Hair & nails

[Medvssa]

I think the possibilities are so big that I am not gonna make a poll.

So, how does your hair compare to your nails? I am curious about this since they are often associated (have strong and shiny hair & nails with Super-X product!!! :D)

Are your nails and your hair both thick and strong? brittle/prone to breakage? pliable? dry? thin? do both grow fast or slowly?

I'll start then. I have quite thick strands of hair and very, very thick and resilient nails. My nails grow extremely fast but my hair doesn't at all (all energy going to my nails, perhaps? :D) When I've had iron problems in the past, leading to heavy shedding of my hair, my nails where not at all affected. My hair is very dry (porous?) my skin is dry, but I don't think my nails are particularly dry (considering the [lack of] treatment I give to them) I need to feed my hair constantly so it doesn't dehydrate and break off, but my nails can take neglect pretty well. I've achieved very long nail lenghts by just ignoring them. When they break, they always break around the sides from a good deal of trauma.

All in all, except for the thickness perhaps, I don't think my hair and nails are at all related.

[Newniepg]

Well, I bite my nails. I don't bite my hair. Having said that, My nails seem to be fairly strong (considering I nibble) when I do let them grow, I would say that my hair was fairly strong and resilient too. I suppose that both my nails and my hair suffer when I am ill though.

It is an interesting thought, I will be watching this thread to see if anyone else's hair and nails are related.

[Forever_Sophie]

Both my hair and nails are strong and fast growing, however I should clarify that my hair isn't *as* strong b/c of my constant highlights! My stylist always comments that my roots esp. are healthy.

Like you, my nails aren't too affected if I neglect them (dry skin & hair...).

[Islandgrrl]

My nails grow like weeds. I don't like them very long, and it seems that I'm constantly filing them to keep them at a manageable length. My hair grows not as fast as my nails do. But they are both quite healthy.

[lora410]

My nails are week, break, and flake; they grow in spurts. My hair is not thick but alot stronger then my nails and it would take more then a good jank to snap my hair, and that also grows in spurts section by section. Sometimes I will get major growth only on the top and sometimes only on the bottom.

[Fillette]

I think that my hair and my nails are equally strong and healthy. However, I would do anything, ANYTHING (well almost) to have my hair grow as fast as my nails do...

[mira-chan]

My nails are thick, strong and long. So is my hair. My nails grow very fast, my hair plods along at average speed.

[Magicknthenight]

my nails grow really fast! But my hair seems to grow super slow!:(
i used to pick my nails off as a chillen but now i just let them grow. They are pretty strong and even quite flexable without breaking :poot: i dunno..
then eventuially the nails break off somehow when im doing something when they get too long and start all over again. I wish my hair grew as fast as my nails!:pray:

[ladiosaRosa]

I consider my hair and nails are related in that my individual hairs are fine and I think my total hair is thin.

My nails are 'delicate' to begin with and heavens forbid I get them wet (kitchen, shower, garden), they become soft. I usually have 4 layers of nail polish on them (base, 2 coats of color, topcoat)....and that makes them strong enough to weather my chores. Their rate of growth is not bad especially since I massage them with my home made cuticle cream several times a day. Two of my fingernails are prone to 'layering'; I try to remedy this by gluing a small patch of fine silk on the layering area. This patch lasts for months.

But, my hair length is terminal at 33" ......so there, the relationship ends.

[hippiechick1976]

I have always had super uber thick hair and nails. I can grow my nails out a inch or so before they break because I am not nice to them and abuse them:) My hair has always been strong as well. I just wish it grew like my nails do ( noticably). Honestly I average about a inch a month on both in the warmer months. Winter months I go gone to almost no growth and have yet to see it kick back in yet this year ( GROW)

[hurricane_gia]

I'm going to respond before I read all the other posts because I only have so much time to play on the internet tonight . . .

I have Medium textured hair that is fairly strong. I do have some breakage from a time when I was anemic and wearing ponytails a lot, but generally I think of my hair as strong, since I made it all the way to waist length before LHC, and without using conditioners!

