...what is a girl to do?

Thin, soft, tearing... I'm getting really fed-up with years of this and before I cave in and spend a small fortune on getting and maintaining acrylics, I thought I'd throw this out to the collective wisdom of Susan's.

I spend a lot of time on a keyboard and the nails on my thumbs in particular are always ripping from the sides. I take multivits and minerals, eat fairly healthily but yet they're always looking horrible.

Any advice? What works for you?

Hi Stormy:

Tell me about it.  Though not on HRT my nails are crap and no matter what I have tried they still are crap.  I read somewhere that nail polish that is cream coloured (solid colours) as opposed to those that are pearly are better for your nails.  I have found this to be true.  If you are contemplating acrylics go for the gels as they are more natural looking.

Gill

Hi Gill

I haven't used any polish for a while thinking that might be part of the problem. I figured if they're going to tear so often then unvarnished nails might be less obtrusive somehow. I also hoped that post-op levels of HRT instead of the buckets I was taking beforehand would solve the problem but things seem to have got worse... weird.

Grr.

Grr is right.

g

I used to have beautiful strong nails pre-transition.  I started using polish and they began to flake and peel.  Polish is now anathema as it destroys my nails.  Particularly if I use one of those "sticky" undercoats.  I have not found that any particular type (e.g. pearly vs solid; enamel vs. lacquer, etc) or brand makes any difference.

I have really thin nails except my thumbs. They seem to break and I don't do anything to them, that I know of. I do have my nails done now. I have what is called a solar gel. It goes on and the natural color is pink. I can go without polish and just buff them and they shine. I go in every 3-4 weeks to get them filled and and shaped. I noticed the last time I was in it was 35 for a full set, but once you get the full set unless you break one you just get them filled and it is like half the price. It takes a lot to break one. I work with wheel chairs on the school bus and seat belts and I rarely ever break one.
Sheila

I would ask Lee Redmond of Salt Lake who has Guiness Book of World record nails.

She says she uses soaks them in  Olive oil.

Quote from: Ken/Kendra on December 27, 2006, 05:52:06 PM
I would ask Lee Redmond of Salt Lake who has Guiness Book of World record nails.

Haha!

But... errr... yikes! Really scary, especially the colour towards the ends. I'd love to know how she gets through her daily routine with those claws. Truly terrifying.

Sheila: Thanks for the solar gel tip. They might have a different name here in the UK but I guess I better go and see a manicurist. I also read somewhere that gelatin capsules might do the trick but for various reasons that doesn't appeal to me.

I have tried everything. Nail hardening polish, the gelitin that you drink some other stuff you put on your nails and nothing seems to work. It may work on some people, but not me.
I think Lee Redmond has the ugliest nails I have ever seen. That is debilitating. Just my point of view.
Sheila

Ugly yes. The point was she uses Olive Oil to keep them from breaking, if that means anything. Cheap and abundant. Available everywhere.

And definately she can be considered an expert on keeping them from breaking.

Quote from: Stormy Weather on December 27, 2006, 02:08:48 PM
...what is a girl to do?

Thin, soft, tearing... I'm getting really fed-up with years of this and before I cave in and spend a small fortune on getting and maintaining acrylics, I thought I'd throw this out to the collective wisdom of Susan's.

I spend a lot of time on a keyboard and the nails on my thumbs in particular are always ripping from the sides. I take multivits and minerals, eat fairly healthily but yet they're always looking horrible.

Any advice? What works for you?

If anyone does have advice I would be interested in it as well.  I'm suffering the same Stormy.  Thinning nails, they chip crack and split as soon as you look at them, really upsetting.  The only thing I can do is keep them short   I'm sure it's due to the removal of T but I'm not sure, it's the only thing I can think of as I maintain a healthy diet.

I have thought about acrylics and I understand that there are pro's and con's to those.  Ho hum, sucks to be us.

Steph

I've had fake nails for 10 years straight and 5 years off and on before that. I go for two-tone (french) acrylic base and a gel top coat so they look like they have a clear polish on them. I keep them short so they last 3 weeks. I should go every two weeks to keep them looking great but I tend to go every three.

