Help - I have ugly nails!

[blabla]

Ok ladies, here''s my question

I expect to be proposed to in the next month or so. So obviously i want my little bling to look fabulous on my fingers.
The problem is that my nails are really short and I tend to chew on them

I have gotten fake nails before but didnt like them. So the question is....how do I grow my nails long within a month? I promise i will try not to bite them but what else can i do? Any advice?

 

[larussel03]

you can definately grow decent nails in a month! I have this sally hansen "hard as wraps" polish that I use that really helps keep them from chipping and peeling and I file them once a week a little bit to make sure any uneven edges are gone. In a couple weeks you should have long enough nails to get a manicure (just a little bit of white to me is enough) and that will help you to keep your nails "in shape". I''m actually in the process of regrowing mine since 3 broke, so I cut them all off and am starting from scratch and they''re already getting long again and it''s beeen about 2 weeks since I chopped them all off.

 

[AmberWaves]

I am doing the same thing, we''re getting our stone in less than a month, and I started a post in Hangout a while back regarding this. It''s been about a month (I think) and i haven''t bitten anything, and my nails are definitely showing the tips now. I''m using Sally Hansen''s Triple Strong, since my nails get very weak and start to peel. It''s just a gloss that you apply two coats of (you could do one on the bottom, polish, and then another layer, or you could do just two layers of Triple Strong). Then you''re supposed to apply a new coat every 3rd day. On the seventh day, start over. I like it a lot, so far. I almost got the hard as wraps stuff too!

 

[JDgirl]

I''d get some Sally Hanson "Grow long nails" or "Instant strength". Make sure you keep them painted at all times, so you have less of a desire to chew. If you get a rough spot, file it right away so you don''t bite it off. Also, hand lotion is key. It''ll keep your cuticles soft and stimulate growth. And, you''ll be less likely to chew if your hands are soft and smooth. (Can you tell I used to bite my nails too?) Haha. Good luck! And don''t worry, a month is more than enough time!

 

[sunkist]

Date: 2/21/2006 3:14:41 PM
Author: JDgirl
I''d get some Sally Hanson ''Grow long nails'' or ''Instant strength''. Make sure you keep them painted at all times, so you have less of a desire to chew. If you get a rough spot, file it right away so you don''t bite it off. Also, hand lotion is key. It''ll keep your cuticles soft and stimulate growth. And, you''ll be less likely to chew if your hands are soft and smooth. (Can you tell I used to bite my nails too?) Haha. Good luck! And don''t worry, a month is more than enough time!

Yes, you should keep a nail file in your purse, have it with you at all times so you''re not tempted to bite. But I think a month is plenty of time to grow nails! I have to trim mine every week. You''ve got at least 3 weeks? You''ll have beautiful nails!

 

[Caribou]

I agree with everyone.

I am pretty good about keeping my nails looking good, but every once in awhile I get lazy about it. As soon as I use pretty much any Sally Hansen product (nail protein, strengthening, and the like) on my nails I notice a difference.

Another option, if you can afford it, get a manicure and keep it up so you will know that when he does pop the question you''re nails will look fabulous.

 

[nytemist]

I swear by NutraNail, the treatment and clear polish hardener. I naturally can grow claws but protected them with the clear polish- it''s awesome.

Sadly, when I start working in MT, I''ll have to keep them very short.

 

[Cailet]

great advice girls - I am a HORRIBLE nail biter myself

I need to get back on the "wagon" with keeping my hands looking a little better. That way when it comes actual time for my hands to take the spotlight I won''t have to worry!! (hopefully that will be sooner than Dec but who even knows anymore?!?)

 

[Selkie]

I cheated a little when we started going to jewelers to look at rings. I have the worst nails ever, since I chew them and they are also REALLY weak and break any time they get longer than a mm. Plus the nail on my ring finger is deformed from smashing it in a folding chair when I was nine. Lovely. I just filed them so they were smooth, and then put on a layer of light pink Sally Hansen Hard-as-nails. They looked a lot nicer despite being short.

