A lot of people find that they are unable to grow out long healthy fingernails, there are several different reasons for this. You could have a calcium or iron deficiency. You could be causing too much damage or trauma making them crack or split. Over washing your hands is huge, it completely dries out your skin causing your cuticles to suffer which can affect the nail matrix which directly affects the growth of your nails. And one of the last reasons could be due to a fungal infection which will make your them brittle and make them flake off so they’re not able to grow.
There’s a common belief that by eating Jell-O or taking gelatin capsules will help strengthen and fortify your nails but this isn’t true. Our nails are composed of pure protein with high sulfur content. The protein that we do consume on a daily basis is then broken down into amino acids which are used to build the content of our muscles, organs, and the overall structures of our hair and nails. If your nails have deep indentations in the center of your nails similar to the shape of a spoon, or your nails are pale rather than pink these are all signs of nutrient deficiencies Try adding more calcium, vitamin d, and iron to your diet and you should see a drastic change in your nails.
Believe it or not, our nails are very porous, because of this they can become easily chapped and strained which can cause long-term damage to the matrix. Be gentle with your nails, apply a moisturizing lotion and be sure to give your cuticles a good massage every now and again. Don’t ignore your cuticles, they protect your nails from dirt and bacteria. If cut too short or removed completely this leaves your nails vulnerable allowing for infections to form which could stunt your nail growth. Because of how porous our nails are they can become easily chapped and dried out. Be sure you’re not overdoing it on the nail polish and removing all polish from your nails after at 5 days or so and letting your nails breathe in between manicure and pedicure sessions.
Be kind to your nails. Moisturize them, keep them out of harm’s way and the stress to a minimum. Keep them satisfied by getting all the natural nutrients your body requires and your nails will thank you by growing out healthy and strong!