Congratulations! You've stopped biting your nails, and you need to get your nails to grow faster. This is completely understandable; while quitting biting your nails is the most important thing to do in the long-term, in the short-term, you want your nails looking as beautiful as possible.
Thankfully, you are not alone, and as necessity is the mother of invention, many possible solutions have been discovered for accelerating nail growth, but more importantly strengthening the nail to prevent excessive wear and tear. Some of the most ridiculous solutions actually help significantly. Many vitamins and a few minerals are also vital in creating the keratin your nails are made of. Plus, if you aren't the kind of person that likes to take vitamins, there are some nail care steps you can follow to prevent nail damage which will send you back to square one.
Vitamin D, a fat-soluble vitamin (fat-soluble meaning that it stays in your body for a few days), is a vitamin found in sunlight, and certain fats. One of its many functions is to help the small intestine break down calcium, and help increase calcium's effectiveness. While vitamin D does not itself help nails, calcium is one of the best vitamins to help your nails to grow faster after a life time of nail chewing.
Calcium, which, as most people know, is found in whole milk, is the reason why soaking your hands in milk actually works. While it may sound like an old wives' tale, the calcium is absorbed fairly effectively through the skin, and because keratin is almost two-thirds water, it can absorb the water from the milk to also increase its growth and strength.
Some standard grooming tips will help your nails grow longer and stronger than ever before. First off, don't bite off your hang nails. It's both a health issue, as saliva will infect them pretty quickly, and it also weakens the base around the nail, preventing it from gaining a hold in the finger. Second, don't trim the sides of your nails too much, as it also weakens the nail, allowing it to crack or break. Some nail polishes claim to strengthen nails, which also is useful in promoting healthy nail growth. Colored nail strengtheners may be fine for feminine use, but most men look for a clear matte finish. The matte finish appears more like a natural nail surface. Do consider polish ingredients to minimize exposure to acetone and formaldehyde.
One very popular myth is that gelatin is a nail-building food. Eating gelatin, taking gelatin capsules or drinking gelatin has not been shown to strengthen finger nails. Nails are composed of protein, called keratin which is also found in hair follicles, with a high sulfur content. Possibly this almost-myth started from advertising that tied horse hoofs to gelatin to fingernails. Proteins that are eaten are broken down by your body's digestive system into amino acids. These amino acids are used to repair and build DNA, RNA, muscles, bones, organs and any other protein structures, including nails and hair. Unless you have a severe protein deficiency eating gelatin simply provides excess protein which is stored in the body as fat.
Regardless of what you do to grow your nails back, even if you do nothing, it's important to know that they will grow back. It takes roughly 3 months to completely grow back a nail, so just be patient!
