Nail beds are the fleshy area where your nails grow out. They have many functions, including protecting the nail matrix, which is where new cells are produced.
If you have damaged your nail bed or it has been shortened by an injury or infection, there’s no need to worry. The good news is that there are many ways to help repair it so that your nails can grow back and look healthy again. Here’s how:
Can Nail Beds Grow Back?
Yes, nail beds can grow back.
It’s possible to grow the nail bed back, but it depends on the damage. First, let’s define what the nail bed is: it’s that pinkish area under your nails, and it’s a living part of your finger. If you’ve ever found yourself with a broken or damaged fingernail, then chances are you might have wondered if there was any way for this part of your body to heal and recover from trauma like that.
In short: yes. The main thing you need to do is take care of those precious digits so they don’t get damaged again (or at least minimize the risk).
How to Get Nail Beds to Grow Back
1. Stop nail biting
If you’re looking to grow your nail beds back, then stop biting your nails. This can damage the natural protective layer of the nail bed. This means that if you want to get rid of hangnails, then try not to bite them off.
Nail biting can also cause other issues such as fungal infections and bacterial infections because it allows germs from the mouth to enter the skin under your nails.
2. Let Your Nails Breathe
The best way to keep your nails healthy is to let them breathe. While you may find it uncomfortable not wearing gloves all the time, allowing your fingers to air out will help them grow back faster. You don’t want to cover them with socks or gloves all the time either, the moisture will just make matters worse.
If you really can’t bear going without nail polish for a while, try using a non-acetone remover instead of acetone-based ones until your nails are strong enough again. Also, remember that glue and fake nails should be avoided at all costs since they tend to irritate the nail bed even more than regular polish does.
3. Apply a Nail Strengthener
To make sure your nails are getting all the nutrients they need to grow back, apply a nail strengthener daily. You can get these at drugstores or online. Apply the product to clean nails and let it dry before applying your usual polish.
While you’re applying the strengthener, pay special attention to any damaged areas of your cuticles (the skin surrounding your nail beds). This is where bacteria tend to collect, so keep an eye on it while you’re growing out your nails.
If possible, apply moisturizer right after you’ve applied the nail strengthener; this will help lock in moisture and reduce dryness.
4. Eat Foods that are Rich in Protein
You can also boost your nail growth by eating foods that are rich in protein. Protein is important for nail growth, and your body needs it to build the cells that make up our muscles and tissues. In addition to eating healthy amounts of protein-rich foods, you should consider taking a supplement such as whey protein powder or amino acids like MSM (methylsulfonylmethane) and L-arginine if you want to grow your nails faster.
Protein-rich foods include:
- Lean meats (beef, chicken breast)
- Eggs (omelets), etc.
5. Moisturize Your Cuticles and Nails Regularly
A great way to help your nails grow back is by moisturizing them regularly. Moisturize your cuticles and nails with a good moisturizer. You can apply it once or twice a day, depending on how dry your skin is.
When you do apply this moisturizer, make sure that the area around the nail beds is covered well so that they receive enough moisture too. This will help them grow back faster as well as keep them healthy in the meantime.
How Do You Stimulate Nail Bed Growth?
1. Take biotin
Biotin is a vitamin that helps your body metabolize fat and convert it into energy. It also promotes healthy hair, skin, and nails. If you’re not getting enough of this nutrient through food sources, consider taking a supplement to help improve the strength of your nail beds (you can find biotin supplements at most health food stores).
2. Use hardeners for your nails
Nail hardeners are made with ingredients like calcium carbonate or hydrolyzed keratin proteins that help strengthen weak nails by providing extra support to the underside of each nail bed, which gives them more rigidity while also helping protect against cracking or splitting. Some products contain Vitamin C as well; this vitamin naturally enhances collagen production in the body, giving you stronger hair and healthier skin too.
3. Moisturize cuticles regularly, but not too often
While keeping moisture in your cuticles will keep them from drying out too quickly when exposed to water all day each day, if you moisturize too often it could actually weaken them further by reducing their ability to retain moisture themselves. So just be sure not to go overboard on this one, especially if using a product with parabens or alcohols since those agents may cause additional irritation during application.
How Long Does It Take for the Nail Bed to Grow Back?
It takes 2-6 months for the nail bed to grow back.
The growth rate of your nails depends on a variety of factors, the most important being genetics, which is why you should pay attention to how fast your own nails grow. However, there are also other things to consider: in general, the nail bed grows at about 2.5 mm per month but this number can increase or decrease depending on external factors like seasons and climate.
In summer you’ll likely see faster growth than in winter because there’s more sunlight (which means more vitamin D) and warmer temperatures that help stimulate blood flow; similarly, climates with higher humidity tend to promote faster nail growth than dryer ones do.