But my nails, now, my nails could be used to build armored cars. I'm a gardener, and I dig in the dirt all day long, but never break a nail. I hate to cut them because they are so thick that when I cut them there's a reverberation that goes up my arm and creeps me out. So, I let them grow until the 'white' part of the nail is almost as long as the 'pink' part. I have actually bent them backwards accidentally, without breaking them.

I haven't started taking any special vitamins yet, so all the changes in my hair since joining LHC are due entirely to the products I put on my hair and the way I handle it. Since I use my hands to put these products in my hair, I have noticed a tremendous difference in the condition of my skin (no more hangnails or torn cuticles) and my nails really do seem even stronger now. So I guess CO, C-COW-C, Shea Butter and all that are very good for nails!

[kwaniesiam]

My nails and hair are polar opposites. I used to have really long, strong healthy nails. My hair is fine and thin, and can't handle that much abuse. Recently I've been biting my nails a lot, it's an off and on bad habit of mine. I'm trying to quit again, so far so good. I sometimes with my hair was thick and strong, short nails don't really bother me that much since I play several instruments and they'd just get in the way.

[Ponytale]

My hair and nails are opposite too...
Fine slow growing hair (but abundant I guess), and really fast growing hard nails that I have to trim or they get rather perverse. I work outside with horses, do my own farrier work, garden, climb around the rocks etc. with no polish ever, and they still grow very long. I wish my hair were similar!

[psvzum]

My hair is very thick while my nails are very thin

[Curlsgirl]

I think mine are both fairly average as far as growth and strength or maybe a little above average. My hair can take a lot more than most people and come out strong, doesn't break very easy etc. My nails are acrylic but it's not that they are not strong, I just am very active and not careful with them so they break as they get longer. I like not having to worry about them. So yes, I believe there is a relation for me, both healthy and growth normal. :D

[ZaBasDa]

hurricane_gia I think your nails and mine are twins. They grow rather fast, are super thick, and really strong. I have one nail that tends to 'flake' in the same spot when I damage it though.

My hair grow really slow, but it is extremely resilient. Luckily my nails aren't fuzzy like my head.

[hurricane_gia]

hurricane_gia I think your nails and mine are twins. They grow rather fast, are super thick, and really strong. I have one nail that tends to 'flake' in the same spot when I damage it though.

My hair grow really slow, but it is extremely resilient. Luckily my nails aren't fuzzy like my head.

I am also glad that my nails are not frizzy!

Sometimes my nails flake off, particularly my middle finger, about two weeks after I've been sick or anemic. Every now and then, a corner of on of my nails will tear, and I will trim the corner smooth (I can't stand to file my nails because that also sends creep sensations up my arms) and they just keep on growing like nothing happens.

Recently, they got so long that the tips of my fingers actually hurt from the weight. They had never gotten that long before without a little breakage, so I really think it was all the shea butter I was putting in my hair -- when I finish with my hair I rub whatever is left on my hands into my nails! It's great stuff, shea butter!

[Elainehali]

I have some of the weakest, lame nails I've ever seen. As soon as the white part of the nail leaves the nail bed it's going to wear down. They split and break. (I bite my nails to keep them short, cause if they break it could hurt.)

My hair seems quite strong, though.

[Saranne772]

My hair seems to be strong despite splits on older hairs. My nails grow long on and strong anyway splitting when they get about half and inch long. If I take biotin regularly then they do grow longer and stronger

[flapjack]

My nails grow very fast, they are very thick/strong and I'm filing at least 1-2 fingernails every other day and I cut my toenails every weekend. When I do cut my fingernails short, they leave huge dents in my skin that hurt for the next day, hahaha. My nails are heavy! It's weird.

So basically, everything on me is the same except my body hair. Thick, long, tough, quick to grow. And then fine, wimpy, slow-growing, white body hair that I use an electric razor on once every two weeks. Ridiculous, haha.

[Angellen]

My nails grow relatively fast, and so does my hair. My nails tend to break or tear easily, which I find unfortunate, but my hair seems to be of about average sturdiness.

[socks]

My nails and hair grow at fairly average rates, but they are quite long, healthy, and resilient. I'm thinking of taking biotin, though, because faster growth would be awesome.

