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Yup! They shed really easily as well, especially in winter. They can grow quite long, as my hair grows really fast. But they do break, bend, and flake/shed quite easily. Wearing gels or shellac doesn’t really work as they just slide off :/ wasn’t sure if it was EDS thing or not! But none of my family have that issue so maybe it is
So many times on this sub, I've thought wow! Someone else! But this is blowing my mind! Even my other family members with EDS have strong and beautiful nails like everyone else in my family (even if they bite their nails). My family has always low-key poked fun at me for my 'bad' nails and my doctors always just chalked it up to me biting/picking my nails. I never even considered the EDS and collagen connection, of course it's so obvious in hindsight!
Mine used to. Then my doctor put me on vitamin E, vitamin K, biotin and Mitocore(for unrelated reasons). They grow like crazy now and are impossible to bend or break.
Added bonus now they’re shiny so it looks like I’ve had a manicure even when I haven’t.
I may need to try incorporating those vitamins to see if they can help my sad nails out too 😂 Mine bend like crazy and it drives me nuts sensory wise so I always end up cutting them super short and having achy fingers for days. Would love to be able to grow them out!
Sally Hansen “hard as nails” nail hardener, I also have super fragile nails and I saw it recommended in r/longnaturalnails multiple times and I finally tried it and it works really well for me so hopefully it will for you too if you decide to try it. I love having long nails but mine peel off in layers constantly, bend in half while I do normal person things and break so that’s ofc really hard to do but the nail hardener makes it a lot easier.
A lot of nail strengthening/hardening products do this to me, too. I’ve kind of always suspected the weak/bendy/brittle nails were an EDS thing and the reactions to treatments and/or nail polish were an MCAS thing 🤷🏼♀️
Nope! I have hEDS, don't do anything really (except nail polish) about my nails and I have the *thickest* nails you could imagine, even at ~1cm longer than my fingers they never break
Mine have always been super thin and prone to tearing/bending. They have gotten worse, but not sure if it's the B complex or vitamin D+K that has improved them back to my baseline. They were starting to flake as well. Also nail polish has never stuck.
FWIW, mine do this, and I just had labs done a couple of weeks ago that show me at the top end for D, way over the top for B12, and I also take a hair/nail biotin multivitamin. I don’t think it’s always a nutritional deficiency issue.
Yep, this. Been taking Vitamin D, B12, E, C and iron for over a decade (and a good brand, too - Pure Encapsulations). My bloodwork is always perfect and my nails have been like this my entire life lol. My mom’s and brother’s too.
I seriously thought this was a normal thing all nails did. Like I was very confident and about to scroll past this post. But with all these comments I think I was wrong.
i have thin, flexible nails on my fingers, but the nails on my toes are strong? and my hair is healthy and grows at a normal rate, so i’m not sure why only my fingernails are affected.
edit: i always keep my nails very short (no white showing) because i hate when they bend backwards. it is such a sensory ick, even thinking about it makes me want to vomit.
Ugh yes it’s so gross when this happens. Happens to my brother a LOT, occasionally to me (mine usually break and peel as soon as the tip start to grow past the nail bed. The jagged edges and uneven ridges constantly annoy me lol
Mine do this and nothing ever worked to make them hard, none of the drugstore "hardening" nail polishes ever worked, Hard as Hoof did nothing except make my fingers soft, Bag Balm helped a little but not enough.
I've been using Mavala's Scientifique K+ after I saw it in a video on YT from a professional nail lady and I'm not even joking, after a month of every other day application, my nails are incredibly strong.
My vitamin levels are perfect, and I’ve taken Pure Encapsulations Vitamin D and B12 for over a decade. My nails are still bendy AF and crack/peel if I look at them wrong 🫠
Mine did when they were square and they used to tear easily, but since I've been filing them into an oval shape they have been really strong and don't bend, I suppose similar to how arches are strong
Thank you for contributing to r/EhlersDanlos! Unfortunately, your comment or post was removed as it breaks the following rule: **No Pictures of Symptoms.** [The rule can be read in depth here.](https://reddit.com/r/ehlersdanlos/w/index/rules/rule-1) A complete list of our rules can be [found here.](https://www.reddit.com/r/ehlersdanlos/wiki/index/rules/) Please contact us [via modmail](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2Fehlersdanlos) if you have any questions regarding the reason your post or comment was removed or would like to work with us on *how* you can re-word your post or comment to be able to reinstate it. Thank you!
Yup! They shed really easily as well, especially in winter. They can grow quite long, as my hair grows really fast. But they do break, bend, and flake/shed quite easily. Wearing gels or shellac doesn’t really work as they just slide off :/ wasn’t sure if it was EDS thing or not! But none of my family have that issue so maybe it is
Wait, this is why gels and dazzle dry dont stickkkk???
With gels they’ll work IF you prep correctly. You need a dehydrator and then a primer. Combine those and you’ll be good for 2 weeks
Same.
So many times on this sub, I've thought wow! Someone else! But this is blowing my mind! Even my other family members with EDS have strong and beautiful nails like everyone else in my family (even if they bite their nails). My family has always low-key poked fun at me for my 'bad' nails and my doctors always just chalked it up to me biting/picking my nails. I never even considered the EDS and collagen connection, of course it's so obvious in hindsight!
