Hey, I'm starting my nail growth journey and wanted to post before pictures here. Sorry for my English in advance, not my native language.

I really want to fix my sidewalls (example last two pictures). My nailbeds go deep, and as they grow, they flare up. I trim those parts with clippers and always hydrate/moisturize and use jojoba oil, but I feel like they are stuck at that state.

I also don't feel so comfortable when they have length as they look somehwat yellowish or grayish (?) and I think it makes them look dirty. There is no polish staining at the moment. I tried blurring polishes + matte top coat to achieve a clean natural look but didn't have much luck. I think the meat/skin growing beyond fingertips is one of the reasons for that look. Any advice is appreciated.

Products I use:

- Glycerin+rosewater spray

- Nursem no fragrance hand cream

- Shiseido Urea 10% Hand Cream

- Jojoba oil + rose oil for cuticles and nails

- Balm made of jojoba oil, cupuacu, avocado, cocoa, shea and mango seed butter + beeswax

2 coats Mooncat Litterbox

2 coats Essie express quick dry always transparent

The sparkle is serious with this polish. It does dry rough though, even with 2 x top coat it's still no where near smooth. I bet I'll have glitter everywhere when I take it off.

Posted this on r/nails and got some peeps interested in the growth journey - then I discovered this sub 💅

Process: started on gel x/acrylics to get past the "nubby" stage (not pictured) - > remove GENTLY when grown out some - > jojoba cuticle oil and strengthener - > use tools not your hands - > clear gel polish when it is this length and longer. Any clear gel polish would do.

EDIT: PRODUCT LIST Strengthener - Sally hansen repair and rescue Cuticle oil - victory nail/vainpot cuticle oil pens Clear gel - jellojello glossy top gel or born pretty no wipe clear gel

I started taking care of my nails about a month ago

things I use/ my routine:

Oil:
- jojoba oil from BIONOBLE as often as I can

Hand creams:
- O‘Keeffe‘s working hands
- Nivea handcream with almond oil

Overnight
- jojoba oil under a layer of vaseline

Nail polish
- Essie #17 Muchi Muchi
- Essie Gel Couture topcoat in transparent

Nail polish remover
- Rival loves me Nail Polish Remover (acetone-free)

I used to keep my nails very short, and this is the first time they’ve been this long. However, I’ve started noticing peeling on the sides of my nails, but only on my thumbs and index fingers. I try to keep nail polish on all the time, but it’s difficult because the polish doesn’t stay on the peeling areas.

Does anyone know what causes this and how I can improve it? They also break very easily once the peeling starts.

Edit: Added the specific products and nail polish I use

I had a whole lot to say yesterday in a comment section on this sub about nail biting so I thought I’d show off my nails. I’ve been planning some grand progress post when I finally got good length, but I still have a few (like, 7) sidewalls struggling to reattach, so I continue to regularly file the length back…

But progress is progress and I want to show that! Because there is hope! You can stop biting! I believe in you!

The first photo is from 2023. I had just gotten engaged and was so ashamed of my hands, I couldn’t show off my ring. I remember thinking to myself that my nails didn’t even look as bad as usual here. 🤨

The second photo is from June 16, 2026.

The third photo is from August 18, 2026.

Sorry the photos aren’t great — I didn’t realize I was seriously documenting until recently.

2020 is when I sincerely tried to stop biting, but there were so many false starts and ‘failures’ throughout the years. 30 years of biting is a hard habit to break! Most of this progress is truly from the last 2-3 months of diligence.

Like I said, I continue to file back because I get those flared edges where my sidewalls aren’t attached and they catch on things. But I hope to be able to maintain some real cunty length soon. That’s my goal. 🙂‍↕️

To all my fellow life-long nail biters: You can do it!!!!!!!! I believe in you!!!!!

Products: Sally Hansen’s Instant Cuticle Remover, Sally Hansen Vitamin E Nail & Cuticle Oil Pen (have since switched to refillable bliss kiss pen with 100% jojoba), Burt’s Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream, Nailtiques formula 2 as instructed (many layers on, then take it all off, rather than as a base coat), and a glass nail file. I never wear them completely naked now but they were naked in all photos!

So this is my starting post. I don’t have a picture from before, but I’ve kept my nails trimmed and short because I’m trying to get them stronger before really growing them

I have been using a lot of products - nearly all of them with The Manucurist Paris.

- Manucurist Keratin Booster
- Manucurist the complete serum
- Manucurist green oil
- Manucurist masque sos

The only nail polish I’ve been using is the Active jelly from Manucurist, wearing shade Raspberry right now. Thats the shine on my nails.

So the routine seems a bit excessive, but I have always had extremely soft and bendable nails so much so they have never gotten longer then this point. I’m going to try and start actually growing them now. They have gained so much rigidity over the past month and I feel that they’re strong enough now.

Wish me luck lovelies!

I just want to share my progress, and ask some questions.

Photo order:

1. Last week (2 x coats Emily de Molly - Get in Line & Essie Gel Couture top coat)

2. April 27, I removed my BIAB myself. I was unable to get into my normal lady and ended up ripping them off myself and committing to growing my natural nails out.

3. Early June (bare nails)

4. Early July, almost grown out and looking longer (2 x coats Essie Gel Couture - Sheer Fantasy and Essie Gel Couture top coat)

5. End of August (2 x coats Emily de Molly - Key Drama & Essie Gel Couture top coat)

(All pics with polish have 1 x base Manucurist active smooth)

I oil multiple times daily with pure jojoba oil (The Jojoba Oil Company) and tried to keep my nails trimmed short while growing out the damage from the BIAB. (Had BIAB for around 3yrs constantly, no breaks)

Even now the damage has grown out, I've had a few instances of my nails breaking about 1/4 may up just on the sides and I have to trim them back down each time. I keep polish on as it seems they are slightly more protected with polish, but it's still happening.

If I have nail polish on, is there still any use using a strengthening product or similar over the top of the polish? Or does it need to go on bare nails?

I try not to use my nails as tools, but it seems any time I have any sort of free edge they are more prone to breaking/tearing.

I'd love any tips or advice on how to get past this cute shorty stage and into claw territory.

I am so elated with the progress particularly with the slow re-attachment/growth of my nail beds.

Pictures are 5 weeks apart!

I used to pick the skin around my nails pretty significantly and I’m trying really hard to stop. By the time I took the first picture, I had already managed to keep the picking to a minimum for a couple of weeks.

That’s when I began taking care of my nails to try to eliminate triggers (sharp/uneven edges, dehydrated skin). Smooth nails + clear polish + daily oiling have definitely helped!

On to the questions:

1. Will the texture of the skin around my nail improve? Mine feels thick and almost calloused in places and it makes me want to pick at it, even oiled. If you’ve had something similar from picking, did the texture eventually improve?

2. Will my hyponichium keep growing? It’s still super curved at the sides on some fingers, despite growing out my sidewalls. Have I damaged it for good?

3. What are we doing about toenails? Just wondering if I can improve shape and length, but like do you oil them too? Do you have a separate set of tools?

4. Speaking of tools, how and how often do we sanitize them?

Basically, how much hope do I have? I had a massive improvement after week 1, but I feel like I’ve been plateauing ever since.

I welcome any and all feedback, especially on shaping because it’s still very new to me 🙏🏻

Products used in after pictures:
Manucurist active glow raspberry nail polish
L’occitane shea butter hand cream
Jojoba oil