[morgwn]

Now that I've been on a hair & nails vitamin for a good while now, I've noticed that they both break less and both grow faster. So mine seem to be linked. :shrug:

[Phalaenopsis]

I've always had thick, sturdy nails and thick hair :)
And now with my zinc issue, first my nails grew a lot faster and now also my hair is affected.

[Altocumulus]

My nails grow like weeds. I don't like them very long, and it seems that I'm constantly filing them to keep them at a manageable length. My hair grows not as fast as my nails do. But they are both quite healthy.

Me too - too bad it's not my hair that grows faster than my nails!

[vindo]

Good Hair bad Nails here..:rolleyes:

Hair: Medium thick, medium volume, shiney slippery strnds of hair, soft texture, good resiliance towards chemicals and other minor abuse in the past, very few splits. my hair grows a little faster than the average 1cm (1.5-.7cm)
Not so good: tendency towards taper and stringiness

Nails: Thin, brittle, prone to breaking or splitting, very soft and bendable. Used to have good nails until the age of 17, right now they are in an ok state because I am taking supplements. Without supplements they break before they grow long.
Once they are long and stronger they look quite lovely though.
They grow fast..

[Aisha25]

Nails weak when they get wet washing dishes or taking shower they get soft and bend tear easily..ouchy. I bite them short cause if it were to break it hurts alot. Hair is much better,stronger and can grow long unlike my nails, well nails grow fast too but can't stay long.

[Ohio Sky]

My nails have a tendency to be very thin and soft, and break, peel, and chip like mad. If I pamper them (and make DBF do the dishes) they do ok, but if I even think about taking a hot bath or getting in the hot tub forget it.

My hair is much more resiliant. Its been through just about everything and it still going.

Id say the growth rates are about the same, though, both my hair and nails seem to be slightly above average growth.

[daydreamer]

Hm... I think my nails and hair are similar in that they are generally healthy, but that's about where it stops! My nails grow super fast and are very strong, they almost never break. My hair grows about average rate and not strong at all, very fine and easily broken.
Also, I like my hair very long and my nails very short. ;)

[HotRag]

I have thick rather coarse (M to C) hair, and normal, maybe weak nails. But I'm not 100 % sure about nails, cause I don't pay attention to them or treat them with care. I sometime use them as tools, and break them when playing the piano and so on.

[Nocturnal]

I also have been wondering about nails-hair connection. My both hair and nails grow fast, but unlike my hair my nails are very brittle and break easily. I've noticed a great improvement in my nails' condition last time I went to a seashore vacation. Maybe I have some sort of mineral deficiency. :confused:

[Calanthe]

My hair is oh-sooo-slow but my nails grow like weeds. I wore my nails quite long at some times, at the moment I'm favouring a classic 20s look and that is really a lot more maintenance as I had when I wore my nails long(er). Why can't it be the other way round, I wonder...:rolleyes:

[Finoriel]

My nails grow freakish fast and I use them as "tools" to tighten screws and such. I guess my nails and hair are comparable in those points, both are growing fast and relatively strong.

[Caxikian]

My nails are thick,strong & grow super fast. My hair is thick, strong & grows normal to fast(some months it grows fast & other months it grows normal) but not as fast as my nails. It would be great if my hair grew as fast as my nails then I would have waist length (my goal) hair within 6 months or less :D

[<She>]

My hair is mostly medium thickness of the strand, but I have some fine and coarse too. It grows at an average/medium speed, but I have no clue what that speed is. It's mostly strong and sometimen it lacks moisture.
My nails are very strong and flexible, and I grow them long and maintain them. They rarely break, unless I'm being very oblivious and uncarefull. They are not brittle or dry or thin, and grow at medium/fast speed.

[rhubarbarin]

I have exceptionally strong, hard and fast-growing nails, always have (it's wasted on me as I keep them trimmed to nothing).

My hair is on the thin side of average, 2.5" circ, although I think 3" is a possibility in the future, grows a little above average yearly, and is pretty shiny for lighter hair, but it seems very sensitive and easily damaged even though it's not fine (I am pretty sure). I wish my hair was as thick and fast-growing as my nails!

