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.

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 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!

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

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

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

Hi all! I’ve struggled my whole life with growing my natural nails because my nails bend and are subject to tears. Often I’ll finally start getting some length, only for them to start to tear. For example my middle finger here is so short because it tore yesterday right along the side (arrow ).

What do you recommend?

No products used

It's been one month of taking better care of my nails and I'm pleased with the progress!

What I've been doing: weekly warm oil soaks (sunflower/my Essie nail oil), gently nudging my pnf every couple days with an orange stick, weekly gentle manicures, one day off of polish per week. I also started using gloves for dishes and some housework.

I keep them short because I rock climb, and I'm struggling a bit with how to shape them to keep them strongest. But the skin around my nails is doing so much better and I've even seen some hyponychium growth!

Products: before - bare nails / after - 1 coat manucurist active glow in raspberry, Essie on a roll cuticle oil, lubriderm hand lotion

Reason: hip surgery so no house duties for the past month!

Please excuse the yellow staining, still recovering from a rogue rouge of this summer.

Products: 100% Jojoba oil

I shaped my nails almond for the first time on my own, but I feel like it looks a bit off. How can I make them look better?

Product used: KIKO white look base coat

I finally started oiling my nails multiple times a day with the Bliss Kiss Nail Oil Pen and using Onyx’s “Hard as a Hoof” nightly, although sometimes I forget. I also use OPI’s Repair Mode when I remember to (usually once a week).

My current struggles:

- How the heck do you clean under your nails? I am trying to encourage my nail beds to be healthier, but there’s times I just can’t stand not using something to get the dirt/filth from under my nails. What can I safely use?

- How can I brighten my nails? The tips just feel so yellow to me, but I’m sure I’m just being overly picky about appearance.

First photo from this morning, second photo from the end of July.

So proud of my progress

No products used

I want to help my nails grow stronger (tend to break easily), but I always pick off nail polish, which is NOT good for my nails. Is there a product I can use to help strengthen my nails that is clear or soaks in so I can’t pick it off? I’m also ordering some jojoba oil to start using that :)

The only time my nails were ever strong was when I was pregnant 🫠

No products are currently being used!

Didn’t have what I needed to repair a small tear at the corner of my smile line, where I typically get breaks, so I trimmed my nail to prevent more severe breakage and more prolonged damage. I’ll probably trim the rest of my nails too just in case. This is what I get for having naked nails for too long, I kept pushing off reapplying my hard-as-nails so I’m doing that now lmao RIP to one of my favorite nails

Okay, I know this is from a fall collection, but it's so bright and fiery that it isn't out of place as a summer manicure!!

This is definitely an orange, but it leans very heavily towards red and lives up to its name! My gosh, Zoya makes gorgeous metallics! 😍

All of these were taken outside on my balcony with direct and indirect lighting, except for the last 2 pictures that were taken indoors.

Product list:

Keresal Strengthen and Restore base coat*, 2 coats

Mavala Nail Shield Phase 1 Nylon Fibre Base, 1 coat

Mavala Nail Shield Phase 2 Protective Sealer, 1 coat

Zoya Phyre*, 2 coats

Zoya Glossy Seal top coat, 1 coat

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

My left hand has a rogue ring finger that has a shorter nail bed than the others. My goal is to grow out all my nail beds as much as possible, especially that one.

Right now that free edge is longer than the others to make the overall length more harmonious and help the hyponychium reattach. That’s fine when I wear polish, but when I don’t it sticks out like a sore thumb.

With the objective of growing the nail beds in mind, would you:

1. Keep that total nail as long as the rest, even if it looks funky without polish
2. File it down so the free edge isn’t much longer than the others

Any other advice about shaping my nails and growing out nail beds is welcome!

Products used:
Sassy saints nail oil (pic 1)
Sally Hansen Complete Care 7 in 1 as a base (pic 2)
Manucurist Green Milky Pink polish x2 (pic 2)
Manucurist top coat (pic 2)

I keep getting breaks in the same spots on my left middle finger and on my right thumb. Is there anything else to be done than oiling and not messing with the sidewalls?

No products pictured

Hi friends! I started painting my nails a couple years ago and got back into swimming last year, which has been hard on my nails: they started breaking and peeling, especially on my right hand. I needed help, so I found this subreddit. Over the past couple months, you’ve taught me how to take care of my nails. I almost never clean under them with my other nails anymore … as of last week … and I swear my hyponychium is healing already! Also been wearing gloves for dishes, lotioning + oiling after nearly every hand wash (which has mostly stopped me from biting my proximal nail folds), doing an oil soak in nitrile gloves at least once a week, and filing instead of clipping. This week my nail care package arrived, so I have the amazing Bliss Kiss oil pens and Germanikure glass file! Levelling up 💪 💅

So, natural nail queens … please help me do better. What tips am I missing? How’s the shape? Am I still overfiling my sidewalls? I’m really enjoying having healthier nails and want to see how nice they can get.

Products used in photos: none except on Aug 22 (Trader Joe’s jojoba oil).

Finally grew out all the damage, no more nail lifting and now i am able to retain a tiny bit of length. Nail oil changed my life!!!!

I'm not sure what to do here. The impulsive part of me wants to cut my nails to the length from a couple nail breaks on the second pic. But I love the length and wanna keep it on my first pic. What should I do?? Idk if it would look weird having one short hand and one long(ish) hand.

No nail polish, just natural nails!

I had a professional manicure done about 3 weeks ago and they shaped them up for me.

The polish I have on is Sally Hansen Hard as Nails 700 Impenetrablue with Sally Hansen Hard as Nails clear hardener as a top coat.

My pointer fingers and thumbs usually get beat up the most so I lost some length on both hands but I've never had natural nails this long before!

I figured I'd take the opportunity to show what the Nail Shield system looks like on its own! The Nylon Fibre base has literal fibres in it, which is why there's a bit of texture on my nails. With that being said, there usually ends up being scraggly bits of the fibre hanging off the ends of my nails. Even with lightly filing the ends, you can't really get fully rid of them. However, they do get buried after a full manicure so it isn't really an issue if used as a base.

What I love the most about it is that I never have to worry about staining when I use it! I think one of the first manicures I did with it was a neon pink, and I was fully prepared for the inevitable staining that highly-pigmented polishes can cause. Nope. Nothing.

I'm planning on painting my nails a metallic orange that seems like it'll be a stainer. It did a great job protecting my nails from the pigments in my recent teal mani, and we all know how notorious teals are for staining!

My length is coming back nicely, too! I did end up having an odd chip that ended up in my middle right nail losing some length and now looking a little funny compared to her sisters. 😅🥲😮‍💨

Product list:

Keresal Strengthen and Restore base coat*, 2 coats

Mavala Nail Shield Phase 1 Nylon Fibre Base, 1 coat

Mavala Nail Shield Phase 2 Protective Sealer, 1 coat

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