This has become a problem more recently. After a week of diving I spend the next several weeks with my nails splitting and breaking. They tear very easily. I'm on a marine collagen supplement that should help with hair, nails, joints and bones. I'm wondering if anyone has a suggestion for something to apply to the nails to protect them or strengthen them? Thanks!
Shredding nails
- Thread starter Kimela
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Cherryb52
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Have you tried mixing gelatin in a glass of water and drinking it daily? Kit is about as pleasant as Metamucil, but it does wonders for your nails.
Sorry. Collagen (or gelatin) have no evidence supporting better nail health. Do as you please if it makes you feel better but there are no serious studies demonstrating any effect. Marketing is way ahead on this however.
You could try gel polish but I've given up and make sure to trim my nails down quite short before diving.
Heck, my nails break just with the process of packing and travel before I even arrive at the locale.
Gel polish has been highly successful on my toenails but only marginally successful on my fingernails. Juice wasn't worth the squeeze, hence I've gone to the close trim.
Heck, my nails break just with the process of packing and travel before I even arrive at the locale.
Gel polish has been highly successful on my toenails but only marginally successful on my fingernails. Juice wasn't worth the squeeze, hence I've gone to the close trim.
This is not a women’s only problem…
Hi my name is Ryan and I'm a guy....but, I think I might have a solution . My buddy is a female diver, and has a similar problem. Before a dive trip, she goes to the salon and has her nails done with a tough acrylic coating (sorry, I don't know the actual name of the technique.). She says they really hold up even over a week of tough tech diving. It's kind of expensive, but she likes the way they look AND, they don't get shredded, so seems like a win-win.
. My buddy is a female diver, and has a similar problem. Before a dive trip, she goes to the salon and has her nails done with a tough acrylic coating (sorry, I don't know the actual name of the technique.). She says they really hold up even over a week of tough tech diving. It's kind of expensive, but she likes the way they look AND, they don't get shredded, so seems like a win-win.
I get my nails done monthly and the technician uses No Chip OPI Enamel on my hands and regular OPI polish on my toes and they both hold up very well; even on liveaboard trips when I am diving a lot!
She does a nice Dive Flag design on my ring fingers and big toes before I leave on vacation!
She does a nice Dive Flag design on my ring fingers and big toes before I leave on vacation!
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I'll be looking that up. If it's gel, it's not for me. But if it's not, and it holds up, I'll be intrigued ...
@tridacna - my husband has the same problem, but he doesn't seem to be as bothered by it as me!
@RyanT - I'm guessing she gets gel nails. Been there, done that. But thanks.
Oddly, I don't have a problem with my toenails. You'd think that the time in boots would really wreck the nails, but it doesn't. My toenails hold up just fine - and I do them myself. I'm not sure why fingernails won't hold up.
I would bet that help might come from Google searching nail damage related to swimming. Far more women engage in competitive swimming, triathlons, and swimming for fitness than niche sports like diving. Given the volume of participants, they probably have a significantly higher number who experience similar issues and there are probably articles on the subject in the swimming world.
Yeah ... but you guys are my peeps. Who cares about triathletes ... unless they are also scuba divers?
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