[viking_quest]

My hair is strong but my nails aren't, in fact, almost all of the times I've had a broken nail it's because of my hair.

[AJoifulNoise]

My hair is strong and resilient. It can be colored, coned, sulphated, etc and it still comes out in good shape.

My nails are another story. They are thin and brittle. They must have some kind of strengthener or polish if I want to grow them out past my finger tips (though I don't like them that way). When I was younger I had problems with them tearing. When I paint them then remove the paint they are prone to peeling. So, I can either keep them painted or not. Nothing in between really. And I always keep them short.

ETA: They both grow rather fast.

[JamieLeigh]

Mine are actually very different. My hair is thin and fine, but my nails are thick and actually a little hard to trim with regular clippers. (I have to have them done professionally, or I'd probably end up with spiky places...not that it wouldn't be awesome to have spiky nails...but I still have to change diapers)

[Coriander]

My nails grow relatively quickly - I cut and file them back probably once a month or else I get annoyed with them catching on things.

My hair on the other hand, I wouldn't mind if it grew a little now and then :laugh:

I've been taking GNC's UltraNourishHair for about a month and have noticed a marked difference in my fingernails. They're much stronger. I'll measure my hair again in a week or so and find out if the vitamins have helped hair growth too.

(How come body hair always grows at warp speed while everything else takes its #&%) time?)

[Deborah]

My hair is fine textured, healthy and grows very fast. My nails also grow very fast, but they seem somewhat dry, and I tend to break them every so often. I like to keep them fairly short, no polish, no treatments, no nothing. I'd like to call it 'benign neglect', but that's not really true. (I'm just plain lazy. :o)

Hey, do you mean fingernails shouldn't be used as all-purpose tools? But they're great as screw drivers, putty knives, pliers, etc. Surely that cannot have anything to do with breakage, can it? :p

[Charli800]

I wish my hair grew as fast as my nails! (Well, relatively). Both seem pretty healthy with a policy of benign neglect, really.

[dearladydisdain]

My hair is thick, and my hair and nails are both strong and grow quickly.

[_anya]

Resurrecting this 10+ year old thread because my nails grow suuuper fast, always have grown ridiculously fast compared to most of my peers. I don’t do anything special with them either other than having to cut them at least once a week lol. My hair on the other hand? Suuuuuper slow, like slower than average I would say, and it’s always seemed that way but possibly even slower after I hit my 30s despite no change in my fingernail growth. I just wish I could trade some of my speedy nail growth to my hair. Anyone know why there could be such a difference nail growth vs hair growth rate?

FWIW, my nails are fine like my hair but rather strong. My mother said she had to cut my nails constantly because they grew so quickly and being baby fine, she was always worrying I’d injure myself after I inadvertently “sliced” my cheek in my sleep as a baby with my sharp talons. Is it a keratin imbalance possibly? Biotin makes them grow even crazier but I’ve never noticed if it does much for my hair as I can’t take biotin long term before I start breaking out on my chin.

[Begemot]

My hair is fine/medium and average thickness. I'd say my nails are pretty strong. Both hair and nails probably grow just average rate but it feels like my nails grow way too quickly.

[Six Seeds]

My hair is relatively resistant to damage, my nails break easily. I'm probably harder on my nails, but I think my hair grows out healthier than my nails do. I wish that my nails profited as much from benign neglect as my hair does!

[TatsuOni]

Hair - Grows long (average speed), on the dry side and is prone to damage. M/ii.

Nail - Strong and can grow long in not too much time. Gets dry if I'm not careful (I work with cleaning) and that's when they get damaged (they crack instead of breaking right of). Quite thick and strong, but also flexible. I do use them as tools!

[Six Seeds]

Resurrecting this 10+ year old thread because my nails grow suuuper fast, always have grown ridiculously fast compared to most of my peers. I don’t do anything special with them either other than having to cut them at least once a week lol. My hair on the other hand? Suuuuuper slow, like slower than average I would say, and it’s always seemed that way but possibly even slower after I hit my 30s despite no change in my fingernail growth. I just wish I could trade some of my speedy nail growth to my hair. Anyone know why there could be such a difference nail growth vs hair growth rate?

