How to Grow Nails Faster

Nails grow by a process of extrusion. As new, growing cells are added at the base of the nail, the older cells are pushed out toward the fingertip (or tip of the toe). The cells meet resistance as they emerge and join the established nail plate, growing flatter and longer. There are three separate parts of a nail:

• The matrix, or root of the nails, is the little pocket underneath your skin that the nail starts growing out of. This matrix constantly creates new cells, which force the old ones to become packed together, pushing up through your skin. By the time you see your nail poking out of your skin, the cells are dead, which is why it doesn’t hurt to cut them.

• The cuticle is a tiny piece of skin that you will find right where the nail grows out from the finger. The cuticle protects your nail’s matrix from germs.

• The lunula is the half-moon shape which is small and whitish. It sometimes appears near the bottom of the nails and is technically a part of your matrix. Sometimes you won’t see it at all while other times it will only be visible on the thumbs. If it isn’t visible, this part is still underneath the skin.

Fingernails tend to grow around 3 millimeters or a tenth of an inch every month. If for some reason you end up losing a fingernail, it can take four or six months to completely regrow. Scientists have found that fingernails grow nearly twice as fast as your toe nails grow. In fact, the little finger’s nail will grow more slowly than the others, around 3.08 mm per month, while the middle finger’s nail grows the fastest. The average fingernail growth a month is 3.47 mm.

Biotin Supplement

Biotin supplements serve multiple purposes, including treating brittle nails and growing nails faster. While it doesn’t directly increase nail growth, it makes them less likely to break and lets them seem fuller. You can find biotin in common foods, such as chicken, salmon, Swiss chard, nuts, eggs, dairy, whole wheat bread, whole grain oats, and wheat germ.

Moisturize Your Cuticles

As mentioned earlier, cuticles are responsible for protecting the nail matrix, which is where the nails grow from. When your nails leave the cuticles, they are no longer able to repair or heal themselves since the cuticle can’t help. You can keep them moisturized and prevent splitting, brittleness, and breakage by applying lotion to the hands and nails after washing your hands.

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is so common in products for nail, hair, and skin care since it heals fungal nails and improves the cuticles.

To use this method, take extra-virgin coconut oil and warm it up, then massage it on your nails daily before bed. If you want, you can also mix some honey and rosemary oil in, then microwave it 15 to 20 seconds. Soak your nails in this mixture 15 minutes one or two times each week.

Protein

Remember that your nails are made from protein known as keratin. As such, one of the ways of how to grow nails faster is to increase the amount of protein in your diet. In fact, if you don’t get enough protein, you may notice white spots on the nails or they may become weaker.

• Eat lean pork, beef, fish, and poultry plus eggs to boost your protein intake.

• Vegetarians can eat more green vegetables, spinach, seeds, nuts, and legumes, which also have protein.

• You can try adding protein powder to milk or making a protein shake as well. Always talk to your doctor before you take a protein supplement.