Susan's Place Transgender Resources

Help!  What can I do to get them to stop peeling apart then breaking short?
never had this problem when I was male and working in engineering with my hands in oils and coolants all day.
Please don't say 'give up estrogen!'   :D

Try biotin.

Quote from: cynthialee on June 16, 2010, 07:56:18 AM
Try biotin.

I've heard that before from others on a few other things as well.  Does it really work as well as they say?

Quote from: cynthialee on June 16, 2010, 07:56:18 AM
Try biotin.

I was just thinking I'll have to try that Biotin..

..when I discovered I already am already on the RDA as part of a herbal Multivit tablet ::)

Hmmm... saved some cash ....but still have the nail issues.... :-\

Chrissty

do you protect your nails when you do things like washing the dishes or the car. Do you use nail polish? If so get a good base coat. Try and not change your nail color very often. Striping the polish does a number on the nails.

Are you vegan or a meat eater? If not vegan up the amount of gelatin you eat.

A few other things, too... If you cut your nails with rounded edges (like males typically do), they are much weaker. Try cutting a more blunt edge, like you see on acrylic tips. Always file your nails after cutting them, but only file in one direction (not back and forth like you're sanding wood). Use a nail strengthening top coat (Opi makes a great one). Also use a hand cream (not lotion) daily and specifically rub a small dab on each cuticle.

You may wish to get silk wraps till they have a chance to grow to a respectable length.  I have an light coat of acrylic on mine for strength only.

Try using gelatin.  My Mother used it once a week and she had great nails.  She would mix it with orange juice.

Also, this is really one of those things you should be telling your Dr about.

The day before I went full time at work I got gel nails.  That started a love-hate relationship with artificial nails.  I'd let them grow out, even to the point where my entire nail was new (no damage from the gels) but they never looked like they used to.

I did a lot of different things, many of them already suggested here.  But they still grew out misshapen and weak.  Then I remembered what I used to do before, back when I couldn't have my nails looking pretty all the time.  I used to be religious about taking care of the cuticles.  It was more of an unconscious thing, but I'd keep them trimmed and off the nail.  I'd just use my fingernail to push the overgrowth back.  And my nails always looked great and, despite working with my hands, were pretty strong.

So I started making a habit of grooming my nails just like I used to, when they looked their best.  Now the nails are growing out smooth.  The wrinkles and bumps are gone.  They are starting to look like they used to look.

Besides this, I also never allow polish or any coating to cover the cuticle.  I often moisturize my hands but I'm not religious about it.  I attribute most of the improvement to caring for the cuticle bed.  It's like hair, once it grows past the root, what you see is what you get. 

Look up cuticle care, especially caring for the cuticle bed.  That may be all you need.  So far, it seems to be that way for me.  I'll know for sure once the latest gel damage (I keep giving up!) has grown out.

Eat Jello it helps with making your nails stronger or use a strengthening polish.

Biotin doesn't get good writeups but I already eat a very healthy diet with the natural sources of it so I find it hard to believe diet is the problem.
The clean cuticles idea sounds good but I already do that and I always use rubber gloves for any serious cleaning.
I think the problem must be connected with the estrogen/spiro as even when I had my hands in solvents for hours on end I didnt get this flaking and people my age generally do have nice nails and in fact my mother at 91 can grow hers as long as talons in weeks and we can hardly get her to eat much food or take vitamineral pills.
Its just so annoying as nice nails help the hands look more feminine.

Quote from: cynthialee on June 16, 2010, 08:47:45 AM
ar. Do you use nail polish? If so get a good base coat. Try and not change your nail color very often. Striping the polish does a number on the nails.

my moms nails are all splitty and stuff and I keep telling her its because she changes her nail color so much, and using so much nail polish remover.. *sigh* but she refuses to believe me

i used to keep two hands full of talons, back before HRT. Women used to make comments along the lines of, "You have such pretty nails, I hate you." Female customers would even sometimes grab my hands to look at them.

I was on biotin for several years, and my nails never chipped or broke or cracked except when I didn't take it. It got to the point where I cut back my dose because my nails had become so strong, that they could no longer flex... and long, inflexible nails, lead to bad injuries when you work with heavy things sometimes.

HRT has annihilated them. I keep them short now and they chip all the time. I've been told by an older coworker who has ridiculous talons, while doing lots of hand work, that you have to use nail oil to keep them moisturized. Makes sense.

I personally am lazy, so even though I can paint my nails whenever I want, I never do it. However, the idea that I don't have to worry about harming my precious, immaculate nails, is somewhat comforting - if you have super short nails to begin with, who cares if you paint them frequently? *shrug*

From reports here, your nails go to crap on MTF HRT. I dont think it's a medical concern.

For what it's worth, I was on at least 5mg of biotin/day. I went up to 10mg for a while before they got too strong. If you are pre-hrt, a month on 5mg/day will change your nails completely.

If you find out, let me know!  I have the same problem.  I take 5,000 mg of biotin twice per day.  And have for the last three years.  It may be helping becase my hair seems stronger too and not as fine which biotin is supposed to help also.  But I still get split nails.  About the only thing that I can do is to get gel nails.  They look fabulous and are very strong, but the upkeep is a pain.

-Sandy

Quote from: lilacwoman on June 16, 2010, 07:49:55 AM
Help!  What can I do to get them to stop peeling apart then breaking short?
never had this problem when I was male and working in engineering with my hands in oils and coolants all day.
Please don't say 'give up estrogen!'   :D

My nails break now more since on HRT than they did before HRT. I wonder why that is?

Quote from: Naturally Blonde on June 18, 2010, 11:15:54 AM
My nails break now more since on HRT than they did before HRT. I wonder why that is?

There is a protien in male skin, hair and nails not present in females. I forget what it is but it makes men have the strong nails they have.

Quote from: cynthialee on June 18, 2010, 02:39:44 PM
There is a protien in male skin, hair and nails not present in females. I forget what it is but it makes men have the strong nails they have.

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Post Merge: June 20, 2010, 03:42:59 AM

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Quote from: cynthialee on June 18, 2010, 02:39:44 PM
There is a protien in male skin, hair and nails not present in females. I forget what it is but it makes men have the strong nails they have.

So why do women have long nails and men don't?

Quote from: Naturally Blonde on June 20, 2010, 04:42:00 AM
So why do women have long nails and men don't?

;D ;D ;D

I suppose this is a bit like "why do guys generally have longer/thicker eyelashes than girls", yet having good looking eyelashes is seen as a feminine thing?  :D

....Hmmmm thinking about it, there is a degree of masochism in a lot of what society expects of the female way of life....  ::)

At the risk of repeating myself, you really should be asking a Dr for an opinion about this.

There are many things which could cause it, some could be serious of not treated.

Quote from: spacial on June 20, 2010, 12:59:22 PM
At the risk of repeating myself, you really should be asking a Dr for an opinion about this.

There are many things which could cause it, some could be serious of not treated.

What is serious about a broken nail?

Biotin made a noticeable difference for me.
I still have some problems, but definitely the flaking off in slate-like layers is a thing of the past.