What Can I Do To Strengthen My Nails?

I Tin Utilize My Nails As a Box Cutter — Here's How I Get Them So Strong

Analogy: Lyne Lucien

Some people accept nails then breakable, they can barely withstand the pressure of buttoning jeans or opening a tight jar, and some people take nails so long and strong that they can employ them as a box cutter. Danielle Odiamar has been blessed with the latter prepare. The former Allure editor, who currently works at brand-communications agency Citizen Relations, has been keeping her nails long and stiff without gel, without extensions, and without whatsoever help from a professional for years. "People take ever asked me what my boom secrets are, and I do have naturally very strong nails, but I also leave of my way to take care of them," she says. So "other than using them to be a box cutter, I'm not using my nails for regular wear-and-tear blazon of things." And with her tips — a mix of regular maintenance and witting product pick — you, too, can have fingernails long and stiff enough to handle everyday tasks.

1 tip: It's important to know when to cut your losses (literally) on your long-nail journeying. "If y'all've got them to a betoken where they're a lilliputian chip long, and they experience soft and bendy, I wouldn't grow them long because if your nails are soft and you lot grow them long they're just gonna fissure," Odiamar says. "And then I e'er tell people, 'If your nails are weak, don't fifty-fifty try to grow them long. Just wait until they're stronger, and y'all can get them into amend shape before they abound longer.'" Y'all tin exercise that by post-obit her tips, which she shared with us.

I really don't do gel manicures. I pretty strictly merely do regular polish. I feel similar people will disagree with me on this, because people will say, It helps my nails concluding longer and stronger. Merely I honestly feel like getting them under that hot lamp and then the removal process of having to scrap abroad at your nails makes your nail beds then weak. I notice a significant difference when I get them washed. I recall the underground is making sure that y'all're using a blast smooth that's nontoxic. Earlier the past yr or two, I never paid attention to the type of nail smoothen I was putting on, but I feel like I've really noticed a departure in using stuff like Zoya or Smith & Cult.

Photograph: retailer

Whenever I practice my ain nails, I ever employ a base and peak coat. I don't really accept one that I'm religiously tied to. I take tried a bunch of different ones, but the one I tried near recently from Sundays is pretty nice. It's a base-and-superlative-glaze combo, and it helps your boom smoothen stay really well. Information technology's been going on like ii or three weeks, and usually the polish volition chip, but these have not cleaved once. There has not been a single crack, then that'due south a adept sign.

I don't recommend gel, but if you want to get the look of gel, I think Essie's gel formula is really really, really skilful. I've only tried it once or twice, but Essie'due south gel polish with the gel coat on tiptop really lasts, and it looks exactly like a gel, but you don't have the harsh oestrus and removal process.

Photo: retailer

Unless I'yard cutting them considering my boom broke, I really don't cut my nails. I just file them. I accept a little vase filled with files, simply one of the things that I e'er have on hand is a soft nail file. I call back sometimes, when you have only hard, glass nail files, it makes your nails weaker, whereas a soft nail file will just smooth and prevent whatsoever jagged edges that could snag — simply it will not ruin or hurt your nail.

Photograph: retailer

When I practice have to use clippers, I won't actually cut the tops of my nails. I'll cutting the sides to shape them, because I remember the shape really dictates if they're gonna break or not. I won't even cut that much, just to the point that it'southward shaped like an oval. This Brandless nail cutter is actually abrupt. A lot of other ones you'll prune, and information technology won't fifty-fifty fully cutting it, just this one is very precise.

Olive and June made this little cuticle serum pen, which is absurd because you tin can straight put it onto your cuticles, and it makes them actually soft. I use cuticle oil, too, but I've started to utilize this more than regularly, merely because information technology's so quick. If you notice your cuticles are a piffling dry, catch it and rub it on actually quick. It'south so mess-free. I apply this once a mean solar day, and I kind of only practise information technology when I'm looking down at my nails, and I can meet that certain parts or certain corners are kind of dry.

When I do utilize cuticle oil, I apply Deborah Lippmann. I apply information technology when I remove my nail polish after a long period of time, and then a couple times a week during the down period when I don't have nail polish on. That'southward probably why it works, because of that week where I'one thousand giving my nails time to breathe. That helps strengthen it between blast-polish coats.

I'thou really big on hand cream. I experience like it helps a lot because it keeps your hands hydrated, likewise as your cuticles and nail beds. I always go back to the Kiehl'south Hand Salve. Information technology'southward very thick and heavy, so a lot of people don't like it, but I personally retrieve it'southward really overnice. I also really like L'Occitane Shea Butter Paw Foam and Avène Cold Cream.

Burt's Bees Baby Bee 30-Count Face & Hand Cloths

I used to apply mitt cream at least three or iv times a day, but I feel like now that my paw-washing has gone upward, with everything going on, information technology's definitely increased to similar five or six times a day. If I can avoid using hand sanitizer and merely wash my hands instead, I will do that considering hand sanitizer is very drying. In that location was a menses of time during the early parts of COVID where I was using paw sanitizer constantly, and my nails chipped and broke, and the merely thing I was really doing differently was using hand sanitizer. So I'yard using manus wipes now if I need something on the go. I tin can get my fingertips and the tops of my hands and stuff, and control whether it touches my nails or non.

The Strategist is designed to surface the near useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Some of our latest conquests include the best acne treatments , rolling luggage , pillows for side sleepers , natural feet remedies , and bathroom towels . We update links when possible, but note that deals tin expire and all prices are subject to modify.