 

[FireGoddess]

Definitely get a manicure first - even if your nails are really short - I find the cuticle cutting and all around TLC stimulate my nails to grow like gangbusters after a manicure.

I use Essie ridge filling basecoat. While I don't have ridges, my nails tend to peel or break sometimes, and it is a thicker coat of paint than a normal basecoat. I top that with 2 coats of my favorite polish and then Sally Hansen Hard as Nails topcoat. I find that combo tends to stay on my nails quite a while, and is pretty thick and protective. My nails do far better when painted....they break easily if not.

 

[blondie76]

I swear by Professional Cuticle Massage night cream by Revlon. If your skin is dry and you pick at it, the cream heals the red spots practically overnight! If I have little cuts and torn skin I won''t get a manicure (germs!) so I use the revlon stuff and it seems to work quickly. Also a mutlivitamin helps too since most of us don''t get enough water or 5 fruits and veggies- I''m lucky if I eat ONE a day! I find it hard to stick to a routine but girls we''ve got to keep our hands diamond-ready!

 

[Mara]

the other gals have great suggestions.... a month is definitely enough time to grow them...not sure what LONG means but i typically have longish nails within 3 weeks...the trouble for me is keeping them consistent and thick and not peeling!

calcium, aka chocolate milk as a fun snack i found made my nails REALLY hard and strong, and then the polishes that the others mentioned help too. no biting, good luck!

 

[firebirdgold]

One word ... hooves. Instead of stopping at a beauty supply store, I''d try stopping at a feed and tack store first. (preferbly one that caters to the english style crowd as they''re more queer guy-after) The conditioners used to strengthen horse''s hooves and to make them grow faster work miracles on human hooves... er, fingernails. Just don''t get anything that prevents thrush, ''k?

 

[akw94]

Those are good tips. I have to remember to buy some of that nail hardening stuff too. I have used the Sally Hansen stuff before and liked it. The nail growing thing is a new concern for me. I have had acrylic tips for years, literally years... Now, i''ve decided to try and grow them b/c 1)it''s soooo much cheaper and 2)I switched job locations and am it is very hard to get them done on a consistent basis. If it''s not consistent, I get annoyed w/the way they look. So i''m trying. My problem is picking at them. The first few weeks was really hard for me. Now, they''ve grown a little but my skin is very dry to it''s easy to pick at. Half the time, I don''t even realize i''m doing it until it''s too late. I have found that polish helps prevent the picking, although i''ve only been using clear b/c I feel weird using color w/short nails.
Keep working at it! I have to admit, I did think about how a ring would look on my finger and going ring shopping w/ugly nails so I will keep working at it too.

 

[snuga]

I think it just depends on your nails.. Sally Hansen NEVER worked for me.. not even a little bit. The only thing that works for me is Nailtiques- you can get them at specialty beauty stores.. It''s more expensive (10-20$ bottle) but I swear by it. It is the ONLY thing that has truly changed my nail strength and growth.

 

[green sparkle]

I love OPI Nail Envy for sensitve nails. I find that helps grow long and strong nails while preventing the peeling that often happens to me.

 

[blabla]

Ok so...apparently i have no need to be worried about my nails because my bf admitted to me last week that he hasn''t had ''time'' to go to the store to look at rings. How lame is that? We went looking more than a month ago when i tried some on to give him an idea of what i like and what looks good on my hands. I am losing my mind

I know he is telling the truth because he always opens up to me when he''s had a few beers. I am just so frustrated!

 

[Mandarine]

Bla...I''m sorry to hear that...boys will be boys I guess

. I don''t think they realize that for us, a month or a week, or a day does make a difference!

I posted recently that I knew my BF had started looking....with all the things he has going on right now I KNOW he''s probably putting this to the side and concentrating on getting everything else taken care of. I don''t think it''s because they are slackers...I just don''t think they realize that timing is important to us. For me it is important because of the time of year I want to get marrie din...and I''m afraid he will wait to long and I won''t have time to plan anything so it will eventually get postponed.

Did he say when he plans to start looking? or why he hasn''t??

