The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Tea Tree Oil
Posted by Oceanna (Wa) on 08/11/2018
★★★★★
Brittle Fingernails and Hangnails
I've battled brittle fingernails and hangnails for years. A few weeks ago I began massaging undiluted Tea Tree Oil into my fingernails and the skin surrounding them in the morning and at bed time. The Tea Tree Oil is absorbed quickly. My nails look hydrated and healthy, with no peeling or chipping since I started this. Improvement was visible from the first application. I've had a couple of hangnails since but nowhere near as often as before.
Iodine
Posted by Joanne (Melbourne, Australia) on 06/29/2018
You can't unfortunately get it in Australia.. Try ebay from overseas.
Vitamin E
Posted by Marta (Denmark) on 05/11/2018
★★★★★
Hello! I take vitamin e for many years. Originally I take it to strength my nails but it's doing good for my hair too, stronger, shiny. I take 400 mg of natural Vitamin E. I don't rub into my nails like many people do because taking it internally is better I think.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Evelyn (North Carolina) on 06/06/2016
Just try the amount suggested on the bottle each day. Increase if needed to get results.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Jim (Dalton, Pa.) on 06/05/2016
I too am interested in dosage of apple vinegar tabs to combat soft fingernails. Any response would be greatly appreciated! Thank you.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Judi (Seattle, Wa) on 03/02/2016
Hi, when you used apple cider vinegar tablets what was the dose?
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Camille (Boston, Ma) on 02/15/2016
Sounds wonderful. Very interested to know how much ACV and coconut oil you take daily? Thanks.
Tea Tree Oil
Posted by Jaleeah (Oakland) on 01/23/2016
★★★★★
I bit my nail for 55 years because they were very thin. I didn't like when they were growing - they would bend backward. By applied Tea tree oil twice a day the nail is hard and my grew back beautiful. People thought I had on fake nails.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Joy (Il) on 01/11/2016
★★★★★
Apple Cider Vinegar is one amazing product to strengthen weak nails!! I've had soft, yet brittle nails that break easily all my life. To make matters worse, I also had copious amounts of painful hang nails. A few months ago, I began taking apple cider vinegar for an unrelated problem. Within three weeks my nails were strong and the hang nails disappeared. To prove to myself that it was the vinegar, I stopped taking it for a month, and sure enough, my nails again became soft and brittle. Another round of apple cider vinegar for a few weeks gave me beautiful nails. I'm convinced!
Daily apple cider vinegar will be a part of my health and beauty regimens forever. I take about one tablespoon of vinegar daily in tomato juice. If you'd like to make the concoction more palatable, you could try mixing in some natural horseradish and worstershire sauce (don't use Heinz because of the unhealthy ingredients) like a bloody Mary (minus the vodka, okay?). It is delicious prepared this way, but I don't always have the time.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Cindy (Newtown, Pa) on 09/07/2015
★★★★★
I have had weak nails all my life and started taking apple cider vinegar tablets for other health reasons and discovered that my nails are stronger than ever before! I am thrilled! Raw apple vinegar is pure torture and didn't even work when I tried to drink for a couple weeks. The tablets worked immediately and help regulate blood sugar levels, sugar cravings, acne, etc.....a lifesaver!!
ACV and Coconut Oil
Posted by Karen (Canada) on 03/06/2015
I am willing to try this. I'm assuming you take it by mouth. I put a teaspoon of coconut oil and 2 tsp. cider vinegar in a glass and I just drink it. I hope I see good results.
ACV and Coconut Oil
Posted by Mod (Toronto On) on 02/22/2015
Hi, do u mix the 2? If so how much of each. Thanks
Garlic
Posted by Zarah22 (Scranton, PA) on 12/30/2014
★★★★★
Used raw garlic on my little girl's nails and it does make her nails stronger. I rubbed it on her nails after bath in the morning and before bedtime. I saw improvement after 2 weeks of continuous use. Highly recommend it!
Garlic
Posted by Jackdblack (Madison, Wisconsin, USA) on 12/23/2014
★★★★★
I have checked the posts here but I have not seen garlic. You see, my mom used to rub our nails with peeled, raw garlic everyday. She said that her mother used to do the same to her and it made her nails stronger.
When I was a young kid I had thin, weak toenails that bend on their own when they grew longer. My mom's garlic remedy paid off as my nails became thick and stronger. I want to share this home remedy as it might work for you too!
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Danie (France) on 12/06/2014
How do you prepare the ACV for long and strong fingernails?
Iodine
Posted by Andy (Australia) on 11/04/2014
I've had skin tags in the past and my doctor told me not to worry as they soon outgrow their blood supply and eventually just drop off.
