My latest use of gel on my nails has totally ruined them. Even with the gel on, the nails were brittle and would break, the gel wasn't sticking. I don't know if it's something I have done (although I haven't done anything that I haven't done before when I had gel on my nails and I haven't used any chemicals) or if it's that they were badly filed by the technician and instead of the gel being filed my nails were filed too (actually it looks like it because they feel quite rough to the touch).
Anyway I have taken the gel off now, got really fed up and will cancel my next appointment. I am using Sally Hansen Miracle cure at the moment although I have no hope it will fix my nails until they've actually grown the full length. I was wondering if it would be a good idea to give them a bit of a boost by taking a supplement.

Has anyone tried any oral supplement of the likes and would you recommend it?

Thanks a bunch x

No sorry, never had any supplements, but I have had nails just like yours, really weak and sore after having many months of gel nails - I just kept putting on daily strengthener (think it was Opi, apply daily one) until the nail grew up.
Back on gel nails again now though, I have Calgel nails and when she soaks them off they just peel off like putty and my nails are lovely underneath.
I think in the past, the acrylic and gel that I've had hasn't been of a high quality and that combined with super filing from the technician, it did ruin my nails.
I am impressed with Calgel.

It would be interesting to see if anyone has had any success with supplements though
x

Brewers yeast is meant to help with hair, nails and skin. It is a B vitamin complex and it helps with the metabolism as well so you have nothing to lose.

Thanks for the tips, will have a look into brewers yeast, although does it taste like marmite (I absolutely can't stand the smell of it).

Teenspirit, my nail tech uses bio sculpture gel. I used her for a year and a half before I had my son, she's a friend of an ex-workmate. My nails were a bit rough when they were soaked off (properly) but they grew back. I have never had hard nails, but I didn't think they were any worse than before.

I started using her about 6 months ago. Then suddenly the nails would chip. The gel wouldn't stick on anymore. I thought it was because the layers were just too thick and it was time to do a soak. But the last time I went, as we decided to get a soak next time, the gel peeled so bad as it was being filed she ended up ripping the gel off 7 nails out of 10. One of them was a nail she'd started from scratch the time before, so it wasn't too thick, but it came off really easily.
She said I had used a chemical or had been poorly, that's what affected the nail in the first place.
But then the gel started coming off three days after the last layer was put on, and I though it just wasn't on. So I soaked it all off. And it revealed horrible nails. The top quarter is badly peeling. The nails are so thin just typing on the keyboard bends them.

If I do the maths 6 months is probably when the infills started and the nail got filed along with the gel. And now the nails have grown and weakened.

I just hope that it will get better as the nail grows again, but was just wondering if using supplements would help strengthen them a bit more.

I would go into Holland and Barrett. They have tablets that help and are really helpful

Thanks. I went cheap and bought the Boots own brand, will try it for 2-3 months see how it goes. I have since been told that fish oil helps as well so might end up adding that to my stash of pills !