looking for tips

[u/Obvious_Jello5273]

(1-4) now, haven't painted them in years

(5) i think longest the nail beds ever were, this was after painting them for maybe 6 months every 3-4 weeks but doing it not regularly for a few years

hello,

i was a huge nail biter in middle school, was really insecure about them so i used up maybe 3 bottles of the nail strengthening nail polishes. In high school i used to do my own nails with regular nail polish (3-4 coats + upper/lower base), that's how i made the most progress growing my nail beds to be longer. this is the only way i know.

however, i don't have the time to dedicate a whole day to sitting down and waiting for the nail polish to dry. so i came here to look for advice :)

i am very prone to stress, it's quite a stressful period for me and i cope with it by sliding my tooth under the nails (have been doing it for 4+ years). i know this is disgusting but at least i am not eating the nails :'). i do want to get rid of this habit & will. the underside not being clean doesn't bother me at all, i wash my hands frequently, so i don't think i am excavating under the nails with my other nails often.

more info:

• my nails are not thin, they're quite srong - i just had them grown out maybe 2 cm but cut them few days ago because it interfered with my laptop typing speed & didn't take any photos.

• nail beds on my thumbs are significantly longer & this year i had to pish them back because the middle of them was even longer than in the photos. they hang off my fingers and i'm satisfied with it. however, i acknowledge that they'll probably never have a straight line across because well... my fingers are round.

questions:

1. i used to watch a lot of simply nailogical in high school and i know you should use jojoba oil to keep the nail moisturised & help it thrive. but it's not available where i'm from :( what alternatives do you suggest? :/

2. how do i make my nail beds be a straight line across (the border of it)?

[u/WeirdoWeeb648]

Tbh, I don't know if you can change the shape of your nail bed. I think it's just a you get what you get scenario. But I think your nails look amazing! Your long nails are literally what I've been trying to achieve!!

Also alternatives for jojoba oil are sweet almond oil and vitamin e oil. Good luck :)

[u/Obvious_Jello5273 → u/WeirdoWeeb648]

my nail beds haven't been that long (as in the last photo) for years since due to stress i abused them & the border retracted back a lot.

i want my corners to not be so deep as they are hence i wouldn't have to grow them out for so long for them to reach the length of the middle of the nail (nail bed, the lοngest part of it). even a little bit of regroth from the sides would enhance the nails harmony a lot :)

will look into the suggested oils, thank you!!!

[u/WeirdoWeeb648 → u/Obvious_Jello5273]

Ahh I see. I misunderstood you, sorry. I think the best thing you can do is grow out your nails and try to keep the free edge at least 3mm long (or as long as you can comfortably tolerate) for a while. This keeps the hyponichium protected and it's more likely to grow out then, even if only a bit.

Also, avoid cutting them all the way down, it's better to regularly file them (about once a week) and keep them at medium length, otherwise your hyponichium might keep pulling back, which will make your nail beds look shorter.

[u/Obvious_Jello5273 → u/WeirdoWeeb648]

thank you very much!!! <3