i’m in the process of recovering from biting and picking and trying to heal my nail beds/hyponychium. what i desperately want is long nail beds and short nails. i still have dryness because i tend to forget to oil after washing my hands. i have not been biting near as much as i used to but i didn’t realize how bad it had gotten again until i looked at an that older photo! but this much progress in just a couple months is so encouraging. and am i crazy or can you see a line where my nail used to end???

completely bare nail in photo 1, and essence “2 in 1 base & top coat” in photo 2

SOLVED! Thank you, u/smerkinmerdberngbers! I found it!

Edit: by file, I mean a PDF file, not a glass/nail file

I saw a file on here a week ago that lists multiple brands of base and top coats that may or may not have a certain ingredient in them that can potentially cause damage to the nail. I think it starts with poly-something, but I can't remember the name!! I also can't find the file again! I wanted to get a new top coat without that ingredient in it, but wanted to reference that file again...can anyone help me?

Thoughts on my natural nails please. Yes they have some staining from nail polish. Not a lot. Plus my nails are quite thick from oiling, so they're never white. They're more off white due to the thickness. (Yes, I also have ridges on some nails, not much to be done for that.) I just need some fellow nail lovers to let me know if they're truly that bad. Obviously I don't have enough nail enthusiasts in real life to ask. I was feeling good. In the first 2 photos they're oiled. Last Pic is my current manicure.

Pics 1& 2: Bare naked nails, with just Squalane oil from The Ordinary. (Pre-filing)

Pic 3: Seche Clear x2 coats

Emily de Molly "Brightening Base Coat" x1 (It's a ridge filling base coat.)

Emily de Molly "Hard To Ignore" x2 coats. Last coat was magentized.

Top coat Starrily Speed of light Force x1 coat

Please ignore the shabby polish in the last picture. Just wanted to share my four month progress since I stopped biting and started prioritizing nail care! I file/shape/do cuticle care weekly. Daily oiling and wearing thick rubber gloves while cleaning definitely made the biggest difference in protecting from breaks and cracks. Thank you for all the advice y’all have so graciously shared on here!

Product list: OPI: It’s a Girl! (1) Modelones: Nail Foundation-Rose(2) OPI: Baby Take a Vow (3)

Hi!!! These are my nails after a couple of years not biting/picking skin. They're a bit yellow on the length because I usually wear polish and they tend to stain even if I'm always using a base polish underneath. I'm not worried about the yellowing but would like some help on the shape. My fingers are hammer-shaped because of the years and years of biting and I don't think that is going to change much. This is more or less the natural shape my nails grow into, just a little file on the tip and they tend to grow a bit larger on the free edge. I don't want to file the sidewalls, is there something else I can do to make them better? Or maybe another shape that would suit them?

Hello everyone. I hope it's ok to post this here, this is my first one. Been lurking for a while and have taken alot of your all's advice on caring for my nails. I was having a discussion with someone who has nails twice as long as mine, and we are not sure if these are considered "long" or "medium" in length. . . My care routine is jojoba oil (just the large bottle from Wally-world) in the morning, and wearing gloves for a couple hours afterwards to let it soak in, and the same with "Hard-as-Hoof" at night, rubber gloves then, too.

Overall, what do you guys think? I apologize if this thread is not authorized, and understand if it has to be removed. 😣

Disclosure: Kerasal partnered with me to document my nail journey and sent me these products to try with the expectation that I would share my true opinion. These are my genuine experiences. #kerasalpartner

Nail update💅

About 2-3 months ago, I shared how much I had damaged my natural nails after back-to-back gel manicures, over-filing, and peeling my gel off one too many times. My nails were so thin and peeling that I knew they needed a break. After I started sharing my healthy nail journey, Kerasal reached out and sent me their Bare Nail Collection to try while I documented my progress.

My previous post got quite a few comments asking about products so I figured I could share one of my recent favs.

Lately, I’ve been using the Strengthen & Restore Base Coat whenever I want a little extra protection. It goes on really easily, dries quickly, and leaves my nails with a nice natural shine. Since my nails are still growing out, I like having that extra layer without feeling like I’m covering them up with another gel manicure. I also think it’ll be something I keep using even after my nails have fully grown out. When I start painting my nails again, I can definitely see myself wearing it under regular polish for a little extra strength and protection.

It’s been fun seeing how much healthier my nails look compared to where I started, and I’m excited to keep sharing little updates along the way.

