Until I was 16, I wasn’t just a nail biter. I was a nail chewer, a skin biter and a cuticle puller. My nails were so short, my fingertips were red raw and my nail beds were in a permanent cycle of bleeding, or scarred. I tried everything, plastering up my nails, painting them with that horrible tasting clear liquid, biting dry pasta, you name it and I’ve tried it.
Then one day, I realised I had stopped. I don’t know how exactly, I think it was a mixture of becoming aware of just how disgusting both the habit and my nails were, and becoming more confident so I didn’t stand there awkwardly chewing my fingers so that I didn’t have to talk to people. Either way, I can’t give you a comprehensive guide on how to stop biting your nails because honestly, that’s a mixture of perseverance and motivation. This is just some tips and tricks to grow long nails for those who have short, brittle and peeling nails.
If you’re interested, I also have a guide for growing short, damaged hair into long, healthy hair 
1. Detox your nails. Nail varnish itself isn’t too bad for healthy nails: it’s the nail varnish remover and the peeling off that really damage the nail. If your nails are already brittle and snapping, lay off the cycle of polish, pick, remove and repeat for a few weeks.
2. Throw away your nail hardener. Nail strengtheners actually make your nails weak! You’re best off picking up a beauty oil (coconut is my favourite but any will do) and rubbing that in your nail and nail bed morning and night
3. Moisturise! I have four hand lotions- a small Crabtree & Evelyn one I carry around with me in my bag which I apply every hour or so, a Temple Spa one I try and use every night, and a really rich Palmers Olive Oil one I use when I sit down to do my nails.
4. Buff. Like your hair, your broken nail ends need taking care of. Sure it means filing down that mm of length, but it doesn’t look nice when it is splitting, plus you run the risk of the nail snapping right off and you will just have to cut it shorter!
The best purchase you can make is those four sided buffers where you file, buff, smooth and shine the nail. It gets rid of any peeling layers and smoothes them into one so the nail doesn’t split. Also, make sure you file the nail is one direction, as the friction of buffing back and forth can wreck your nails.
5. Use a top coat. I know, I know, I said not to paint your nails, but if your nail is splitting, water gets in between the nail and swells it so that the layers swell apart. Not nice!
6. Cut your cuticles. This is a bit controversial, because cutting the cuticles can open your nail bed to infection. If you do it properly, it’s fine though. Use an oil, hand lotion or cuticle cream to soften the cuticle, and then use an orange stick to GENTLY poke the cuticle away from the nail. Once it’s seperated, you can cut off the excess cuticle using cuticle scissors (seriously don’t try using nail clippers please!)
7. Do NOT use acrylics! I’ve never had these myself but seriously, half your nail is sawed off and a fake one is glued on? And you wonder why your nails are damaged!? Come on guys, you’re better than that! Just follow these tips and you won’t even need fake nails
So there you have it! Most of these are common sense but I have learnt being a human often means having none. What are your tips for healthy, long nails?
Instagram | Twitter | Bloglovin’
