Six Months to Improve My Nails

 

Dear friends.  I'm ashamed of my nails. When I was young, I had long, strong nails. But for the last few years, my nails have been in a terrible condition.

I try to do the right things. I always have at least 3 different cuticle creams and oils on the go, and apply them twice a day. I use rubber gloves. I rarely use nail polish.

But I also wash my hands constantly and use hand sanitizer.  I like water in the washing up bowl to be as hot as possible. My job means I am constantly typing. I sometimes do gardening without gloves because I like the feel of the soil. 

So how to improve my nails? 

I've done a fair bit of research into what causes brittle and weak nails. As well as the behaviours listed above, it could be down to nutrition, particularly lack of B vitamins, calcium and fatty acids;  overexposure to moisture or chemicals, and age. 

Nails emerge from the nail beds, the half moons visible above our cuticles. The growth period is approximately three months. Cuticles are key as they act as a seal to protect the young nail. My cuticles are dry and I'm constantly getting hang nails. My answer is to trim with scissors, which is a big No No.

My nails have ridges, which is common as we get older, and if I look closely, the nails on the right hand, below, which in worse condition than the left hand, seem to have more damage near the tips, which maybe implies a trauma or incident a few months ago. 

I have to file them nearly every day because they catch on things and seem to tear. Even then, it's very hard to get a smooth edge.  The layers are separated.

When I go on holiday and I'm not doing housework, gardening or typing,  my nails always improve. So it shows that my bad behaviors definitely have an impact, 

Nutrition for Better Nails

Vitamin B7, known as Biotin, is said to be essential for strong nails, although there is very little official research to prove this, and no recommended daily amount. I would be surprised to be deficient in  this vitamin because it's found in foods I eat daily: cooked eggs,  nuts (almonds, peanuts, pecans, walnuts). cauliflower and mushrooms.

But as it isn't harmful to the body - any excess is excreted, not stored in the liver - in large doses, I am now taking a biotin tablet daily from Swiss BioEnergetics via Amazon.

Omega-3 fatty acids can help lubricate and moisturize the nails, giving them a shiny appearance. These fatty acids may also reduce inflammation in your nail bed, which nourishes and promotes the health of cells that give rise to your nail plate. 

Omega 3 is found in fish, flaxseed, walnuts, tofu, shellfish, canola oil, navy beans, brussels sprouts, and avocados. I could be deficient here because I only have fish (salmon) once a week, and from that list, the only other things I eat are walnuts and avocados. So I'm going to supplement my diet with omega 3. 

The UK recommended daily intake is 500mg of EPA and DHA combined each day, this works out as around the same as a 140g portion of oily fish per week. If you take medicines to thin your blood, such as aspirin, warfarin or heparin, speak to your doctor before taking fish oil supplements – they can also thin your blood.

I'm getting the Omega 3 from a new company, ID Supplements, formed by Justin Lord who's a well-known fitness guru in the UK, and was an instructor in nutrition and psychology at the boot camp I attended in November.  He's taking a  PhD in nutrition and is very knowledgeable on the subject.  (Not gifted). 

Products to Improve Nails

The best cuticle conditioner I've found is from leading UK podiatrist Margaret Dabbs. Their Nourishing Nail and Cuticle Serum Pen is £12 and also available from John Lewis, Feel Unique and Amazon. They also have a Crystal Nail File, £12 which is the gold standard for filing - in one direction only.

I am using a new hand cream, just launched, (gifted) from Look Fabulous Forever. It contains shea butter and B vitamins. It's quickly absorbed into the hands and nails and doesn't feel sticky. I'm also leaving tubes of my other favourite hand cream, L'Occitane Amande (almond) next to wash basins, and in my handbag for when I'm out.  I'm trying to use hand cream every time I wash my hands.

When I wash my hands, I'm switching from a harsh anti-bacterial wash to one from L'Occitane that has good reviews for being very moisturizing.

I'm also using water that's not so hot when I wash dishes by hand, and making sure I wear gloves when doing tasks where chemicals are involved. 

The slow growth rate of nails, and the fact that supplements take a while to make an impact, means it will be a few months before there's a significant improvement.  Join me in a few months for an update. If you've had similar problems, and took action, I'd love to hear your tips.

I've included links in this post to some of the products I like, but none of them are affiliate links. 

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Now it's time for the #WowOnWednesday link-up. Bloggers/Instagrammers can find new readers, plus readers can find new blogs to read. I promote my favorite five posts on Facebook every week, plus announce the most clicked posts in Instagram Stories. 

Last Week's Favourites

Dining at the Ritz from Jacqui of Mummabstylish. I've always wanted to do this myself, and Jacqui looked great in her last minute buy from M&S. 

Teddy Blake- My New Handbag Obsession by Hello Katie Girl was also popular - the bag is such a gorgeous shade of blue.

Favourite Non-Fashion Post

I adore Greek food so how could I resist this Greek houmous pizza from Estelle of Homemade On a Weeknight! 

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