I just saw this today after I'd already posted, oops! From what I've read, hair technically grows faster than nails but nails grow continuously whereas hair has a cycle. This might explain why nails appear to grow faster than hair.

[Siv]

Really fine hairs and prone to breakage, but it does grow long

Really brittle nails that I keep short or with acrylic because when they break it hurtsss + I've not the same interest for nail care as I do for hair care

[Messyhair95]

I tend to bite my nails and skin around it. Hair is in good shape.

[Green leaves]

They're not healthy enough but my nails are more likely to be put to work and I don't like them long do they get a lot more regular trims.

[leayellena]

Did someone tried coconut oiling their nails? I read that nail hardeners are made of plastic.

[NeonPink]

I never used coconut oil but I use sweet almond oil regularly on my nails and it keeps them from breaking when they get too hard. Nail hardeners aren't good for nails (unless yours are very soft and bendy) because it can make them too hard and if nails dont have some bend to them they just snap.
I use almond oil cause its easy for me to get and its cheap, but I've heard the best nail oil to use is jojoba oil

[queencarrion]

My nails are very strong and healthy and I do think it's because I focus on having a good diet. Massaging oils into my hair probably helps too. If I wasn't a musician I would probably grow them out really long and shape them pretty, but that isn't in the cards.

Has anyone on here ever tried using henna to do a long-lasting stain on their nails?

[lapushka]

Has anyone on here ever tried using henna to do a long-lasting stain on their nails?

Some do do that, I don't know anyone on here that does, though.

Currently my nails are doing pretty well, except a few on my right hand that have broken off quite short (painfully short).

[MusicalSpoons]

Has anyone on here ever tried using henna to do a long-lasting stain on their nails?

Not me personally but the majority of the kids and women where I used to work :) it is long-lasting, because you don't shed your nails like you shed skin cells so just like on hair, it needs to be grown out or cut off. I guess it would be a really easy alternative to nail polish! Easy-peasy to maintain.

[leafygreens18]

I'm a terrible nail biter shudder:shudder: I know it's terrible but it's a habit picked up from family. Usually I can stop biting for threeish weeks and start seeing some serious growth but then I get nervous and someone says something and I bite them all off. I always say "Oh this time I wont give up" but it's seriously hard. I want long beautiful nails to paint that will look elegant against my rings etc! I'm trying to do the "what would happen if this time you didn't give up thing. Hopeful hopeful.. I need like a nail biter rehab accountability forum.

[lapushka]

I'm a terrible nail biter shudder:shudder: I know it's terrible but it's a habit picked up from family. Usually I can stop biting for threeish weeks and start seeing some serious growth but then I get nervous and someone says something and I bite them all off. I always say "Oh this time I wont give up" but it's seriously hard. I want long beautiful nails to paint that will look elegant against my rings etc! I'm trying to do the "what would happen if this time you didn't give up thing. Hopeful hopeful.. I need like a nail biter rehab accountability forum.

I bit mine for 30 odd years, then I just... stopped. I still don't know why. But now they're like over the skin on my hands. Except a few fingers on my right hand, the nails there keep breaking off for some reason (and growing upwards).

[leafygreens18]

I bit mine for 30 odd years, then I just... stopped. I still don't know why. But now they're like over the skin on my hands. Except a few fingers on my right hand, the nails there keep breaking off for some reason (and growing upwards).

Wow great work lapushka! It's super icky but I really just need to keep my hands OUT OF MY MOUTH. I'm the worst about it. If I can just leave them alone its fine, but if I'm running my teeth under them etc etc I'll end up biting them so I just need to NOT touch them

[The-Young-Maid]

My nails are pretty much the same as my hair; thick, strong and grow fast. I keep them short for work(just a little white). I don't paint them.

[Laurab]

I love my nails. As silly as it sounds, they're my favorite feature. I think I'm the only one who cares about them, but I like the amount of control I have over how they look.

my nails have always grown fast, long, strong, and flexible.
I paint them all the time, in high school it was about every three days. Now it's only about once a week, but sometimes I do it more often. I've got a huuuuge polish collection.

I think my nails grow faster than my hair. My hair's also fine, and my nails are thick. I don't think there's a strong correlation, for me anyway.