It costs me 45 bucks a pop...ah the girl's high maintenance, what can I say. She also forces me to fork out 40 bucks on a pedicure and hundreds of dollars in facial regime stuff. LOL.

Chunk

I had beautiful, strong nails that I could grow out long previous to HRT.....now they are thin, weak and impossible to grow out without looking gross.  I too have tried many different things such as cremes, vitamins and hardeners but nothing works...I've given up. 

I had the same problem for I don't know how long.  I also tried vitamins, nail hardening polish, the famous nail cream that starts with an "L"...and nothing.  Until I discovered "shop at home".  I buy most of my cosmetics and beauty products online now.  It saves me time, for there is no way that I can waste one hour looking for a particular brand at a shopping mall.

I use ProStrong nail products, and honestly I have seen a great difference on how my nails look and feel.  Now, my dear Stormy, I didn't know if they shipped to the UK...but guess what?  I did a little bit of research and you kitties have QVC there too, and here is the ProStrong section.  Try it, for me it worked and I hope it does work for you too.

tinkerbell

What seems to work for me is 2 coats base coat, 2 color, optional 1 glitter and finally 1 top coat.

Usually I won't break anything like this.

Usually.

I have tried all of the above, including the QVC stuff. It didn't work for me. As far as the olive oil, I think it had more to do with genetics than anything that mankind made. Maybe that is what is wrong, men made it.
Sheila

I've had advice from everyone I know about what to do.  Absolutely nothing works.  My nails were perfect before HRT.  They could take a beating.  I work construction and still I rarely had problems with them breaking.  Now, they are awful.  I did acrylics.  I did gels.  Problem was acrylics weaken with polish remover.  The gels I got were done by a hack.  So I went back to trying to grow them out thinking if I was careful...  WRONG! 

About a week ago I went back to the place I got the acrylics and saw they now do gels.  I was excited!  The guy who did the acrylics did my gels.  He is a master!  I had him leave the length about 1/4" past my fingertips.  I knew I'd have some adjusting to do but I could always file them if it was a problem.  I told him I wanted a French manicure so he put on white tips.  That way the color doesn't chip off.  I love them!   They are still the same length and I'm used to them now.  And they look great.  Plus I've put them to the test and they haven't shown the least sign of wear.

The other day I had to get an old water heater out of my basement.  I asked several friends to help but they're all girls!    So I knew the only way to get it out was to cut it up.  I used a Sawzall, a band saw, a cutting torch, a sledge hammer - this thing was testing me!  It was the steel pipe in the middle that was giving me problems.  Anyway, many times I forgot to be careful about my nails and jammed them, hit them, smacked them, I mean they really took a beating!  And not one nail broke.  I haven't touched them up since that and they still look great!  Okay, they cost ($35 + tip) and I'll have to keep them up but it's worth it.  And all that time I spent trying to get my nails to grow I now spend doing other things, like cutting up old water heaters! 

Julie

Haven't done HRT, but considering it.  But this is interesting.  I have a hard time keeping my nails short enough.  Being a guitar player and having to play at least twice a week, I just can't keep them long.  So I have to always keep clippers in my case.  I took a break for the holidays and grew them for 2 weeks.  OMG, they were like daggers.  My wife keeps telling me that she would love to trade nails with me.  I would if I could.  Maybe HRT would be helpful to a musician.  Now...I'd love to trade some fast growing nails for a little of what you girls have on top of your head.  Think we could make a swap?

Peace,
Kristi

Same issue here. Before HRT my nails were as hard as stone, but now they are always peeling in layers and nothing seems to help them. They look just awful so I always keep polish on them. At first I thought maybe the polish was causing it but I tried going months without it and there was no difference. I'm completely at a loss.
However, something worth noting is that this started happening before I was on testosterone blockers but was taking estrogen and progesterone. It came on suddenly after only about 2 or 3 months of being on bioidenticals so I really don't think a lack of testosterone is the issue here. The only thing that I can think of that might be worth trying is going off progesterone for a while, but I'm going to wait until my breasts are done growing before trying it.

i had this terribly on one hand mostly for a long time, they peeled and broke easy.

post op though they are back to being like talons, i adore having well groomed nails