Nail Care for Weak, Peeling Nails

I've been blogging here for 9 years now (what?!) and it's fascinating to look back at my first pics and see what a difference practice and skill has made over time.  I found myself having the same conversation twice with friends in the past week about nail care for specifically "our" type of nails, so I figured since I have research, opinions, and things that work I might as well write it down for anyone else who'd find it useful!

bare nails here, prepped with nothing but oil

First off, your nail type:

Fingernails are just like hair - sheets of keratin produced by growth centers -  and just like hair, we have different types & textures.  In the same way there's a million brands and types of shampoo specifically intended to improve your hair type, you need to select products that match your nail type.  Some folks have hard, thick nails.  Some have flexible or even oily-textured nails.  I happen to have very thin, weak nails that will peel apart in layers like an onion when they get even the slightest chip, and mine have slight ridging.  All my tips & tricks that follow are specifically for this type of nail, so if your are different, take it with a grain of salt.

Getting those babies to GROW!

Weak, peeling nails are very easily damaged and then broken, so here's my hard and fast rules for achieving length:

• Never nude!  Weak nails are strengthened and supported by layers of lacquer on top.  Going polish-free for any length of time means that I will end up with chips that lead to breaks.  
• Always file, never clip!  Using even a good quality a nail clipper on peely nails will cause the layers to separate as the clipper bites through them.  Clipping therefore results in breaks, so save the clippers for just toes.  Instead, file to shape the nail and fix any rough patches or breaks.
• Use the right file!  It's essential for those of us with peelies to grab a glass file from Mont Bleu or Germanikure - these are acid-etched with a very soft to the touch permanent grit that will not shred the edge of your nails like a paper emery board or metal file will.  These are amazingly well-made and will last a lifetime. 
• Watch those tips!  Paint the free edge of the nail with at least a single thin layer of lacquer and finish with topcoat to keep the edge sealed.  When water gains access to the edge of the nail, it will wick up between any existing microscopic layers via capillary action and widen them even worse.  This means when your polish wears at the free edge or you get a few little chips, change your polish or freshen the edge with a touch-up that same day. If you don't have enough length to paint the free edge (aka "wrapping the tips"), consider using gloves when washing the dishes or doing general house cleaning, as scrubbing + water = major peeling and nail damage. 
• Jewels not tools!  Weak nails cannot withstand the forces applied to them when used as screwdrivers, pry bars, or back scratchers.  It's hard to learn, but if you're trying to grow them out, just don't use your nails as blunt force instruments. 

Pick your shape:

When I started really getting into nail polish, the bloggers I looked up to most all had square nails, so I figured that was the modern trend and wore mine that way too.  I regularly got chips and little splits on the corners, which often either required filing the nail down to be shorter than its buddies to maintain the square shape, or else resulted in occasional breaks.  Turns out that nail shape, like everything else with nail care, is not one-size-fits-all, so if one shape doesn't work for you try something else!  When I started shaping my nails as ovals instead, my incidence of breaks dropped dramatically - apparently, the way I use my hands just means corners are no bueno for me.  

Pick your prep products:

When it's nail painting time, I wash my hands to remove any oil/residue/etc, then rub them with alcohol to get the surface clean and dry.  I use Nail Tek Formula 2 Ridge-filling basecoat - it's literally labeled "for weak, peeling nails" and does exactly what it's supposed to, leaving a smooth surface and hardening my nails up just a little to prevent the peelies.  Combo base & top coat products just don't do what you need them to, and are bad at being both base and top coats.  

Hope you found something you could use here!

~Michelle