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Cause & cure for fingernail split down the middle

flamawmaw
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?:|Anyone have fingernails that split down the middle?
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124 REPLIES 124

Re: Cause & cure for fingernail split down the middle

I had the same problem; went to a plastic and reconstructive hand surgeon and he found that I had a cyst on the bone of the first knuckle on the finger.   He operated to remove the cyst and told me that it would take 2-3 nail cycles for the split to be gone.   He was correct; at about 18 months, I no longer had a split nail.   It has been over 15 years and I've had no trouble since.

Message 16 of 125
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Re: Cause & cure for fingernail split down the middle

mrsuu2nd2012
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Everybody wants you to buy something.  Dr.'s don't have any answers for us.  So I am going to do my own testing.  I have a thumb nail that for the past 8 or so years, I continue with the nail spliting from the end toward the moon.  No matter how short.  Brain storm, I would put a artificial on just that nail and when it grew long enought, I would cut it off. Yea-didn't work.  So after reading 100's of post, the two thing that were consistant were moisturizing and Vitamine E.


3/18/2012 Results:   Using a product called Signature Club A with Grape Polphenols (a moisturizer on my hands and feet. Rubbing it in nicely and then Using a Vitamine E nail and cuticle oil on toe nails and finger nails including under the nail as far as possible and then heavy socks for the rest of the day.


Resuts: Feet are soft. Don't see a change in thumb nail line down the nail bed.  I will check in after a full week of doing the same.

Message 17 of 125
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Re: Cause & cure for fingernail split down the middle

diaphanous
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Message 18 of 125
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Re: Cause & cure for fingernail split down the middle

My mom gets this and I made her an oil mix that she rubs on the split nail. As long as she does this every day, or close, the nails don't split.



I used 8 different oils in the mix, but I think the ones that helped the most were rosehip oil and evening primrose oil.



She loved the smell too!

Message 19 of 125
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Re: Cause & cure for fingernail split down the middle

It is comforting to know others suffer from this problem. It has been five years that my fingernail has split. Countless times, i have caught it on laundry, my clothes, my hair or a towel. I asked a dermatologist about it and he said all the products for sale are 'snakeoil' and he recommended rubbing with medium strength along the skin below the base of the nail, ten times every day. Not too hard, but with a moderate amount of pressure. I have been doing this for almost a year now, and the ridge seems less noticeable, but the nail hasn't grown out completely. I keep it trimmed very very short and usually apply a polish/strengthener.

I also started taking Biotin this year and just increased the dose. My other nails are extremely healthy and my hair is shiny. I can't believe i have to live with this problem for the rest of my life, but in the scheme of things, it's really minor. I wake up every day and am grateful for my good health.
Message 20 of 125
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Re: Cause & cure for fingernail split down the middle

Ladies! had a vertically split nail for almost 2 years and now its gone! I know how annoying this can be so I want to help you out. Through trial and error this is what I did to get rid of the split:



1. Multivitamin every day - just a generic multivitamin (most of us don't eat enough veggies) - in about 2 weeks my nails weren't peely anymore


2. Get a gel tip on the split nail. Do not remove it until it grows off or falls off. It will look funny in the end but you only have to do this once so I sucked it up.


3. Try to minimize use of the finger with the split nail until it heals. Mine was on the index finger and I use it all the time, its hard I know.




Other things that may have helped but not as crucial:


2. Keep your nails as short as possible with a bit of the white tip showing


3. Keep your hands (or at least that one finger) out of water as much as possible- gloves are a must when washing dishes. If your hands get wet, dry them right away, moisturize your hands a normal amount, no need to get neurotic. I don't moisturize mine every day but everyone is different


4. I drank a bit more water but maybe only drinking total 1L/day.




Do not:


1. Paint with any nail polish hardeners or waste your money on fancy creams or oils. These creams were no better than a generic hand moisturizer.



Hope this helps! Good luck!

Message 21 of 125
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Re: Cause & cure for fingernail split down the middle

jqcbc
Enthusiast

I've just read about similar issue from a blog about this !!!  What a coincident. The article listed down the hidden cause of health problem which I must share with you guys.



Here's the link:


http://skincarecosmeticstips.wordpress.com/2012/10/29/can-your-fingernails-tell-your-health-condition/


Message 22 of 125
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Re: Cause & cure for fingernail split down the middle

I had a split nail or two for about 5 years and now after i have been taking Calcium with Vitamin D it is healed. My Doctor said that most of us don't get enough Calcium so he recommended I start this .  Also Chiropractors will tell you anything to keep you coming back. I went to one for a few years and discovered that they are a quick and tempoaray fix but not for long term care. Exercise is the best. I used to have headaches and stiff neck and back aches before I strengthened the muscles with exercise..   

