I read some facts about nails, here are some:

Fingernail facts


* The longer the finger, the faster the fingernail grows.

* Nails grow faster in warm climates and fastest in the summer.

* Nails grow 20 percent faster when a body is fighting off the flu.

* Extreme dieting slows nail growth.

* The nail on the pinkie grows the slowest, followed by the thumbnail.

* Fingernails grow twice as fast as toenails.

* Men's nails grow faster than women's.

* Nails grow fastest between the ages of 10 and 14.

I found my nails grew a lot faster when I moved to a hard water area, and grew slower when I moved back to a soft water area. I suspect this is probably due to trace minerals in the harder water affecting nail growth- though moing house just to make ones nails grow quicke seems a little extreme! I have read that the herbal supplement Milk Thistle improves nail growth and condition- I haven't tried it personally, but it may be worth a go, perhaps someone else has tried it?

One word, Bio-tin. also lots of protein because your nail are basically pure protein.

I found that vaseline intensive care hand and nail cream worked a treat at making my nails grow faster and stronger.

I'm no expert at this at all but I remember a lady in junior high showed us about pushing our cuticles back to promote nail growth. I remember being surprised the following week how much my nails grew on the one hand that I performed the experiment on but not on the other.

Give it a try and let me know if it works for you. This 'may' be because I was in the age group listed in the 'fingernail facts' answer but it's worth a try I think.

Pure Apple cider vinegar...liquid of pill form.

Almost an instant result.

Edit - Apple Cider Vinegar is known for its good properties and will
among other things, lower blood pressure. The pill form comes
in dosages of 150 mg to 500 mg. A good health food shop will tell
you the dosage to take. If you are unsure ask your doctor first.

It is absolutely incredible to see the change inside a week.
The nails will take on a new healthy appearance and growth.

One way to ensure that nails grow at their optimal rate is to take an inventory of your nutritional habits. Extreme dieting, particularly low protein diets can slow down nail growth. Make sure you're not restricting calories excessively and are getting a sufficient amount of protein in your diet on a daily basis. Your diet should also be well balanced to provide the vitamins and minerals needed to help fingernails grow fast. If there's some question as to whether your diet is adequate, add a multivitamin and consider drinking a protein drink once a day.

Another consideration is your general health status. A variety of underlying disease states can slow down fingernail growth and make nails more fragile. These include kidney disease, thyroid disease, cancer, and a host of other medical conditions. If you're concerned about nail growth and are experiencing other symptoms, a few lab studies might be in order to rule out underlying health conditions that could contribute to nail problems.

The last factor to consider if you're concerned about how to make your fingernails grow faster is blood flow to the matrix of the nail. Activities that increase blood flow to the fingernails may stimulate nail growth. Some activities that may do this include frequent typing, playing the piano, and other activities where you use your hands a lot. Surprisingly enough, biting your nails can have the same effect, although it wouldn't be recommended. While it may not be practical to take up piano to make fingernails grow faster, using your hands as frequently as possible on a daily basis may help.

Probably the best strategy to make fingernails grow faster is to make sure you're getting enough protein and are practicing sound eating habits on a daily basis. Engage your hands as much as possible to stimulate blood flow and make sure you're taking meticulous care of your nails to keep them from splitting or breaking.

From BeyondJane

shot of protein?

Along with all the rest of the other answers I have also read that massaging the nail bed and cuticle can promote fingernail growth...along with keeping cuticles healthy with lotion. Hope it helps!

i went to a salon one time, and the ladie that was giving me a manicure told me to try this:

mix 4 tabespoons of milk
3 tablespoons of orange juice
and 5 tablespoons of pure apple cider vinegar

it may seem disguisting, but you'll be surprised at what it tastes like!!! its really truly amazing,i did this for 5 days and already saw that my nails looked stronger and were growing FAST. now that i did that for 5 days ever since my nails have been extremely long!