Most people want strong, smooth nails that grow quickly and rarely ever break–and for a select few, that’s just the natural state of their nails! The rest of us will probably struggle with nail trouble at some point in our lives, be it brittle and flaky nails, discolored nail beds, or pronounced ridges. The greatest nail concern that will affect many of us, however, is even simpler to describe: nails that just won’t grow. Faced with this scenario, you might be tempted to do anything to make your nails grow faster, from buying a viral nail growth serum to concocting homemade remedies–but take it slow. First of all, it’s important to understand what might be affecting the growth rate of your nails. Only then will it be worth changing your nail care habits.
What do healthy nails look like?
Let’s start at the beginning and spend a little time talking about nail health: what do healthy nails actually look like? How do you know if your nails are unhealthy or damaged? To answer that question, take a look at the following details:
- Nail surface. Healthy nails typically have a smooth and shiny surface, without pronounced ridges;
- Color. On healthy nails, the nail beds are typically pinkish in tone, depending on the color of the skin. The free margin of the nail (meaning, the part that grows beyond the end of your fingertip) is white;
- Curvature. If you turn your fingertips towards you and look at your nails that way, they should exhibit a slight curve;
- Thickness. Healthy nails should be thick enough to resist bending, but not so thick that they can’t be cut;
- Cuticles. Keeping the cuticles in place, without cutting them or pushing them back, often contributes to maintaining healthy nails.
If your nails are too far off from these characteristics, you may have some work to do with your healthcare provider. Why? Because your nails are often a reflection of what’s happening in your body. Nutrient deficiencies, skin diseases such as psoriasis, or even fungal infections often manifest in your nails before you notice them anywhere else.
So that’s our first piece of advice: if you think your nails may be unhealthy, check with your doctor. If it turns out that you do have an underlying imbalance or health condition, addressing that problem will often be enough to help your nails regain their strength.
How to make your nails grow faster and stronger
So you’ve been to the doctor and your health is under control–now you can focus on nail care. If your goal is to make your nails grow faster and stronger, your main goal should be to keep them as close as possible to the ideal characteristics we’ve listed above. Here’s how to do that:
- Moisturize. Whether with your usual hand cream or with a cuticle oil or serum, the important thing is to keep your nails moisturized. This becomes particularly important after menopause, as the body begins to lose lipids and nails often suffer from the resulting dryness;
- Avoid external damage. This is easier said than done, of course (you can’t always avoid slamming a nail into a doorframe), but there are a few things you can do. If you have to handle allergens or irritants such as detergents, for example, wear rubber gloves to protect your hands and nails;
- Replace your usual nail polish remover with an acetone-free nail polish remover;
- Preserve the structure of your nails. Avoid pushing or removing cuticles, don’t file the surface of the nails (as this will make them thinner and increase the likelihood of them breaking), and don’t use sharp objects to clean under your nail beds;
- If your doctor approves, consider taking biotin and cysteine supplements. These supplements can help strengthen your nails and promote their growth, but remember that they must be taken for at least 3-6 months to produce optimal results.
The best nail growth serums (& more) to try at home
You’ve got your health under control and you’ve embraced some healthy nail care habits–now you can finally consider adding some nail growth products to your routine. From nail growth serums to supplements, we’re going to show you some products that have brought good results to our Care to Beauty community:
Nail serums & treatments
The ISDIN Si-Nails Nail Strengthener is a nail growth treatment that reduces nail surface imperfections and improves nail hardness, flexibility, and growth. In addition to moisturizing the nails and cuticles, the formula also increases the quantity and quality of silicon and keratin in the nails, for stronger nails. The pen applicator
makes for easy application and allows you to take the product with you anywhere.
The Ecrinal Nail Growth Care Fortifying Cream is a cream with a precision applicator that moisturizes, nourishes, and protects the nails against damage. The formula with silicium and ANP2+, a natural growth activator for nails, aims to stimulate nail growth while improving the look of the nails, leaving them healthier, smoother, and more uniform in appearance.
The Catrice Nail Growth Elixir Treatment looks like a nail polish, but it’s much more than a nail polish. Enriched with biotin, the formula supports natural nail growth, producing visible results after just 4 weeks. With just one application a day, followed by a short massage of the nails and cuticles, this product also contributes to healthier-looking nails, less brittle and prone to breakage, and with a smoother, more uniform appearance.
Infused with an exclusive Strong Nails complex that combines titanium and diamond, the Eveline Cosmetics Nail Therapy 8-in-1 Intensive Nail Conditioner is the solution for damaged, weak and brittle nails. In just 10 days, this in-depth nail conditioner helps repair and restructure the nails, all the while stimulating their growth and improving their appearance. If you’re struggling with discolored or uneven nails, try this nail conditioner!
Cuticle oils
As we’ve seen, maintaining healthy, well-kept cuticles is essential for nail health. Cuticle oils are a very popular product for this purpose, and have several benefits: they moisturize and soften the cuticles, help prevent hangnails, and also contribute in moisturizing the nails, which by association helps prevent breakage.
There are many types of cuticle oils out there, some made from a single botanical oil and others made from blends, some in nail polish-style packaging and others in a pen-type format. The most important thing is that you choose one that fits your budget and application preferences, and that you use it regularly!
Supplements for healthy nail growth
If your goal is to grow your nails as quickly as possible, supplements may be a good option for you. Nail growth and hair growth are quite similar in this way: if our goal is to encourage them, we have to work in two directions, externally with topical products and internally with appropriate supplements.
Now, the key word here really is “appropriate”: as we’ve seen, weak and brittle nails can be a sign of a health condition or imbalance, so it’s important to speak to your doctor before venturing into the world of food supplements. If you have a nutrient deficiency to address, food supplements might be a good way to help you recover and restore your healthy nail growth rate; if not, they might just become a useless expense (or, at worst, a source of confusion in your lab results!)
At the end of the day, nail growth is closely linked to nail health, so we advise you to focus on keeping your nails healthy before embarking on a grand scheme to make your nails grow as fast as possible in an unrealistically short period of time.
Think of nail growth as both an internal and external endeavor: you can support nail health internally by eating a balanced diet and monitoring your general health, and complement it externally with nail care products that nourish and protect your nails and cuticles. Looking for more tips on how to take care of your nails? You might enjoy our nail care routine guide.
