Fingernails keep breaking

[badhabits]

Check out this nail therapy lotion on Amazon. Just a pea size dab on your palm twice a day, rub into nails and cuticles. I've had terrible nail my whole life, but with this stuff, they are now super thick and durable. Read the description and reviews.

With a name like "hoofmaker" it's gotta be great...gonna place an order soon.

 

[Ukecaster]

With a name like "hoofmaker" it's gotta be great...gonna place an order soon.

Yeah, my nails are strong as hoofs now! But seriously, it works great, after a month or so. Story is, the grooms in the stables would apply to hooves, then noticed how it also improved their hands and nails.

 

[badhabits]

Yeah, my nails are strong as hoofs now! But seriously, it works great, after a month or so. Story is, the grooms in the stables would apply to hooves, then noticed how it also improved their hands and nails.

I'm getting it..I have the exact same problem with the exact same nail.

 

[Steedy]

+1 for the Mane 'n Tail Hoofmaker.

It's the best lotion I've found for dry, cracked hands and feet, and it seems to help with nails, as well. Works great, and unlike most lotions, it's non-greasy which is muy importante for us fretted instrument players!

 

[LorenFL]

Sally Hansen "Diamond Strength"

OMG, FYI, FWIW...

I still like this stuff. My last run lasted almost 3 weeks with a lot of re-coating and touchups. It finally gave up by peeling/lifting. I got most of the third week by catching the lifting and "gluing" it back down with more nail polish. It worked.

But, my bottle was getting low. Did some more research. Learned that this stuff is basically nitrocellulose lacquer (folks in the Uke Building forum know what I'm talking about). That explains a lot of why it does what it does. Multiple layers fuse together nicely, and it's easy to smooth imperfections and polish with a glass nail file. Neat!

I found that Sally makes another polish that's VERY similar to this one. Almost identical. But, instead of "diamond powder" and "titanium", it uses polyester as its strengthening additive. Okay, I don't mind that. I always thought the "diamond" and "titanium" stuff was just marketing, anyway. And this other one (Sally Hansen Double Duty base and top coat) is slightly cheaper. So, I gave it a shot.

It's mostly the same. Goes on the same. Dries as quickly. Re-coats the same. Generally behaves the same in every way. BUT... it's obviously softer. It develops scratches and dings more readily than the Diamond stuff. It also FEELS softer. Not quite "sticky", but... well, "plasticky". The Diamond stuff always felt hard.

I still wanted to give it a fair shake, so I've been living with it for the past week. It's totally NOT protecting the tips of my nails! Those tips flex a little bit, and this stuff just starts flaking away. Nowhere near as strong and durable as Diamond Strength.

It IS holding up reasonably well on my strumming thumb. But, that one, I took care to coat all around the tip of the nail, and UNDER the nail. And applied three coats from the start. Added a couple more from there. It's still starting to lose a corner already. Something the Diamond Strength would not do using similar application for about 2 weeks.

So... there's something to the Diamond Strength. It really is significantly stronger than even the same BRAND of product with every other ingredient being exactly the same.

Looks like I'll be stripping my nails again tomorrow. Back to the good stuff!

 

[RustyFingers]

When the humidity is low and my nails start to crack, I rub some sunscreen containing lanolin on my fingernails, and that seems to help. My wife thought I was nuts, but now she does it as well, because it keeps the nails supple and healthy during periods when they otherwise tend to be brittle, like in winter.

 

[LorenFL]

When the humidity is low

When... what?

 

[RustyFingers]

Causes of Brittle Nails​

Brittleness of the nails can result from various reasons, including:

• Aging (People above 50 years of age are highly prone to brittle nails.) (3)
• Exposure to chemicals and toxins
• Repetitive or overuse of nail polish and polish removers
• Low humidity ....

• (https://www.emedihealth.com/skin-beauty/nail-care/treat-brittle-nails)​

 

[LorenFL]

No, no. You misunderstand. I'm from FL.

Low humidity does not compute.

 

[clear]

Some ideas come to mind (that I don't think I've read here):
- The way you pluck/strum
- Your diet
- your string choice

Also, many people get artificial nails. That may just solve the issue without wasting time finding out the root cause. I.e. get results fast.