[Glitch]

My nails have always been pliable and brittle and break extremely easily. They've been this way for as long as I can remember. Thank goodness I tried gel nails a few years ago and realized they can't break with that over them. But I can't go even a day without the gels or else my nails break again the moment I tap something too firmly, etc. I learned how to do my nails myself at least, but yeah, scary time whenever I remove the polish, knowing it's just a matter of time before disaster unless I quickly do another application!

They grow out super fast, though. It's actually a bit annoying. My hair also grows out pretty fast, but that is definitely not annoying ;) And unlike my nails, I'd say my hair can handle a lot of handling, if that makes sense lol. It's pretty durable. It's my scalp that reminds me of my nails though - very sensitive and I have to do certain things like make sure I don't have an updo in for too long before it starts aching and screaming at me! :violin:

[GoatLady]

My fingernails are very weak and split easily. I keep them but short. My toenails grow like weeds. My hair seems to be much stronger than my fingernails, thank goodness.

[foreveryours]

My nails have always been pliable and brittle and break extremely easily. They've been this way for as long as I can remember. Thank goodness I tried gel nails a few years ago and realized they can't break with that over them. But I can't go even a day without the gels or else my nails break again the moment I tap something too firmly, etc. I learned how to do my nails myself at least, but yeah, scary time whenever I remove the polish, knowing it's just a matter of time before disaster unless I quickly do another application!

They grow out super fast, though. It's actually a bit annoying. My hair also grows out pretty fast, but that is definitely not annoying ;) And unlike my nails, I'd say my hair can handle a lot of handling, if that makes sense lol. It's pretty durable. It's my scalp that reminds me of my nails though - very sensitive and I have to do certain things like make sure I don't have an updo in for too long before it starts aching and screaming at me! :violin:


My fingernails are very weak and split easily. I keep them but short. My toenails grow like weeds. My hair seems to be much stronger than my fingernails, thank goodness.

My nails also tend to break/tear easily. I found taking biotin supplements makes a HUGE difference in nail strength for me. I'm not talking about the amount of biotin present in multivitamin table. I take 10mg, which is 300X the US RDA, on a daily basis. It's not expensive and anything your body doesn't "need" just gets pissed out.

[lapis_lazuli]

My nails have always been really good. Growth is probably average, but they're very strong. I keep them long and unpainted, looking nice while also being optimal for finger detangling.

[SandyBottom]

My nails are weak. They bend and peel easily although they don't split or easily chip. I suspect it's because my hands are in water/soil/sun/stone more often than not. I take a multvitamin and gelatin. They grow fast, my hair grows slow to average I guess.

[angel-baby]

My nails are pretty strong and I feel like they grow quickly. I usually keep them short (sport length or slightly longer), but wear long press-ons over them. For whatever reason, the feeling of long natural nails isn't my thing, maybe bc I'm always worried about breaking one at work, but press-ons are cute and less expensive than acryclics.
Every 2-3 weeks I give my nails a breather and just wear them natural. They have a nice shine, and they look pretty nice even short and unpainted.

[Xlena]

My hais is thin and grows at average rate, but my nails, that's a whole different story, they're THICK, I mean it, it's like layers and layers and layers of nail all together, it's pretty difficult and annoying to cut them, I can't even bite them, and they grow extremely fast, to the point I have to cut them every 2 weeks because I like them short and they grow about 1.5mm/week.

[~MoonChild~]

My nails are weak and prone to getting spilts or breaking when they get too long sadly. They are pretty when they grow out but it isn't long before I smack them into something and break them :rip:
My hair is also pretty delicate but not as bad as my nails.

[Bri-Chan]

My nails are thick and strong. They grow at average speed, I usually wear them long and pointed. No polish.
My hair is a mixture of fine and normal strands (fine is prevalent) and it's on the thinner side. It grows slower than average (1 cm).

[sipnsun]

My nails are strong and grow quickly, I usually trim and file them weekly. My hair on the other hand is very fine, fragile and on the thinner side. It also grows extremely slow (1/4" per month or less). Wish I could flip them because I don't like my nails very long as they interfere with my work.