Intro . . .
Thankfully, my whole life I have been blessed with sturdy fast-growing nails. However, most of my best girl friends have not been so lucky and I have spent hours with them searching for the best solutions to their nail dilemmas. Here are some of the things we have discovered that work.

The golden rules . . .
There are two main rules to go by in order to prevent nail damage and breakage. First, never use your nails as tools. Oh dear, that cellphone battery is stuck and you can’t pry it out. So you should use your nails right? Wrong! This is an obvious one, but most women forget about their nails at a time like this. Then they quickly regret it later when their nail chips or breaks. Find something that will do the trick for whatever the situation is. Items that I find useful as tools include pointy-edge metal nail files, paper clips, back end of silver wear (great for opening cans), etc. And second, always protect your nails while cleaning. When you wash the dishes, mop floors, clean the furniture, wash the car, etc., your nails come in contact with water (which soften them and any uncalculated movement can easily break them). More harmful than water, however, are all the cleaning chemicals used. Those tend to seep right into cracks on the surface of the nail further damage them. So remember to always use gloves. And even if it isn’t while cleaning, do not allow your nails to come into contact with potentially harmful chemicals such as perfume and body mists. Especially if you have very weak nails, keep your fingertips away from the spray’s path.

Nail maintenance, remember the cuticles . . .
When running maintenance on your nails, keep in mind to never file the edges too much as this will weaken the nail. Stick to filing the middle portion. Furthermore, take the time to soak your hands in a container with warm water for at least four minutes. Not only will it feel very nice and indulgent, but it will render your cuticles soft and ready for easy removal. If you don’t have the time or materials for this warm water soak, a generous amount of lotion applied on your cuticles will suffice for a speedy softening. Following whichever procedure you decide to take, use a cuticle pusher to gently lift your cuticles from the surface of the nail. Then, using a sharp cuticle remover (it’s essential that you utilize a sharp one, otherwise you wont get a clean cut and you might even cut more than desired), clip the excess cuticle that you had pushed up. Be very careful not to cut more than the excess. Too much cuticle hinders the nail from growing, too little cuticle provides an entry way for bacteria and harmful substances. Even if you aren’t wearing nail polish, nicely trimmed cuticles and clean fingernails will make your hands look at least 50% better.

Garlic works . . .
Some think it’s a myth that garlic strengthens nails, but I really do think it works. Once every other day, you should cut a garlic in half (save the other half to use the next time) then rub the non-dry part where the cut was made against your nails and cuticles. At first, my friends found no significant difference, but after about four weeks of repeating this treatment, their nails became significantly stronger and the surface tone looked much more even.

Nourishment . . .
Apart from the occasional garlic, take the time to nourish your body and your hands. A healthy diet abundant in eggs, milk, leafy vegetables, nuts, and sea food can make a great difference in your nails’ health (and the health of your whole body!). Deem these foods boring or “diet-like”? Search online for recipes that include wholesome ingredients such as the ones previously mentioned and you will find a cornucopia of delicious and creative meal ideas. There are bountiful ways to make simple vegetables look gourmet and palatable. Living a healthy lifestyle will be easier than you had thought. You will find equally beneficial to drink plenty of water and to work some moisturizing lotion (preferably one which contains vitamin E) on to your hands and nails before going to bed at night. This will soothe brittle nails and prevent breakage. It is also very important to rub some sunscreen lotion on your nails if you’re going to be exposed to the sun for extended periods of time. Sure the sun damages your skin, but it’s no less caring with your nails and hair.

Go the extra step . . .
There are many solutions out there that promise to improve the strength and growth rate of your nails. Some provide such basic nourishment that they end up doing very little for nails. After raiding drug stores and internet sites with my friends (we tested about 8 to 10 products), we found 3 products that work very well. The first is Sally Hansen Diamond Strength Instant Nail Hardener. The friend that used this product went on for about seven weeks without breaking a nail. She applied a new coat every three days or so and boy did her nails gain strength. But being the graceful bird that she is, she chipped one pretty bad when she fell while ice skating. Ouch. However, considering that something would happen to her nails every other week, this was a miracle for her. I’m sure once she starts to grow them again she will take better care of them. Next, Barielle Instant Liquid Nail Hardener worked just as well as the Sally Hansen product but for double the price. So if you’re on a budget, Barielle would not be my first recommendation. And last but not least, Nutra Nail 5 to 7 Day Growth Calcium Formula worked almost as well as the Barielle and Sally Hansen, however, my friend’s nails took quite a while to become significantly stronger, although they did grow faster.  But what good are long nails if they aren't hard?  They'll just break sooner than you can beging to enjoy them.  Of course, keep in mind that these results are particular to my friends. You may have a different nail composition, a different diet, and of course, different DNA. So results are likely to vary from person to person. Don’t be afraid to try a different approach (whether store-bought or homemade) and figure out what works for your nails.