Message 23 of 125
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Re: Cause & cure for fingernail split down the middle

i have this on my right thumb.  It's split half way to the moon and then a red line that goes all the way to my cuticle.


i've tried everything!!  Vitamins, nail wraps, gel nails and that new nail polish that is a kind of shellac stuff that has to been harden by a blue light and then I tried plain crazy glue.  Nail still split, going on year three!!  Nail tech friend says it's "old age".  We all know the alternative to getting old and it seems a bit extreme to me.  Doctor suggested the vitamins.  About eight years ago I had a cyst under a calcium knot on the knuckle nearest the nail on my thumb.  Doctor removed both and neither have come back.  I have ridges on other nails, one occasionally splits but never into the "quick".  Nails are strong and flexible and I don't wear polish or artificial nails.  UGH!!!

Message 24 of 125
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Re: Cause & cure for fingernail split down the middle

I find taking Biotin 5000 twice a day really helps with nail growth. Haven't found remedy for split nail though
Message 25 of 125
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Re: Cause & cure for fingernail split down the middle

I have had  splits with ridges down the middle of both of my thumbs since I was born or at least since i was old enough to remember, (4 or 5 yoa).  All of my other fingernail and toenails are perfectly fine, healthy ,and strong and always have been. I can tell you that I have not had a vitamin deficiency since I was born, nor do I now.  I am very healthy and do not take any medications but I do take vitamins and herbs.  I am a chiroractor and have studied alot of alternative medicine and I am certain a Medical Dr. does not know what the problem is... My Ayurvedic Teacher who is also a Medical Doctor and who was the head of the most prestigious Ayurvedic Hospital in India told me it was a karmic condition.  I trust his diagnosis over any medical or alternative practitioner in the world..  I will add that as far as I remember I did lose one thumbnail when i was a kid after i hit it with a hammer.  It's extremely doubtful that I did this to both thumbs and it would cause the exact same condition on both thumbs tho. but I would not rule out some type of trauma or genetic defect in the nail bed though.  As a chiropractor, I do not beleve misalignment in a vertebrae would cause this..  I do not know for certain and i find it very peculiar and that is why I was searching to see if anyone else knew the true answer.

Message 26 of 125
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Re: Cause & cure for fingernail split down the middle

i had that happen to me yrs. ago when someone slammed a car door on my thumb,,,ouch 😞

the nailbed was injured & never recovered...

best to keep it smooth w/ an emery board & lubricated w/ coconut oil so it won't crack more...

the dr. told me that once the nailbed is unjured, it does not repair itself

it's been a constant reminder ,,, however no pain whatsoever!

best of luck!

Message 27 of 125
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Re: Cause & cure for fingernail split down the middle

FIrst I have to say I am so glad that I am not the only one with a fingernail that splits!  For the longest time I thought it was just me!  My right thumb nail grows with a split, I can actually see the line go straight down to my cuticle.  

 

I am 42 and since I was 12 I have had long nails, when I was 18 and acrylic nails started becoming a huge fad I started getting acrylic overlays.  So for 24 years I have had acrylic overlays over my natural long nails.  When I was about 32 or 33 I got aggravated with a guy I was dating and out of frustration bit my thumb nail, which had an acrylic overlay on it.  I bit so hard that I cracked the acrylic right down to by cuticle - doing this caused me to damage my nail bed (I know, stupid me!).  

 

About 3 weeks ago I decided to stop doing acrylic overlays and just going "all natural."  The only problem with going "all natural" is dealing with my cracked nail.  I really want to stop doing acrylic overlays, but the cracked nail makes it hard to.  Yesterday I tried something new, don't know if it will work as the nail grows out, but it's worth a shot.  I decided to file my nails down with very little white showing then on my cracked thumb nail I brushed some nail glue (using nail glue with a brush applicator gives a smoother and thinner coat) then sprinkled acrylic powder on the wet glue - I did this twice and once the glue dried I filed it until it was smooth....Presto! the crack in my nail is fixed!   I'm hoping that doing it this way will be less damaging to my nail since there is less filing and less pressure on my nail bed.  After smoothing out the glue I applied a layer of Pink Gel Coat (you can buy it on Ebay) and once that dried I applied NaturaNail's Nailsentials which is a triple power strengthener.  I have also started using a moisturizer at night to keep my cuticles from drying out.  

 

I really hope that my new "treatment" works.  My brother is getting married in March and my goal is to have pretty, natural nails by then.

Message 28 of 125
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Re: Cause & cure for fingernail split down the middle

I'm HOPING I will help others heal their split nail. If you have had a split nail for a long time, READ THIS.

