10 Oh-So-Easy Ways To Make Your Nails Grow Faster & Stronger

Looking for long, luxe nails you've previously only believed came from faux tips? You've come to the right place. It's totally possible to achieve healthy, fast nail growth—it just takes a touch of upkeep and a whole lot of TLC. And much like growing out your hair, the best plan of attack is twofold: encourage healthy nail growth internally, and protect the nails you do have from breaking or damage. 

Much like your skin and hair, hydration goes a long way for your nails, too. Moisturizing your tips will keep them from becoming brittle, a quick way to ensure they'll snap right off. It's as easy as remembering to rub in your hand cream post hand-wash. Cuticle care also comes into play here: Dehydrated, frayed cuticles can lead to damaged nailbeds and infection if they're left untreated. 

So much about nail health and growth comes down to diet. In fact, your nails can act as something of a canary test to your overall health, with breakage or slow growth signaling dietary, mineral, and vitamin deficiency. "Pay attention to your diet," explains Amy Lin, the founder of sundays—a nail care brand focused on wellness—about strong nails. "Your nails are made of proteins and naturally need a lot of vitamins." 

Well specifically, your nails consist of the protein keratin (like your hair), so it's important to make sure you're getting your fill of keratin-building amino acids. Two of the most popular ways to do so (and widely studied, we might add) are biotin and collagen supplements, as they tend to be the most effective in supporting nail health.*

We get it: Gels, dips, and acrylics give you the look and length you want in one manicure appointment. (Why wait weeks for long nails when you can get them in an hour?) And while this may be an appealing quick fix, it's not sustainable for healthy nails. Meaning: You're limiting the chances of natural growth in the long run. (We explain why in this article about how gels affect nail health.)

Your nails aren't going to grow if you're gnawing them off every chance you get. Do your best to kick the habit. A few tricks to stop picking or biting? 

The first is to cover them with a physical barrier, like a Band-Aid. "If something is covered, then it's hard to access, and when you try to get to them but can't, that's enough time for you to think, Oh, I shouldn't be doing this," says Amy Wechsler, M.D., board-certified dermatologist and psychiatrist. "Sometimes my patients will be walking around with lots of Band-Aids, but it's the only way to heal things."

"If you want to keep your nails strong, you don't want to use 100% acetone removers," Lim says. Instead, try to find options that contain moisturizing ingredients for the natural nail, like a soy-based remover—these can effectively dissolve polish while simultaneously strengthening the nail, and they're typically pumped with other vitamins and hydrating ingredients. 

We forget how much wear and tear our hands go through: typing away at keyboards, doing things around the house, gardening, lawn work, oh how the list goes on. Do this hard enough and it can even result in trauma to the nail, which very often results in peeling and breakage. But it can be simple, things, too: "Things like opening a can of soda can potentially cause that too," says Lin. 

You can avoid a lot of nail issues—frayed cuticles, snagging, and brittleness—with a little attention. Being diligent about your nail hygiene is a lot like skin care: Sure, your skin is affected by what's going inside, but tending to the outside goes a very long way. It's also not going to solve everything, but you'll avoid a lot of issues with upkeep and maintenance. 

There's something just so disappointing about getting the length you're after, only to snag one little nail. What do you do in this case? Trim the lot of them to match? Live with the fact that you'll have one awkward tip out of place?