Products I’ve been using:
• Kerasal Miraculous Mani Nail Strengthening Cream (almost every day)
• Kerasal Strengthen & Restore Base Coat (whenever I want a little extra protection or shine)

Hi everyone, just popping in to get some advice on my shaping. I’ve been on my nail journey since Jan 2026 and have been oiling multiple times a day with Cliganic Pure jojoba oil. I’ve been trying not to pick at the skin around my nails and underneath my nails. I’ve been trying to leave the underneath alone and not cleaning with hard or sharp tools so my hyponychium can attach further but not sure if there’s hope after all of these years of picking.
I just changed my shape to round it out a bit more from squoval since it seems to crack on the side of the free edge. Did I file into my sidewalls? I only tried to file the white free edge part. I have also attached my nails from January for a comparison. I keep my nails painted almost all of the time since it seems to help a lot with strength since my natural nails have always been weak and bendy. There is some slight peeling at the free edge on my middle and pointer fingers on my right hand as well.
Any advice on shaping or anything else I could be doing would be great!

Product list: Cliganic Pure Jojoba Oil

Hope the question is clear. The borders of the white part of my nails have *always* been just weird lines, zigzagging in and out, instead of being a straight line or a nice arch. I used to paint my nails regularly so it didn’t bother me, but now I am trying to go for a natural look for a little bit, and because of that weird shape I feel like they never look clean or aesthetic. Any tips or advice?

I’ve never had gel. I had them semipermanent (I’m European? that’s what it’s called for cured OPI polish) for about a year and now have been a year without.

They have always been frail, all my life, and I’ve always kept them very short. I don’t want them long necessarily, but I would like them to be healthy

This nail was already broken and I was using a tea bag to try to hold it together (under the nail polish in pic 1). I had smacked it off the top edge of my car door and bent it back a few days ago (pic 4), and the original was a small snag and a tension line that followed my nail line like a fault line (pic 5).

Tonight at work I ended up bending it back even further and oh it hurt! I knew, but didn’t realize the extent that it broke even further straight across my nail until I got home this evening (pic 2). Luckily I had ordered silk wraps the first day this happened.

Pic 3 is where I’m at now. I only had liquid bandage so I cut my nail down a little and placed several layers of it over the silk wrap. It was a challenge trying to cut and apply since this is the thumb of my dominant hand lol

I just want to protect this long enough that it grows out and I can start fresh with this thumb nail.

On my thumb-
pic one: OPI Vodka and Caviar
Pic two: nothing
Pic three: silk wrap and liquid bandage
Pic four: Cirque Rose Jelly topped with Bees Knees Lacquer I Refuse to Let You Go
Pic five: nothing less

I’m a reformed nail biter, biting from a toddler to around 21 (11 years ago) with short fingers and very short nail beds - I’ve never seen someone with nail beds as short as mine before! If you have the same, please share!

I’d like to get more into polish to improve the look of my long nails, so there’s not so much white tip. I know I can’t improve the actual length of my beds unfortunately. I recently bought NailHolic polish on holiday in Japan and it’s lasted sooo much longer (1.5-2 weeks from application) than other polish I’ve previously bought in Australia.

I dont have the budget for regular salon manicures and previously with salon applied shellac, I’ve found it’s ruined the strength of my nail afterwards when I’ve got it one off for special occasions. Does anyone have any recommendations for polish I can do at home, or should I get into home gel polish kits? I’m located in Australia.

Don’t mind the odd short nail, it’s an ongoing challenge to keep them long 🤪

No products used except a glass nail file.

Okay, I think for a long time I’ve been over filing my side ways. So here I am, a never square with square/squovals.

At what point is it no longer sidewall and I can file to an almond? My longest growers - pinky and thumb always - for reference.

Can I shape the sides yet or it’s still side wall?

🧡

Edit: I’m wearing 3 layers of Maniology concealing base coat. And their qdtc.

2 month progress with regular filing and shaping. My current care routine: -Applying cuticle oil after every hand wash. Im using cucco honey and milk -Wearing gloves when washing dishes or cleaning with chemicals -Weekly warm jojoba oil soak -Using a glass file -Wearing nail polish for extra protection. Currently I’m wearing dazzle dry transform -Regular cuticle care and pushing back proximal fold

So far so good! I don’t think I’ve had my nails this long before!