And they did! :)
Blackstrap Molasses
Posted by Kristi (Covington, La) on 07/23/2014
I have been doing a lot of research recently on Blackstrap Molasses. All recommendations (I have found) for health issues for both humans and dogs say to use 1 tablespoon daily.
Lugol's Iodine
Posted by Beth (Palmyra, Nj) on 06/23/2014
★★★★★
I began taking 2 drops of Lugol's iodine daily for brittle nails. Within two weeks my nails are unbelievably strong and hard. Also, I injured one nail over thirty years ago below the growth line. Every time this nail begins to grow it, it would crack vertically. I was told there was no remedy. I now have a nail growing on that finger!! No explanation other than the iodine. I am a believer!
ACV and Coconut Oil
Posted by Adrian (S. Florida) on 06/14/2014
How do you take the apple cider vinegar and coconut oil? Together - ingest or put ON nails. Please tell me~ thank you.
Silica
Posted by Kay (Fl) on 05/31/2014
Be mindful of Silica dosages, side effects, and warnings!
Silica is also used to breakdown/dissolve hard tissues like fibriods, cysts, tumors, etc, which may also may unlease thier contents, including toxins, infectious agents, cancerous tissue, etc. I began taking silica (oral, homeopathic) in attemps to relieve painful fibroids and troublesome scar tissue under my foot; but the silica first dissolved an age-old cyst imbedded under my scalp (which I didn't know was there; leftovers of a decades-old boil that was removed completely, intact). When the silica dissolved the cyst it spilled the (previously contained) infection into surrounding tissues (infecting nearly my entire scalp). I've been fighing/treating this scalp infection for well over a year now, and it's been a painful, difficult, and troublesome battle every day, including hair loss!
ACV and Coconut Oil
Posted by Oweno1 (El Paso, Texas, Usa) on 05/11/2014
★★★★★
Apple Cider Vinegar and Coconut Oil : This combination works speedily. I have suffered from fungus on my fingernails for several years. I stumbled across this site and began treating myself with ACV, later as I began to learn more decided to cook with Coconut Oil, then even ingest it as a supplement. This remedy sped my healing. I had been taking meds for this disease for a couple years and it would be a temporary partial fix. (I gave up on the meds) The ACV and Coconut Oil work fast and beautifully! The itching stops within days, the cracking stops thereafter and within weeks your nails will grow smoothly. It took a while, if you skip a day or two don't fret, just keep at it. The ACV taste terrible, so on occasion I skipped. LOL My nails are becoming stronger by the week and the cuticles are now connecting with the nails beautifully. I am no longer embarrassed of my hands. Please try this! ACV works, faster with Coconut Oil and as bonus my adult acne has cleared! My case was so bad it took about six months plus. Never really kept records but noticeable by the week.
Vicks
Posted by Julie (Daly City, California) on 04/19/2014
I read somewhere about a year ago that V**ks V***rub works to kill toenail fungus. Well one day I tried it. Then I forgot about it until one day when I went to cut my toe nails and I thought, wow, is it my imagination or did that one time of rubbing the v**ks into my toe nail really work because my nails looked slightly better. So I rubbed a little on again and again forgot about it for a bit and then remembered and took a closer look. My nails looked a little better. I rubbed it on them again and the next time I checked I swear my little toe nails were looking flatter and started to look less like the fat lump of a toenail they had become. The other nails started to look like they were flattening out too...meaning they weren't growing away from the nail bed so much because of the noticeable disappearance of that substance that grows under the nail associated with the fungus. I am not diligent about applying it probably everyday like I should but I was impressed with the results after only 3 applications done at least a month apart. I am going to try and be more consistent with applying it, hopefully everyday, and see what happens but I honestly saw a difference with just those three times and had seen no difference with other over the counter type applications. I will post my results, if any, in the future but as God as my witness, I swear, there is a difference. It doesn't seem to hurt the nail or the skin and it's worth a shot and hopefully I will be posting positive results sometime soon!
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Jacqueline (Perth, Australia) on 11/21/2012
★★★★★
Worked for me too - was a fantastic side effect when I started using apple cider vinegar for other health issues. I have have lovely long and strong finger nails for the first time in my life :-)
Silica
Posted by Sylvia (Albany, Ny, United States) on 10/03/2012
Hey guys, was checking out remedies for weak, brittle nails and came up with silica as one answer. I don't know if it works well or not, but be aware that there are some scary side effects. Look into it thoroughly before using!!!
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Kayci (North Berwick, Maine) on 09/30/2012
you eat it?
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Emgee (Broken Hill, Australia) on 05/26/2012
I started taking Apple Cider Vinegar for a number of different health issues. After only a couple of days I noticed my flaky weak nails were getting stronger. Two months later now and I have the longest strongest nails I have ever had. Even hard to type on my keyboard lol. I read somewhere that Apple Cider Vinegar helps with the uptake of magnesium and calcium but can't remember where I read that. It certainly is the answer for me.