Why Is My Nail Bed Not Growing Back?
1. Poor circulation
If your nail beds are not growing back, it’s probably due to poor circulation. Nails grow from the base and push away the old cells at the end of their growth cycle. This process is known as keratinization. Those who have poor circulation will have an unhealthy nail bed that cannot maintain good keratinization, resulting in weak nails that break easily.
2. Poor diet
One of the most important factors in growing your nails back is to eat a healthy diet. A balanced diet that is full of vitamins and minerals will help improve the health of your nail beds, which will make your nails stronger.
In addition, avoid alcohol and tobacco products because they contribute to dryness, which makes it harder for your nails to grow back. Also, try avoiding salty foods like chips or fast food since they cause dehydration in the body which can lead to brittle nails.
The best way to grow back strong nails is by eating more vegetables, fruits, and whole grains while reducing sugar intake as well as refined carbohydrates such as white pieces of bread.
Also remember: protein helps build muscle tone so don’t forget about lean meats like chicken breast or tuna. Finally, reduce saturated fat intake by avoiding red meat such as hamburger patties that contain high levels of saturated fats.
3. Injury
If you’ve ever injured your finger, you know that it can take a long time to heal. The same goes for the nail bed, a scratch or cut to your nail bed can cause permanent damage. You may have already experienced this: if you’ve ever gotten acrylic nails and had them rip off in an unfortunate incident, or if you have naturally tough nails and accidentally scratched them with a sharp object, then you’ve probably seen firsthand how painful it is when the nail bed becomes damaged.
If left untreated for too long after an injury, permanent damage may occur to both the top layer of skin as well as its underlying layers. This can lead to infection and even gangrene (death of body tissue).
4. Fungal infection
It’s important to note that fungal infection can cause nail damage, but also that not all nail problems are caused by an infection. Sometimes the nails will have other issues such as dry patches, ridges, and brittleness. Fungal infections can be caused by a number of different types of fungus including athlete’s foot and ringworm; this fungus will infect your nails causing them to break down over time.
5. Lack of protein
Did you know that protein is an essential component of healthy skin and nails? If you’ve noticed a lack of growth in your nails, it could be due to a deficiency in protein. Protein is found in many foods, including fish, chicken, eggs, and dairy products. Nuts are also high in protein as well as seeds like pumpkin or sunflower seeds. These foods can help ensure that the nail bed receives the nutrients it needs to grow back strong.
6. Lack of calcium
Calcium is essential for the growth of your nail beds, so if you’re not getting enough calcium in your diet, they may be at risk of breaking. Calcium can be found in dairy products like yogurt or cheese, dark leafy greens such as spinach and kale, and fish like salmon.
Calcium carbonate supplements are also an option if you don’t eat many of these foods. But keep in mind that supplements should only be taken under a doctor’s supervision because too much calcium can lead to kidney stones or other health problems.
The recommended daily intake for adults is 1,000 milligrams; women over 50 years old should aim for 1200 milligrams per day. By eating a balanced diet high in calcium-rich foods, you’re sure to get all the necessary nutrients needed for strong nails.
Causes of Short Nail Beds
1. Frequent nail biting
Nail biting can cause you to bite your cuticles, which in turn causes the skin around your nails to become red and inflamed. This irritation worsens when you pick at or pick off your nails, increasing the chances of infection and inflammation.
2. Poor diet
Your diet plays a key role in keeping your body healthy and able to fight off bacteria, viruses, and other substances that could cause an infection on your skin. The lack of certain vitamins or minerals can also lead to poor circulation, which can affect how quickly injuries heal. including infected cuts from picking at or picking off your nails.
3. Lack of protein
Protein is essential for maintaining healthy hair, skin, and nails because it helps build new blood vessels within these areas so they receive enough oxygenated blood flow needed for healthy growth. If there isn’t enough blood flowing through these areas then they won’t grow as fast either so make sure you are getting enough protein by eating foods.
Are Damaged Nail Beds Permanent?
Yes, Nail beds can be damaged permanently by fungal infections, injury, and poor diet. Fungal infections are the most common cause of nail bed discoloration and swelling. This can occur when your immune system is weakened or you have diabetes, psoriasis, or other conditions that cause thickening of the skin on your hands and feet. Injury can also permanently damage nail beds if the injury is severe enough to break through the top layer of skin where nails grow from underneath it.
The good news is that certain vitamins may help you grow back healthy nails after a fungal infection has caused damage to them.
Conclusion
It’s not always easy to grow your nail bed back, but with a little patience and hard work, you can start seeing results. It might take a while before you notice any difference, but if you keep up with these steps on a regular basis then soon enough your nails will be strong again.
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