A lot of beauty takes time. You wait for your hair to grow after you tried (and failed) at the latest hair trend and you wait for your skin to clear up after a week-long chocolate binge. You also wait around for your nails to grow from either a.) a broken nail, or b.) cutting them, or c.) your nail-biting habit (no judgement).
Whatever the reason, all that matters is that you’re curious about how long it takes for nails to grow. Ahead, the answer to that, plus other nail-biting questions.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE FOR NAILS TO GROW BACK?
If you’ve ever gotten mad over a broken nail, rest assured that your feelings are valid. That’s because nails don’t just grow on trees. They take a long time – six months to be exact and 18 months for toenails, according to Ramya Kollipara, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at Westlake Dermatology in Dallas.
For fingernails, this works out to aboutone tenth of an inch per month, according to Autumn Grant, Owner and Founder of The Kind Poppy.
HOW DO YOU MAKE YOUR NAILS GROW FASTER?
Trying to grow your nails at a faster rate is a difficult process – one that requires a lot of patience. Thankfully, there are a few things you can do to speed things up.
Take biotin. You may have heard about the benefits of biotin to hair and skin. But you’ll be glad to know that this also extends to the nails. “Biotin supplements can help nails become thicker and stronger,” says Dr. Kollipara. Marcela Correa, medical nail technician, agrees, adding that it’s “packed with protein and amino acids which is great for the keratin production in the body, making it essential in the growth of nails.”
Grant also recommends vitamin C and biotin together – two vitamins that you can find inside a bottle of Vital Proteins Beauty Boost™.
Avoiding acrylic and gel services. Thankfully, this is a great time to skip the monthly nail appointment. But if you’re going the DIY route at home, be aware of the products you’re using. Toxic nail polish, for instance, should be avoided at all costs, says Grant.
As for at-home products that will help, Anna H. Chacon, MD, board-certified dermatologist, recommends nail hardeners. Like the name says, these harden the nails, making them harder to break. You can also pamper your nails while making them stronger with jojoba oil.