 

[Down Up Dick]

Have any of you with problem fingernails considered trying to play a different way? Like, for instance cutting your nails short and just fingerpicking with your bare fingers or perhaps using a very soft pick. One could even switch to some other way of playing like strumming to accompany a song, or maybe even learn a different instrument. Must it be fingerpicking with nails and forever searching for a way to do it?

When my nails started cracking and breaking, I decided that I didn’t wanna use all that goop on my fingernails or go to a nail parlor. Instead I switched to two finger and moved on. I also use picks on most of my other instruments.

It seems to me that constantly searching for some new goop to slather on ones fingertips and being constantly disappointed is not a fun way to have a good time playing music.

 

[badhabits]

I used pads, always have... can't seems to stick with any "program" long enough to maximize benefits. Doesn't mean I like having busted up chewed-looking cracked and broken nails.

 

[Patty]

I used pads, always have... can't seems to stick with any "program" long enough to maximize benefits. Doesn't mean I like having busted up chewed-looking cracked and broken nails.

I use my finger pads too. I love the sound (non-percussive) and hate having long nails. Got used to short nails in my youth, playing violin. Since my left (fingerboard) hand required short nails, I kept both hands equally filed short.

 

[Down Up Dick]

I use my finger pads too. I love the sound (non-percussive) and hate having long nails. Got used to short nails in my youth, playing violin. Since my left (fingerboard) hand required short nails, I kept both hands equally filed short.

So far, badhabits & Patty, so do I. But I dunno what I’m gonna do when I have to change for classical guitar. I’ll decide then, I guess . . .

 

[Patty]

I used pads, always have... can't seems to stick with any "program" long enough to maximize benefits. Doesn't mean I like having busted up chewed-looking cracked and broken nails.

So far, badhabits & Patty, so do I. But I dunno what I’m gonna do when I have to change for classical guitar. I’ll decide then, I guess . . .

Some classical guitarists do the same. I have heard (can’t confirm as fact) that the Spanish guitar master & composer Fernando Sor played with the fleshy pads of his fingertips.

 

[anthonyg]

For better or worse, I'm still going to a salon and getting acrylic nails painted on. It's a long term thing now and honestly I've had some long term gut/digestion issues as well.

When it comes to nutrition, silicon is very important for hair, nails and bones and it well may be the missing ingredient for you.

 

[Down Up Dick]

For better or worse, I'm still going to a salon and getting acrylic nails painted on. It's a long term thing now and honestly I've had some long term gut/digestion issues as well.

When it comes to nutrition, silicon is very important for hair, nails and bones and it well may be the missing ingredient for you.

Well, to each his own way, I guess. I’m done with the fingernails.

 

[SweetWaterBlue]

I only have a problem with my pointer finger on my strumming hand. Since that is the finger the majority of people use to strum, it couldn't be on a worse finger. The other nails are fine. It splits longitudinally when I let it grow out and use it to pick.

I've tried gel nails (self applied) and the glue on type fake nails. I didn't care for either method. I have also tried Alaska picks, and Fred Kelly picks. The Alaska picks hurt like hell on my fingers because they dig into the quick. Its hard to get used to any of the finger picks, but perhaps its just a matter of giving it enough time.

I was once at a Manitoba Hal concert and during the break I asked him to let me see his picking hand. Sure enough he had no nails for picking in his blues style. I also know that Kim Hussey doesn't pick with nails. I think both sound good, but I still like the sound (tone) of nails better.

I have had the most success with the James Taylor (silk wrap) type strengthening as shown in the video already posted. I used only one layer of silk as opposed to the 3 o4 Taylor uses. The thicker multi-layer wraps just feel clunky to me and I often think the tone isn't what I want.

I go back and forth from thinking I should just stick to playing the guitar with a pick to just accepting I will never be able to get a good ukulele tone with just the pads of my fingers.

 

[anthonyg]

As someone who uses and recommends acrylic and/or gel nails if you need them, I would never recommend that someone tries to self apply them.
Go to a salon. If you only need one nail done then it will be cheap.

 

[Yukio]

This video illustrates what actually worked for me after trying all kinds of things to strengthen my nails for lots of fairly aggressive playing. I can't recommend anything that applies glop or glue to the nail surface-- it seems to make the underlying nail weaker (and usually fails when you are playing a gig.) These homemade nails, held in place with surgical tape, have been battle-tested playing swing rhythm in a dance band for many years. I just need picks on my first two fingers, but you can create something for the thumb as well.



Note to self: Clean your fingernails before making a video about fingernails.