 

First of all, I am in no way endorsing any products, not trying to sell **bleep**. I honestly wish I could just help people 

the way that someone who wrote something online somewhere helped me in Cyberspaceland.

 

Ok, here's the story:

 

I'm 30. In the summer of 2012, I got a job temporarily as a hostess. My job was to constantly be using a wet rag to clean tables, I had to be rigorous, and was constantly washing filth off my hands. Plus, after years of all the nail painting, nail polish removal, filing, and gels, my thumbnail split slightly left of center. The split happened in February right before I quit, and after MONTHS of Googling nail and split-help forums, someone suggested this and it worked for me:

 

Cut your nail down as FAR as you possibly can (don't go crazy, just, super **bleep** short). 

File them too so the split doesn't snag on things, which continues the split and prevents it from growing out.

I tried putting Gelish Gels (with UV) on my thumb and that wasn't strong enough.

 

DO NOT NOT NOT paint the damaged nail or use nailpolish remover. No Gels and NO trips to the salon while the split grows out and the nail strengthens.  This is the key. I promise you DON'T need the salon plus you'll save money that way.

 

BUT it definitely helped with this three extra steps I did:

 

1) Avoid getting your nail wet unnecessarily. Showering can't be avoided, but I tried to stay out of the pool and ocean. 

Remember when I said I did Gels? Well there are 5 different bottles you need. One of them is pure essential and exotic oils. Plus it smells AMAZING!!!! The bottle is called: 

 

2) Hand and Nail - Harmony Cuticle Oil "Nourish". It contains Sweet Almond oil, Sesame Seed oil, Safflower oil, Grape Seed oil, Fragrance, Antioxidant, Vitamin E, Soluble Collagen, Retinyl, Vitamin A, and Organic Aloe Vera Leaf juice. I **bleep** you not, that's what in it, and it looks just like a nail polish bottle with a brush applicator. BUY THIS. BUY IT NOW. EVEN USE ON YOUR OTHER NAILS. I even put it on my cracked heels. It is nectar from the **bleep** GODS. Sometimes I'd rub on a little virgin organic coconut oil, too. Just for added measure. The point is to keep it moisturized with the oil and avoid letting it become brittle. 

 

3) Lastly, take BIOTIN.  I take two a day, however many micrograms that is. They're little white pills that are great for your nails and hair growth. And that's it.

 

 

 

So here's the breakdown:

 

  • Take two Biotin a day
  • Keep your nail out of the pool/water
  • Do NOT paint or remove paint from your nails. No trips to the salon, save your $$$! Stay Bare.
  • Apply "Nourish" by Harmony as many times a day as you can remember. I did like 2-3 sometimes. Before bed too.
  • Cut your nails **bleep** short until it grows out. If you follow the steps, it should.

 

That honestly should do it. My friggin thumb was split since February and FINALLY in the last week of September the **bleep**er grew out and I swear I thought it NEVER would. It only took a month or two of this regiment for it to work for me. And it only cost me a $10 bottle of Biotin and $5 bottle of Nourish. Good Luck!!

Message 29 of 125
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Re: Cause & cure for fingernail split down the middle

As I have gotten older, a longitudanal split appeared on my right big toe which manifests first as a pink/white line of weakness from the emerging nail at the cuticle. Same problem as all the rest of you have.

 

Why? Well I don't know about cysts on knuckles which a couple of people have mentioned. But I am fairly sure it's genetic for me. My father has exactly the same line on the same toe, just one. And guess what? So do my two identical triplets age 10 (same toe!) but their fraternal sister/triplet DOESN'T.

 

You can ameliorate the condition a bit by using oils and vitamins and avoiding water and sometimes get the nail to hold together as it grows out, but you can't cure the underlying fault in the nailbed if it is genetic. (I appreciate some people may have this condition as a result of damage or trauma to the nailbed and their condition may get better over time). Also, it becomes more pronounced as you get older.

 

I empathise with those of you who are driven mad by the nail split catching on hair and fabric. Just say hundreds of dollars worth of tights/stockings have developed an immediate hole on that foot.

 

If I moisturise and keep it short and file the ridge I can make it a bit better but it never goes away. I intend to use some of the oils people have mentioned here but I notice it simply gets worse as I get older. Dad's is often a continuous split whilst my daughters' have a nail that grows out with a line and then splits. Mine is somewhere in between.

 

The best thing I can do is to think about all the other difficulties I might have been born with. Irritating as it is (and I appreciate it would be more irritating if it was on my hands) life is pretty good and a split nail has a very minor impact on my life.

 

Off to find oils!

Message 30 of 125
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