Nails

[Dr_Evil_Mouse]

Perennial problem, which I hope maybe some fingerpickers (or especially gifted nosepickers) may have a good angle on: is there anything that's good to build up strength and durability in your fingernails? I keep having them snap, sometimes halfway down towards the cuticle (yes, ouch, and it usually takes the better part of the week to deal with), and my patience with the whole thing, after over a decade of not playing with a pick, is running a bit thin. Does anyone know of good things to keep an eye on in terms of diet, for instance? Should I put my foot down and say I'll never wash a sinkload of dishes again? Have them surgically removed and replaced with some sort of NASA-grade plastic (though not whatever they made those o-rings out of on the space shuttle)? Ideas?

[mark tonin]

Hey Dr. Evil,

Here's an interesting and perhaps useful read if you haven't already seen this:

fingernail fingerpicker article

Good luck with finding a solution.

Peace, Mark

[Dr_Evil_Mouse]

Hey, thanks Mark. Should have thought to consider what they do for horses' hooves! Onymyrrh... hm.... Think I'll steer clear of the artificial nail option, though (glue - ).

[d_rawk]

The quick fix may be to soak them in olive oil. As far as avoiding doing the dishes goes, it certainly sounds like a good excuse ... 'course you could always wear rubber gloves (actually, it's prob. a good idea in your case if you can't get out of doing the dishes entirely)

But you say you've been playing without a pick for over a decade, so this seems like a fairly new development, and snapping up towards the cuticle sounds pretty damn brittle. There can be a lot of reasons for this, some nutritional, some not. If this is new, I wouldn't treat it as "just a pain in the ass" but as a sign that something needs to change or be investigated. If you have a doctor or equivalent, this wouldn't be a bad time to enlist their services. Make sure you stress that it is something new ... physicians can be a pain in the butt. Thyroid tests aren't worth a damn, but request one anyways.

Are you getting enough protein? Calcium/Magnesium? EFAs (flax seed oil may be worth trying)?

Glucosamine can sometimes help with this, as can a B-complex (for the Biotin) but you've got to do your research to determine if that is something you want to try.

Anyways ... I am most definately not a doctor, this isn't medical advice, and I've never had to deal with brittle nails so I'm just spouting off. Just some thoughts.

[Kaidy Mae]

Silica gel is awesome for strengthening nails (and hair). It may take a while to notice, but if you take it every day you'll solve the problem. It comes in liquid and capsules. I throw 1 Tbsp in my shake every morning. The Naka brand is the best.

Avoid dishes too!

[bouche]

This seems informative:

Strong Healthy Nails

[purple foot]

can't wait for that new nails album to come out.

[Dr_Evil_Mouse]

Thanks, everybody! Some good ideas here. More iron & other essential nutrients: check - fewer dishes/more gloves: check - see what they're using in the finer stables in southern Ontario: check! NIN - they still around?

[purple foot]

yep.

NIN

[bouche]

I remember watching that documentary about Lenny Breau on Bravo and they were interviewing someone who said that if Lenny ever fell, he'd fall straight on his face because he wouldn't use his hands to break his fall. He was protecting his nails. He didn't care about his face.

[Dr_Evil_Mouse]

That's hilarious (yet oddly familiar)!

[TheGoodRev]

Don't have time to look at all those links so not sure if this has been mentioned, but I wanted to mention that my first guitar teacher, a flamenco player who taught me from the time I was 8 until the time I was 12, kept a tube of super glue on hand at all times. He'd squeeze it out onto a little brush, resembling a liquid-paper brush, and brush it all over his fingernails while I sat playing scales. Looked freakin gross but I guess it worked for him. Mind you, he was playing exclusively on nylon strings.

[Dr_Evil_Mouse]

Thanks - I'm kinda weirded out by crazy glue on or near my skin to be honest (not a little ironic, given the crazy sh!t I'm otherwise willing to take internally for purposes of simple recreation!). Guess I will have to give it some thought, though - this one split nail on my index has been driving me nuts all week. Most of the time, except when I'm with H. Mouse, I'm on a nylon-string.

Kinda sad - all those questions I should have asked my guitar teacher, had he not passed away (from a long life of smoking, mind you, nothing crazy glue related) so many years back. Interesting guy, though I'm sure "Guitar (etc.) Teachers" merits its own thread.

[TomFoolery]

Have you tried clear nail polish. If you're weirded out by crazy glue, this may weird you out too. Or, it may not...

One more option.