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• To step
• Method 1 of 2: Protect your nails from damage
• Method 2 of 2: Make your nails healthier

Nails grow slowly - only about four millimeters per month. If you want to get long, glamorous nails quickly, this can be very frustrating. Unfortunately, there isn't much you can do to speed up the natural growth of your nails. By preventing damage and keeping your nails as strong and healthy as possible, they can reach maximum growth rate within a week.

To step

Method 1 of 2: Protect your nails from damage

1. Stop with nail biting. This may sound logical, but it is also very important. If you bite your nails, they certainly won't grow long and strong. If you have a tendency to chew your nails, there are some things you can try to break the habit and grow your nails at the same time:
   • Apply some bitter tasting nail polish on your nails. At most drugstores and on the internet, you can buy special nail polish that will help you to get rid of nail biting.
   • Distract yourself with another habit or activity. If you feel the urge to bite your nails, try playing with a stress ball or chewing sugar-free gum, for example.
   • Try to avoid known triggers as much as possible. You may have a tendency to bite your nails when you are bored or stressed, so try doing something relaxing or fun for a few minutes when you tend to bite your nails.
2. Keep your nails dry to prevent them from getting weaker. When your nails get wet they become soft and weak. Keep your nails as dry as possible when you grow them long so that your nails are less likely to crack when they get wet.
   • For example, pat your nails dry immediately after showering and swimming.
   • Wear gloves when washing dishes, cleaning the countertop, and all other cleaning jobs that get your hands wet.
3. Hydrate your cuticles. It's important to avoid getting your nails wet too often, but they can also become brittle and crack if they get too dry. Keep the skin around your nails well hydrated by rubbing your hands and cuticles with a moisturizer daily.
   • Moisturizers like petroleum jelly and Aquaphor are among the best you can use to keep your hands hydrated.
   • You can also protect and moisturize your delicate cuticles with vegetable cuticle oils, such as apricot oil, cocoa butter and sweet almond oil.
   • It is especially important to moisturize your cuticles in the winter, as well as after using harsh and drying products like nail polish remover.
4. File your nails in a natural form. If you file your fingernails well, you can prevent breakage and cracks and your nails will not catch on anything. Use a nail file to give your nails a slightly rounded or square shape.
   • To avoid jagged edges, file your nails with smooth strokes and only file in one direction. Start filing from one side of your nail to the center, then file from the center to the other.
   • Glass and crystal nail files are better for your nails than metal files and emery files.
5. Be careful with manicures. If you use too many products of any kind on your nails - even strengthening top coats - your nails can dry out and become more brittle. Going to a nail salon too often also puts you at risk of contracting a bacterial or fungal infection that will make your nails weaker. As you grow your nails, give them a chance to breathe and avoid using products on your nails for a while.
   • Nail polish remover dries out your nails strongly. If you are using nail polish remover, look for one that does not contain acetone and has a moisturizing effect.

   Warning: do not have your cuticles cut or taken backwards in a manicure, whether you go to a nail salon for a manicure or take care of your nails yourself. Your cuticles protect your nails and keep them strong.

   
   
6. Treat medical conditions that affect your nails. Certain medical conditions, such as diabetes and psoriasis, can damage and weaken your nails. If you have any of these conditions, follow your doctor's instructions for proper treatment and control of your condition. By treating the underlying condition, you can prevent damage to your nails.
   • Take prescription medications as directed by your doctor and go to medical appointments as often as your doctor recommends.
   • If you have a condition that affects your circulation, such as diabetes, gentle hand massages can help improve circulation and make your nails healthier.

Method 2 of 2: Make your nails healthier

1. Get plenty of calcium. There is not much evidence that calcium can help make nails stronger, but some people with a calcium deficiency or a related condition may find that calcium makes their nails grow faster. Whether or not your nails are getting stronger from calcium, a diet high in calcium is important for your overall health.
   • Good sources of calcium include dairy products (such as milk, cheese and yogurt), canned fish (such as sardines and salmon), calcium-fortified soy products, and green vegetables such as broccoli, kale and turnip leaves.
2. Get plenty of protein. Your fingernails are made of keratin, a type of protein. Eating enough protein can make your nails healthier. Protein is also important for keeping all other tissues in your body healthy, such as your hair, bones, muscles and skin. Good dietary sources of protein include:
   • Lean meats, such as fish and white poultry
   • Eggs
   • Dairy products such as milk, cheese and yogurt
   • Beans, peas, nuts and seeds
3. Take a dietary supplement with biotin to get stronger nails. It's not clear if your nails will grow faster from biotin (also called vitamin B7), but they can get stronger if they are weak and brittle. Ask your doctor if a dietary supplement containing biotin might be helpful for you.
   • You can take biotin in the form of a dietary supplement, but there are also various foods that contain biotin, such as beef liver and other organ meats, egg yolks, salmon, brewer's yeast, avocado, sweet potatoes and many nuts and seeds.

   Warning: always ask your doctor for advice before taking biotin or any other dietary supplement. Biotin can interact with certain medications, so tell your doctor which medications you are taking.

   
   
4. Ask your doctor to check you for a vitamin deficiency. A deficiency in certain vitamins can make your nails weak, brittle and deformed. If you are unable to get strong nails, make an appointment with your doctor and ask if he or she can test you for a vitamin deficiency. If you are indeed deficient, taking a dietary supplement can help your nails grow faster and make them longer and stronger.
   • For example, an iron deficiency can make your nails brittle and deform. If you have iron deficiency anemia, taking a dietary supplement with iron can help you get stronger nails, among other benefits.