Silica
Posted by Pat (Imperial Beach, Ca) on 04/03/2012
Do you swallow it or put it directly on your nails? How much of it and how often do you use it?
Iodine
Posted by Smdoulos (Syracuse, Ny) on 10/27/2011
Does iodine work for skin tags also? How much and how often? Thanks.
Blackstrap Molasses
Posted by Brittany (Grove City, Oh, Usa) on 09/18/2011
Just be careful with molasses, especially if you are diabetic.. Not a good remedy for diabetics or those who don't know they are diabetic. A whole cup seems excessive.
Folic Acid
Posted by Mandy (Houston, Texas) on 09/14/2011
I am thinking to try this, because I too have hypothyroidism and really, REALLY want my fingernails to grow out nice and long. I do take vitamins every day!
Silica
Posted by Softnails (Calgary, Ab) on 08/18/2011
For those who use Silica for nail strenthening, how long before you notice an improvement...
Thank you
Iodine
Posted by Mon (Sunshine Coast, Queensland Australia) on 07/04/2011
Interesting! Where in Australia do I get colourless iodine?
Lemon Juice
Posted by Leah (New York, Ny) on 03/13/2011
★★★★★
Hi, I started putting apple cider vinegar on my nails and it has really kept them strong! I was very surprised.
Biotin
Posted by Pjb747 (Fenton, Mi) on 06/18/2010
I feed my horses biotin for their hooves. It takes almost a year to see real results. The hoof that forms with biotin is stronger. It can't improve existing hoof. Hooves grow out like nails do from a nail bed. I would assume that it is the same with nails but it doesn't take so long to grow a whole new nail. I think after 3-4 months on biotin, the old nail would be gone and biotin fortified nail would have grown in. I don't think being off biotin for a week or two would make a difference.
Blackstrap Molasses
Posted by Donna Cecconi (Crete, Il) on 02/17/2010
How much water and molasses do I mix with the lemon?
Blackstrap Molasses
Posted by Ann (Calmar, Ia) on 02/14/2010
how much blackstrap molassess do you use? Is it mixed with water as well as the juice of half a lemon?
Biotin
Posted by Aginto (Toronto, Ontario) on 02/07/2010
★★★★★
I've been taking a 250mg supplement of Biotin once a day for about 3 weeks before I noticed the changes in my nails! They are harder, they don't break or chip as easily. I went on vacation for 2 weeks and forgot my Biotin. Lo and behold, near the end of the 2 week vacation I had broken one nail and chipped another!
I am back on the Biotin. I've also added the de-colorized Iodine to my repertoire and will report back after a week or two. Thanks for all the great advice Earth Clinic!!!
Fish Oil
Posted by DeAnna (Clarksville, TN) on 07/13/2009
★★★★★
Fish oil was recommended to me as a supplement from a personal trainer....happened to notice after a couple of weeks that my nails were actually growing and not breaking nearly as much!!! Didn't realize it had a benefit to nails also! Will definitely keep taking for my nails!
MSM
Posted by Kim (Grants Pass, OR) on 04/03/2009
Hi Carmen, I just read your post. I too am having menopause issues from a hysterectomy at the early age of 26, which in turn turned into a hypothyroid issue, which left untreated, turned out to be pretty severe. Make sure you keep yourself educated, doctors that you pay to know health issues, typically DON'T know. Feel free to email me anytime. And my fingernails, bend easier than paper!!!
Fish Oil
Posted by Anna (Brooklyn, NY) on 04/03/2009
★★★★★
Fish oil made my nails stronger in a matter of days. Take the prescribed daily dose.
Biotin
Posted by Karen (Chicago, IL) on 02/15/2009
★★★★★
My fingernails were soft and frequently broke. I starting taking 1000 mcg biotin twice a day, and within 2 months, they became rock solid. I stopped taking biotin for a while, and my nails returned to being soft. When I started taking the pills again, my nails toughened up. Karen
MSM
Posted by Carmen (Brandon, Florida) on 12/25/2008
I am experiencing early menopause due to a hysterectomy and along with the many other changes I am encountering I find my nails are weak. During a search I found MSM, what exactly is this? And is it safe to take with harmone replacement?
Silica
Posted by Dan (Markam, Canada) on 07/22/2008
★★★★★
Silicon is not present in large amounts, yet found in every type of tissues in the body. Silicon is used to keep bones, cartilage, tendons and artery wall healthy. It is required by the nails, hair and skin, silicon levels drop as we age. So if cartilage is not in any joint after surgery, silicon will replace it. If you want nice hair, and nails, silicon is also called silica. I take it and I have good hair and nails that look good and they are hard. If you do not have any idea where to get some, look to the internet. It has information on healthy products.
