It time for a bad beauty editor confession: I'm a nail biter. I have been my entire life, and I've been hearing how gross it is for just as long. While I do agree that it is (especially after a pandemic, when everyone's hands are supposed to be far from their face). It also poses an issue aesthetically, because I've whittled down my nails to sad stumps that aren't exactly conducive to a chic manicure. That's why when I started high school, I turned to acrylic tips to stop me from gnawing away at my beds. And it worked...until I took them off ten years later. My nails emerged from under a dense layer of gel, and back-to-back powder sets paper-thin, peeling like dried flower petals and splitting painfully, which only made me want to bite them more. They were in worse shape than when I'd started. That's when I knew they needed a major intervention.
I know I'm not alone in having to rehab my nails after abusing them. Whether you've been heavy on the gel polish, work with your hands, or just simply have naturally brittle nails, sometimes you need extra help getting your nails looking and feeling as healthy as you want them to be. That's where my favorite strengthening and hardening products come in. These fortifying liquids and gels are made to bathe your weak nails in ingredients that nourish your nails deeply and harden their surface to prevent splitting and more damage. Ahead, I've rounded up the formulas beloved by Marie Claire editors who have tried countless products to bring you a list of only the best. Healthy nails, here we come.
One of NYC's chicest salons offers some fantastic nail care products, too. This base coat primes your nails to keep your polish secure while a mixture of biotin, vitamin B, and diamond particles makes nails stronger and more durable.
This daily keratin treatment adds much-needed life back to depleted nails in just seven days. It's a cocktail of conditioning ingredients like jojoba seed oil, keratin protein, and sweet almond (that last one makes this formula smell like dessert). Save this one for days you're going bare, though—it's so hydrating that it'll make polish slip right off.
Hydrolyzed wheat protein and calcium are the strengthening MVPs in this classic option from OPI—the combo hardens nails to prevent cracking and breaking.
No need to trade off a pretty pastel mani to keep your nails healthy. This formula comes in a ton of shades, and it delivers deep pigment and conditioning ingredients in just one step.
So you took off your gels, and your nails are seeing the sun for the first time in weeks. Apply this conditioning liquid once daily to harden soft nails and encourage growth.
Platinum powder gives this formula its hardening kick, and a flexible brush makes it easy to apply for those with shaky hands. This line has multiple shades, but we're partial to this blush-hued option.
Ever notice your polish looks bumpy or uneven for no reason? Your nails may have ridges, which can be a result of aging or a vitamin deficiency. This non-toxic base uses horsetail leaf extract and vitamin E to repair peeling nails, and acts as a tinted filler to even out the nails and make them appear healthier.
If a salad is a reset for your system after a long weekend of fried food and too much booze, this botanical-infused base coat is the answer to overindulging on acrylics or gel polish. This treatment contains keratin to harden the nails and stimulate growth, and offers a high gloss finish for a polished look.
If your nails peel or break faster than you can grow them out, this is the formula to try. Vitamin B and calcium strengthen nails while horsetail extract and biotin actually promote faster growth.
For those whose hands seem beyond help—we're talking deep cracks, splitting, and severe peeling—it's time to pull out all the stops, which happens to be Nail Tek. This formula is the strongest of their strengthening line, so expect miracles.
How to Get Regular Manicures and Healthy Nails
If you've gotten to the point of having to use nail strengtheners, then it's likely that you've given your bi-weekly manicures a break. If that's the case, I've found a solution that I'm absolutely obsessed with: BIAB.
Also known as Builder in a Bottle, I trialed back-to-back sets for around three months at Townhouse in New York City at the beginning of the year. The result? My nails were longer than they've ever been, to the point where I had to start getting them cut and filed regularly (and I had to do this instead of biting them because with builder, the last layer of polish doesn't come off).
BIAB offers a structured gel-like manicure that's designed to be gentler on the nail than acrylics or hard gel, like that used in a Russian manicure. "I've found that my clients' nails are much healthier since I started using builder gel," New York-based celebrity nail artist Shirley Cheng, previously told MC. "There's less scraping, less filing, and no need for full removal at each appointment." It's the perfect solution for nail biters and still one of my favorite manicure techniques to date.
Why Trust Marie Claire
For more than 30 years, Marie Claire has been an internationally recognized destination for news, fashion and beauty trends, investigative packages, and more. When it comes to the products Marie Claire recommends, we take your faith in us seriously. Every product that we feature comes personally recommended by a Marie Claire writer or editor, or by an expert we’ve spoken to firsthand.
Meet the Expert
Shirley is an editorial and celebrity nail artist and the owner of Nail Plate Studio in New York. After working in some of NYC’s most popular salons, Shirley saw a void in how nail services are performed. Perfecting her craft includes a passion for teaching and continuing education in nails. This allowed her to become an educator for ORLY and Swarovski.
Shirley soon became a highly sought after manicurist for top tier magazines including Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue, and Women’s Health. She is a regular backstage at New York Fashion Week and her work can be found walking down the red carpet at Met Gala and on the big and small screen. She is currently represented by See Management.