M~

 

[blabla]

he jokingly(?!) told me that he was going to get the ring for VDay but then thought that might be cheesy. And now he says he''s been too busy to even go to the store? As luck would have it, we were thinking of a fall wedding and i cannot start planning until we are officially engaged (this is due to socio/cultural, family reasons). Does my frustration make sense or am I just overreacting?

 

[DonaBella]

Date: 3/17/2006 12:51:59 PM
Author: blabla
Ok so...apparently i have no need to be worried about my nails because my bf admitted to me last week that he hasn''t had ''time'' to go to the store to look at rings. How lame is that? We went looking more than a month ago when i tried some on to give him an idea of what i like and what looks good on my hands. I am losing my mind

I know he is telling the truth because he always opens up to me when he''s had a few beers. I am just so frustrated!

Blabla,

Don''t get discouraged...listen to what has been told to you about your nails and make that your pet project NOW so that when youe BF gets his act together, you will have the nails you want for that rock!

Even though he has shared through his "truth serum" (the beer) that he hasn''t got the ring yet doesn''t mean that he won''t soon...and you want to be ready.

I can tell it totally enraged you and it would me,too...but leave that alone and focus you and get out there, buy some nail hardening stuff--whatever brand you choose--and plan for those pretty nails!

Guys have absolutely no clue so much of the time about stuff that lands on us like a landslide, that to them is a pebble!!!

 

[Mandarine]

I completely think your frustration makes sense...specially because of the planning of the wedding!!! (my situation is similar in that sense).

I told myself that I am just not going to worry about planning...it was stressing me out to think that I wouldn''t have enough time. If I we can''t get married when we wanted because I don''t have time to plan...then so be it. I mean...this should be important to both of us....so he should know I need time to plan it!. I still have plenty of time...but I would get totally annoyed if I was thinking of Fall and I still wasn''t engaged...so I think your frustration is understandable.

I think you need to tell him this...I''m not sure how....maybe try to understand what other things he has going on?...maybe you can help get some other things off his plate so he makes the time to go?...

Good luck

 

[bstraszheim]

Last year I had weak, peeling/ splitting nails. I was having manicures done which made them look pretty, but did nothing for strength. Then in June of last year I had silk wraps put on, did not like the look of them so in August I had them removed and gel nails put on. They lasted about a month because they had NO give and I ripped half my natural nail off opening my car door because the gel didn''t break, my nail gave before the gel did! : ( I had them removed and tried the glue and dip method at home. Horrible to use and kudos to anyone who can get them smooth : ) I went to my better beauty shop (they sell the Essie and OPI brands of polish) and the guy there recommended this system: TRIND It was by no means cheap, each product is about $16 - $18 but they had a starter kit for $40. I decided to try it and it''s fantastic. For the first two weeks you do the whole routine every two days (If I recall correctly) and then for maintenance, once a week. I don''t even do it once a week anymore and I still have good, strong nails! For the first time I have to file my nails down rather than cutting 9 of them to match the 1 that broke off at the nail bed. It was expensive, but I bought it on 9.20.2005 and I have barely used 1 - 2/ 16th" in the bottles. The cuticle and nail balm are wonderful and sink right in.

Another thing that I think has made a huge difference is that I have bought this Essie Crystal Nail File and it really makes a difference, I doubt I would ever go back to the sand papery ones again. It''s not cheap and the small runs about $15 and the large is $20, but they do say that it is supposed to last forever. It is crystal though and could break, I keep mine in the little plastic container it comes in. If it falls, the plastic will take the brunt of the fall.

I think if you try some of the products mentioned and have results are see growth and pretty nails, that may discourage you from biting them.

I also hope your BF moves his butt and gets around to at least looking for a ring!

I wish you well,

Bridget

 

[glaucomflecken]

i swear by revivanail nail hardener since college, i stopped using it because i couldnt find it and got some the other day, and my nails already look better. also, they are pricey, but diamancel files are great!

 

[monarch64]

I don''t know about all the current products mentioned above, but I''ve had good strong nails as long as I keep them painted, whether it''s just clear polish/strengthener, or color. It seems like if I keep my nails protected with some sort of polish they grow...but no certain product I''ve tried has made them grow faster than normal.