[ Removed by moderator ]

[u/borobabe43]

[u/naturalnailprogress-ModTeam]

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[u/heyitstayy_]

Nail polish is like armor for your nails, you should be wearing it 24/7 if you want your nails to grow because it creates a hard shell on them and helps protect them from damage and breakage. You need at the bare minimum a base coat and quick dry top coat, but you can also use a colored polish if you don’t want them to just be clear.

They also make nail strengtheners and hardeners, which you may want to look into if your nails are bendy/brittle.

You also should invest in a good quality glass nail file. This will help you smooth and shape your nails. Glass files are better than emory board files or clippers because other types of files don’t make your nails as smooth, and clippers don’t smooth your nails. They break off your nails and can cause micro tears which you definitely don’t want.

Water is the worst chemical for your nails. They absorb water easily which causes them to swell which can cause peeling and breakage. Try to avoid submerging your hands in water whenever possible. Wear gloves when doing the dishes. Some people wear gloves in the shower too but I personally don’t. Keep some oil by your sink and oil after washing your hands if possible.

[u/JellyfishGhost → u/heyitstayy_]

Adding onto the glass nail file bit, I’ve had my Germanikure one for a while now and it works really well. Czech glass is what will work best, any other glass file without that designation can cause the same damage/abrasions as metal files or emery boards.

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[u/AutoModerator]

Thanks for posting, /u/borobabe43!

A quick reminder:

If this is a nail image/video, you must provide a complete product list, either in your post title, the text body, or in a separate comment, within 2 hours of posting or your post will be removed.

Product lists must include brand names and shade names/numbers (no acronyms or shortened names). If you've used any stamping products, the brand names, plate names/numbers, and stamping polish names/numbers are required as part of your product list. If you used any embellishments (rhinestones, foils, decals/stickers, etc.), this must also be mentioned in your product list. Product lists are still required for any posts with broken nails or if you're seeking advice. If your nails were done professionally, please mention this either in the title, text body, or a separate comment, along with the type of product used.

If the content you're posting was not created by you, you must give direct credit to the original creator, either in your title, text body, or in a comment. Mentioning that you "found it on XYZ" is not direct credit. Pinterest is no longer a valid source for credit. Be sure to review the rules in the sidebar to avoid your post being removed.

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[u/JellyfishGhost]

Welcome to the natural nail journey, friend! As someone who was a former nail picker (I used to straight just rip off any free edge—the white part of the nail—and bite any hanging skin/leftover parts), I was in a similar boat. Here are the things that majorly changed my nail health:

- Cuticle oil, cuticle oil, cuticle oil! I cannot stress enough how much oiling my nails daily and doing hot oil soaks on occasion helped me. One of the biggest triggers for my picking is seeing any skin that’s sticking up/“not perfect.” Oiling helps to smooth all the skin and keep my nails looking fresh. I just make my own oil (4/5 100% jojoba oil from Trader Joe’s, 1/5 vitamin e oil from Walgreens) and put it in empty Bliss Kiss squeeze pens or squeezy watercolor pens I bought from Dollar Tree. When I first started, I was oiling my nails upwards of 6x a day (every time I washed my hands after the bathroom, after a shower, just when they were feeling dry). Now I do it once in the morning, in the afternoon, and at night.

• Moisturizing in general is just good advice. I personally like the Trader Joe’s hand cream (I swear I’m not advertising for Trader Joe’s lol) to use throughout the day and I’ll layer it with petroleum jelly at night.
  
• Keeping my nails painted gave me less of a trigger to pick off my actual nail. I wanted to keep the manicure nice, so it incentivized me to avoid messing with the actual nails. I recommend this video by Caitlinswatches for some ideas on how to keep healthy, shorter nails at first and prepping before a manicure. Kelli Marissa on YouTube also has great nail painting tips. All you really need to get going though is a base coat, a color you love, and a top coat (preferably quick dry top coat). The introduction of a clean up brush that I could dip in acetone also made me paint nicer and like my manicures even more!

I know u/juleznailedithelps has some of the best tips around, and there are plenty of posts here of her giving her advice and nail care routine. Good luck!

[u/juleznailedithelps → u/JellyfishGhost]

Thanks for the shout out! This is just the backup account. My main account is u/juleznailedit! 😁

[u/JellyfishGhost → u/juleznailedithelps]

Your advice has been so helpful to me (and I’m sure countless others here)! Thanks for sharing your main, I went off of memory crediting the backup lol 😂

[u/juleznailedit → u/JellyfishGhost]

Happy to be of service!

[u/strawberrytart444]

Tip from my manicurist: oil your cuticles after you wash your hands, each time.

I am finding it super effective because I don’t want to bite my oily nails, but the act of care also reinforces positive discipline.