To grow long natural nails, keep the length you grow. Fingernails grow about 3 mm a month, so the work is stopping breakage. File the edge smooth with a glass file, oil daily so the nail bends instead of snapping, keep water and detergent off your nails, and give a damaged nail three to six months to grow out.
- Fingernails grow about 3 mm a month, so the real work is not losing the length you grow.
- Oil the cuticle and nail daily, so the nail bends instead of snapping.
- Use a glass file, in one direction, on dry nails.
- Wear gloves for water and detergent, and be wary of hardeners on thin nails.
- Give any change two to three months to show at the tip.
How fast do nails actually grow?
Fingernails grow about 3 mm a month, so length is built slowly and lost quickly.
The nail you can see was made two to three months ago, which means what you start today reaches the tip in two to three months. So if you're a week in and nothing's happened, relax. That's normal.
Myth: Cutting your nails makes them grow faster.
Fact: Nails grow from the base, under the cuticle. Trimming keeps the edge tidy and stops snags, but it does not change how fast the nail grows.
That's why long nails are really growth minus breakage. If a nail grows 3 mm in a month and 3 mm snaps off, you're exactly where you started. Most of this routine isn't about making nails grow faster. It's about not losing what you grow. Growth varies from person to person and from finger to finger.
What is the two minute daily habit for long natural nails?
The daily habit takes about two minutes with filing, and about 20 seconds of that is the oil: oil the cuticle and nail, then massage it in.
This is the routine I gave salon clients for over ten years, and if I could keep only one part of it, it'd be the oil, because oil is what lets a nail bend instead of snap.
- Wash and dry your hands. Oil goes on best to clean, dry skin.
- Click the pen once. Brush the oil along each cuticle and over each nail. One click is usually enough for ten nails, and I've written out the click by click version in how to use a cuticle oil pen.
- Massage each nail. Use your other thumb to rub small circles around the cuticle and across the nail. The warmth of your thumb works the oil into the skin.
- Do it at the same time every day. Last thing before bed is the easiest time to keep up, and nothing's about to wash it off.
The oil in this habit is what a serum pen is for. The 8 Pen Pack is A$59.95 (worth A$135.60 bought as single pens), which means there's always a pen within reach: one by the bed, one in the handbag, one at the kitchen sink.
In the salon, the clients who kept their length weren't the ones with the thickest nails or the fastest growth. They were the ones whose nails bent a little before they broke.
How should you file long natural nails?
Use a glass file, file in one direction, and file dry nails.
A glass file has a fine, even surface that leaves a smoother edge than a coarse emery board, and a smooth edge is less likely to catch, peel and split. Start at the side and work in towards the centre of the tip, lifting the file off at the end of each stroke. Sawing back and forth frays the layers. Wet nails are soft and tear more easily, so wait until they're dry.
Keep the shape soft. A gentle round, or a soft square with rounded corners (a squoval), holds up better than sharp square corners, because corners are where nails catch on things. And file the moment you feel a catch: a small snag you smooth today doesn't become a split next week.
Why should you keep water and detergent off long natural nails?
Soaking nails and letting them dry out again and again leaves them dry and flaky, so keep water and detergent off your nails whenever you can.
Wear gloves for the dishes, the cleaning and the garden, dry your hands properly afterwards, and oil straight away.
Do
- Oil your cuticles and nails every day.
- Use a glass file, in one direction.
- Wear gloves for washing up and cleaning.
- Open tins and lift stickers with a tool, not a fingernail.
Don't
- Saw back and forth with a coarse file.
- File nails when they are wet.
- Peel or pick at polish or gel.
- Cut your cuticles.
Why do hardeners backfire on thin nails?
A hardener makes the nail stiffer, and a stiff, thin nail tends to snap instead of bend.
Stiff isn't the same as strong. A strong nail has some give, which is what lets it take a knock. On a thick, healthy nail a hardener may do no harm. On a thin one it can take away the flex the nail needs, and the nail breaks at the free edge instead.
A daily oil does the opposite job: it keeps the nail flexible. If your nails are thin, I'd put the money into the oil and the file, not the hardener. If you're weighing up strengtheners, my guide to the best nail strengthener in Australia, and when you should not use one goes through what to look for, what to avoid and when oil is the better first move.
Does what you eat change how fast your nails grow?
I cannot promise that any food or supplement will make your nails grow faster, and I will not pretend otherwise.
Eat well because it's good for the rest of you. Nails are made of protein, so a varied diet with enough protein, and enough water, is a sensible base. Beyond that, I'm a nail technician, not a dietitian, and I won't tell you to buy a tablet. If you're worried about your diet, or your nails have changed, ask your GP.
How long does it take to grow long natural nails?
Softer cuticles show up first, visible growth comes next, and length takes months.
- Within days
- Most people notice softer cuticles.
- Within one to two weeks
- Most people notice visible growth.
- Two to three months
- The nail you can see was made two to three months ago, so this is when the growth you started today reaches the tip.
- Three to six months
- A damaged nail needs about this long to replace itself.
Results vary, and a nail that's been through gel, acrylic or years of biting will take longer than one that hasn't. To see your own progress, photograph your nails in window light today, again in two weeks and again at two to three months.
When should you see a GP about your nails?
Everything above is about everyday wear, but a few changes need someone who can look at them in person.
If you're not sure which side of the line yours falls on, it's always fine to ask.
If it came on suddenly, hurts, is discoloured, thickened or lifting, see a GP, dermatologist or podiatrist.
Nail Serum Pen Pack | 8 Twist Pen Bundle
A$59.95A$135.60
Eight 3 ml serum pens, hand blended on the Gold Coast, so the daily habit is always within reach.
Add to cartSweet almond oil is a nut derived oil; people with nut allergies should talk to their doctor first.
Questions people ask
How can I make my nails grow faster?
Growth rate is mostly set by your body, so the biggest gain is keeping what you grow. File the edge smooth with a glass file, oil daily so the nail bends, wear gloves for water and detergent, and avoid using your nails as tools. A fingernail grows about 3 mm a month, and results vary.
Does nail serum make nails grow faster?
Most people notice softer cuticles within days and visible growth within one to two weeks, and results vary. A serum supports the nail you are about to grow; it cannot change the nail you can already see, which was made two to three months ago. It works best alongside a glass file, gloves and a daily oil.
How long does it take to grow long nails?
It depends where you start. A fingernail grows about 3 mm a month, so length takes months, and a damaged nail needs three to six months to replace itself. Give any change two to three months before you judge it at the tip. Softer cuticles within days are the first sign.
