How to Grow Long Nails

Grow your nails longers by following a few tips.

Ready to grow long nails? Fortunately, you can take a few steps to protect your nails and make them stronger so they can grow longer. But be aware that there are also a few things, like soaking your nails in gelatin and taking multivitamins or gelatin supplements, that won't work, according to MayoClinic.com.

Things You'll Need

• Biotin, 2.5-mg tablets
• Moisturizer
• Gloves
• Cuticle cream or oil
• Nail cream

Instructions

1. Take a 2.5-mg tablet of biotin each day. Also know as vitamin B-7, biotin can increase the thickness of your nails, making them stronger and less apt to break.

2. File your nails using a good-quality nail file or emery board. Cheap emery boards and metal files can cause damage to the nail and make it hard to grow long nails.

3. Don't cut your cuticles. Instead, apply cuticle cream or oil and gently push the cuticles back with a cuticle stick or with your fingers.

4. Avoid nail hardeners. Nail hardeners usually contain formaldehyde, which weakens nails over time.

5. Moisturize your nails frequently with a nail cream or moisturizer to help your nails grow longer. Dry nails break and split easily. Keeping your nails moisturized keeps them supple and helps them resist splitting and chipping.

6. Wear gloves to protect your hands when doing household chores, such as cleaning. Treat your hands as jewels, not tools.

7. Use a nail polish remover that doesn't include acetone. It takes a bit longer to remove polish with an acetone-free remover, but acetone dries out your nails, making them more prone to breaking.

8. Be patient. It may take from three to six months to grow long nails but the results are well worth it!

Tips & Warnings

• Use non-acetone nail polish remover as it is gentler on the nails than acetone reomover.

References

• MayoClinic.com: How to Keep Your Fingernails Healthy and Strong