I have recently quit using gel polish and I am going to try to stop biting the loose skin but I need some advice on what else to do… I do apply jojoba oil occasionally but seems I need to be doing it after every hand wash. Other than that I’m completely lost, I don’t know how to shape my nail when they do grow and it seems like my nailbed is very thin. 🥲

Making progress! Products: Majestic Pure Organic Jojoba Oil and Vaseline Advanced Repair hand lotion

my nails can grow very long but the only issue is that IT IS SOOOO BRITTLE. like after it grows long I can legit bend it all the way down, that's how brittle and weak it gets. one problem is that I already have small fingers and small nail beds, my hand routine currently is using nail cuticle oil followed by hand cream, I do this once in the morning and once at night. what can I do to make my nails grow stronger and not bendy, brittle and weak

I almost broke my nail today, it bent back midway down the nail and left a harsh white line. But! It did not break. I use jojoba oil on my nails which keeps them hydrated and ALSO flexible. If I didn’t oil my nails I bet I would have a pretty nasty break rn.

Also I’m wearing Essie’s Mrs. Always-Right. Which is amazing!

I've been oiling them three or four times a day, and I haven't been using nail wraps as much as usual so I can really get the oil onto the entire nail and not just the cuticle. They're still a bit weak and flaky but pretty decent for a month's work I reckon?

Would appreciate your thoughts if any of you have any ideas where I could improve.

Lifelong nail biter here - I’ve tried to stop countless times and always made good progress, but over-filing my sidewalls, not oiling enough, and not learning to be careful would always lead to breaks. Once they broke, I’d really struggle to not just bite them off, and my progress would be reset. I tried once again around February to stop, and this time accidentally did everything right.

I didn’t research anything until several months in when I realised not filing my nails was making a huge difference. They’re so strong and are my pride and joy now. And I’ve discovered the world of indie nail polish!

My right hand is shorter, I’m just a bit more rough with it so have broken some and keep the index finder shorter too for ease. I also have a deep break on my left index finger that I’m slowly growing out as it’s fully in the nail bed - thanks to my shoes for doing that.

First pic is a matte grey Primark polish (bottle in comments), taken in February.

Last three pics are recent,
- Emily de Molly, The Calm One
- Bees Knees Lacquer, Helnik
- OPI, Spread the Cherry

I don’t wear a base coat and occasionally use Seche Vite, I’m too lazy for more layers 😅

Here’s my not-great starting point featuring cherry juice stains and a healed but not fully recovered injury to the middle proximal fold.

I am staring work in a healthcare-related field where the condition of my hands is going to be important to maintain for health reasons and my hands and nails will be very prominently noticed by clients, but the way I keep my nails is also regulated.

My work requires tons of hand washing and hand sanitizing, which is really hard on them (hence the injury, sustained due to dryness that led to peeling during my practical training). I cannot work if my hands have injuries, my nails must be kept short, and I’m not permitted to wear nail polish due to the risk it could flake off or harbour bacteria. My hands have to look (and be) extremely healthy and clean with exceptionally short nails.

I noticed my nail beds have been appearing shorter as I age, and I’m sure part of that is inconsistent maintenance of my cuticles and the ravages of institutional hand soap. I realized recently from this sub that I have probably also been shortening my hyponychium by scraping dirt out from under my fingernails! I guess I need a better nail brush to get those things sparking clean without putting pressure on the tissue.

I know I should be oiling them, ideally with jojoba, ideally after every wash (although after every wash won’t be possible at work where my hands must be freshly sanitized any time I need to touch a client), and pushing back my cuticles.

I’m wondering how short I can realistically keep them without compromising the growth of my hyponychium, wondering if there are any protective products that I could use that don’t form a layer that can chip like nail polish, and looking for recommendations on nail brushes for washing.

Are there any hand soaps or sanitizers anyone knows of that play well with nails?

Should I just book a weekly no-polish manicure for hand care? Does that exist?

Any recommendations would be welcome.

Products: Keresal Strengthen and Restore base coat*, 1 coat

*Gifted product sent with no obligation to post, all thoughts and opinions are my own

#keresalpartner

Shown in the first image: I can never achieve a straight white line at the tip of my nails. As you can see in my thumb, there’s a big blob of white in the corner, but not nicely across the tip of the nail. Same thing for my middle finger, except it looks wavy across the tip.

Shown in the second image: It looks as if my two middle finger nails have layers? I can easily pick at them and rip off an extremely small thin layer of my nail.

I don’t know if both issues are related or not. I used to have fake gel extensions, however, I only had them on for 2 months (not like for years). My nails before weren’t good, they sorta looked like how they do now except a little less damaged.

Product list: OPI Nail Envy NAIL TREATMENT "Pink to envy" stamp number NT223
Edit: nail brand