How do ya’ll properly grow and maintain your nails?

15 comments

1. I’m a dude who wants to grow my nails a little but I’m not quite sure what sort of things I should be doing to maintain them. I just don’t want em to get nasty or gangly looking and hopefully someone knows a way to help keep them from breaking. Any tips or anything would be greatly appreciated, and also if you have anything I definitely shouldn’t do either that would be great. Thanks

2. Keep them hydrated. Try not to use them as tools, especially when they’re wet. Wear gloves when washing dishes/etc. Sometimes it helps for me to just keep them painted so I don’t peel them.

3. I use this keratin polish after I take off acrylics and it helps them get healthy again pretty fast

4. Clip wet, file dry. I find a squared tip with the corners slightly rounded is a pretty durable shape. If they’re a little thin, a powder dip mani adds a lot of structure and doesn’t do as much damage as gel (in my experience). Any polish will help you adapt to not using them roughly or as tools – you’ll start noticing how you operate your hands a little more if you’re trying to avoid wrecking a manicure. (I recommend Orly)

5. One of the most [entertaining videos on the subject.](https://youtu.be/9Mn-5pWLErg)

   I swear by jojoba oil, keeping my nails polished and minimizing contact with water while doing chores.

6. Keep them filed to avoid snags, keep them moisturized, and nail polish helps protect. The nail polish is a wee bit controversial, but since I like mine painted, if one breaks, I just use the polish to put it back. I also use nail polish to stop me from biting them, and use a bracelet or necklace instead. I have anxiety, so peeling and biting them is a habit.

7. Always keeping polish on them (even if it’s just a base coat), lotion, cuticle oil, eating a variety of fruits and veggies

8. I’m pregnant, taking prenatal vitiams, and I’ve noticed my nails are healthier than ever. Usually they’d peel off lol.

   But I use this nail hardener polish, keep the edges filed neatly so they’re less likely to snag on things. Even though you’re a guy you can still take vitamins that strengthen your nails and promote growth!

9. Unless you have to to take off acrylics or something NEVER use polish remover with acetone

   My nails went from puny and splitting to thick and tough when i started finishing each polish with cuticle oil drops. They make polish dry faster, too. Use daily whether you decide to polish or not.

   Taking collagen supps daily makes your nails and hair thick and skin stay younger too.

   I use a base coat, 2 coats of Polish and a coat of top coat (or just 1 coat of clear) then the cuticle oil. A touch-up daily with another coat of the Polish, top coat and cuticle oil. (Or just 1 coat of clear) A manicure lasts me two weeks even though I just use regular polish. But the downside is that it takes about an hour to get the old manicure off.

   I use professional 80 grit emery boards, and file the backs of the nails if they start to catch on things.

   If you prefer to just buff your nails, they’ll stay whiter. Use a 3 step buffer every other week for max shine. Maybe a white nail pencil under the tips daily. But still finish daily with cuticle oil every day.

10. Calcium + magnesium (citrate).

11. I take a hair & nails supplement. Keep them trimmed and filed and I use hand cream religiously which keeps my cuticles nice.

12. I live a healthy lifestyle, I exercise, I eat healthy, I take my vitamins, and I don’t get my nails done very often.

13. I have naturally long nails that grow constantly, so no matter how many times I cut them, the next day they’re super long. I even bite them all the time, they grow back like they weren’t just destroyed lmao.

14. Don’t be a bartender.

15. Always having nail polish on. It protects nails from breaking.