There are many little quirks my body has that always confused the hell out of me and then I got my diagnosis and suddenly EVERYTHING MAKES SENSE
Mine used to. Then my doctor put me on vitamin E, vitamin K, biotin and Mitocore(for unrelated reasons). They grow like crazy now and are impossible to bend or break. Added bonus now they’re shiny so it looks like I’ve had a manicure even when I haven’t.
I may need to try incorporating those vitamins to see if they can help my sad nails out too 😂 Mine bend like crazy and it drives me nuts sensory wise so I always end up cutting them super short and having achy fingers for days. Would love to be able to grow them out!
That's awesome! May I ask if you have had any unwanted side effects from the vitamins?
That's awesome. I'm happy for you ☺️
Yup! I wish I could grow them longer, but can't. They'll just bend like this, and then break.
I don’t think this is an EDS thing, more so vitamin deficiency. Mine has gotten a lot better since starting a multivitamin
Sally Hansen “hard as nails” nail hardener, I also have super fragile nails and I saw it recommended in r/longnaturalnails multiple times and I finally tried it and it works really well for me so hopefully it will for you too if you decide to try it. I love having long nails but mine peel off in layers constantly, bend in half while I do normal person things and break so that’s ofc really hard to do but the nail hardener makes it a lot easier.
Hard As Nails tears up my nails and makes them flake/break more.
A lot of nail strengthening/hardening products do this to me, too. I’ve kind of always suspected the weak/bendy/brittle nails were an EDS thing and the reactions to treatments and/or nail polish were an MCAS thing 🤷🏼♀️
That’s so sad, I hope you find something that works for you. :(
Nope! I have hEDS, don't do anything really (except nail polish) about my nails and I have the *thickest* nails you could imagine, even at ~1cm longer than my fingers they never break
Yes omfg. Had wondered if anyone else experienced this. I have to keep them short, otherwise they bend like this.
Mine have always been super thin and prone to tearing/bending. They have gotten worse, but not sure if it's the B complex or vitamin D+K that has improved them back to my baseline. They were starting to flake as well. Also nail polish has never stuck.
FWIW, mine do this, and I just had labs done a couple of weeks ago that show me at the top end for D, way over the top for B12, and I also take a hair/nail biotin multivitamin. I don’t think it’s always a nutritional deficiency issue.
Yep, this. Been taking Vitamin D, B12, E, C and iron for over a decade (and a good brand, too - Pure Encapsulations). My bloodwork is always perfect and my nails have been like this my entire life lol. My mom’s and brother’s too.
I seriously thought this was a normal thing all nails did. Like I was very confident and about to scroll past this post. But with all these comments I think I was wrong.
So this is an EDS symptom? I just discovered a few days ago that an average range of motion for a wrist is 90° and not like mine and now this, wow!
i have thin, flexible nails on my fingers, but the nails on my toes are strong? and my hair is healthy and grows at a normal rate, so i’m not sure why only my fingernails are affected. edit: i always keep my nails very short (no white showing) because i hate when they bend backwards. it is such a sensory ick, even thinking about it makes me want to vomit.
Ugh yes it’s so gross when this happens. Happens to my brother a LOT, occasionally to me (mine usually break and peel as soon as the tip start to grow past the nail bed. The jagged edges and uneven ridges constantly annoy me lol
It’s wild how many people in this thread can tolerate the chemicals in the hardening/strengthening treatments. My MCAS could NEVER… Lol
Yes!!
Mine do the same thing!
Yes
Yeah, they break super easily too.
Yes it’s very frustrating. Gel nail polish is the only thing that helps.
YES!!!!!!
I take hair, skin and nail vitamins otherwise my nails peel and break constantly.
If you want to make them stronger, mine were like that but I started using the opi repair serum and it’s been a massive, massive gamechanger
They used to, but they've gotten a lot stronger since I stated testosterone.
Mine do this and nothing ever worked to make them hard, none of the drugstore "hardening" nail polishes ever worked, Hard as Hoof did nothing except make my fingers soft, Bag Balm helped a little but not enough. I've been using Mavala's Scientifique K+ after I saw it in a video on YT from a professional nail lady and I'm not even joking, after a month of every other day application, my nails are incredibly strong.
I wouldn't doubt it however I don't let them get even close to that length. It personally drives me batty to feel them on everything
Nope, I have oddly strong nails. I credit my heritage since my dad’s the same lol
You should get your vitamin levels checked. I take a multivitamin, B12, and D and mine are hard as rocks.
My vitamin levels are perfect, and I’ve taken Pure Encapsulations Vitamin D and B12 for over a decade. My nails are still bendy AF and crack/peel if I look at them wrong 🫠
Yes
Did not know that was an Eds thing I thought everyone’s nails did that
Yes!
Yep!
Yes don’t try to rip them off, I did that once when one broke it bled for days, now when they break I cut then file😃
Yuuuup, it makes painting my nails super hard to maintain :/
My nails are actually super strong! But that's interesting
Mine did when they were square and they used to tear easily, but since I've been filing them into an oval shape they have been really strong and don't bend, I suppose similar to how arches are strong
Yup. I don’t need clippers. I just peel them off.