How to Grow Long Fingernails

Long fingernails are a sign of beauty and vitality, but many women have trouble growing their fingernails out long. Genetics play a role in the type of fingernails you have, but there are always things that you can do to help your fingernails grow long and strong. Follow along to find out how to make your nails as beautiful and healthy as possible.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Start from the inside out. If you want to grow long fingernails, you need to look at your diet and overall health first. Eat a healthy, balanced diet and take a multi-vitamin daily to help your nails grow as strong as possible.
2. Don't abuse your nails. Applying fake nails and lots of nail polish can really harm your nail bed, so leave them free of any additives for as long as possible. This will allow your nails to breathe. If you like the shiny look of nail polish, try using a buffer to buff your nails to a natural shine.
3. Stop biting your nails. You can't grow long fingernails if you keep biting them off. If you have trouble catching yourself, there are several products on the market, such as Thum and Bite Ender, that are designed to make your fingernails taste bad when bitten. Apply one of these liberally for a week or two until you kick the habit.
4. File them down. As your nails begin to grow out, you may be tempted to let them get as long as possible. Since it takes up to 6 months for your nails to regenerate, you may find your nails breaking easily for the first few weeks of growth as the damaged parts grow out. Keep them trimmed and filed down, allowing them to grow a bit longer each time.