly a good, moderate diet with planty of protein and fresh veggies will probably give you all the biotin you need.

Aahh... sorry but I don't think it always works quite that way.
Perhaps what you say is true if, by default, you don't eat enough proteins and taking more will balance the diet and allow the body to strenghten the weak parts, which is not my personal experience, unfortunately.
I have been weight training for more that 35 years and I follow what most would call a high-proteins diet ever since.
In those 35 years of training and diet I built over 40 pounds of muscles but my nails stayed just as weak as always.
I think this has to do with what the body does with food. In other words, where the food components are send in the body when we eat.
I suspect that if my body does not send much (too little) proteins (keratine) to the nails it doesn't matter how much proteins I eat. The body will send what's needed to every body part except the nails (the bustard).

[jklotz]

My teacher, back when I studied classical, used to say that eating Jello on a regular basis would help, but I never tried it.

[Malcolm Kindnes]

Originally Posted by Picking Moose

I have been using acrylics on nails for over 6 years now. All year round, all the time.
My nails are as good as ever. They grow same as the nails on the non picking hand, same colour, same rate.
But I have the acrylic applied by an expert (and she's very good too.. I tried many with variable results).
But don't think I didn't try or use other systems. I tried them all. I have been fingerpicking for more than 40 years.
Learned to pick with metal fingerpicks in the 80's out of desperation.. used superglue+paper during my classical guitar studies at Music College.. table-tennis balls.. silk sheets.
Then 6 years ago I tried acrylic. Never looked back. Best finding ever for my playing!!

In my experience the problem only presents itself when the acrylic nails are either removed or come off for some reason. I also had my acrylics applied and maintained by a professional salon and they were terrific for a couple of years, but when they came off my real nails were a disaster. It may be a good idea to just cover the tips, as has been suggested earlier.