How to Grow Nails Fast: Nail Growth Tips Based on Science

If your child lost their fingernails after a hand, foot, and mouth infection (you can read about this weird side effect here), there’s a fair chance you’d like those nails to grow back as quickly as possible. Heck, even if your child just has a broken nail or you want healthier, longer, stronger nails yourself, how to grow nails fast is excellent information to have. Unfortunately, many of the nail growth tips you’ll find online don’t come with any reputable sources. We do our best below to cover ways to make nails grow faster that are supported by evidence below.

how to grow nails fast nail growth tips

When trying to understand how to grow nail fast, it helps to know…

How fast do nails grow, and what can affect that rate?

Fingernails grow at a rate of roughly 1.5 to 4.5 mm per month. To put that in perspective, your average short-grain rice is about 5.5 mm long.

Why the variance?

Nail growth rate varies depending on a number of factors including:

-Age: Newborn nails grow the fastest at roughly .15 mm per day (4.5 mm per month). This rate remains relatively the same forgoing other circumstances until around age 20 when it begins to decline steadily.

-Environmental temperature: Fingernails grow faster in warmer seasons and climates.

-Pregnancy/Hormone levels: High levels of estrogen lasting more than 4 months can increase nail growth. This is common in pregnancy, with hormonal birth control use, and in hormone-replacement therapy. Likewise, after menopause when estrogen levels are low, brittle, slow growing nails are common.

-Nutrition: Malnutrition can slow or stop nail growth as well as lead to deformities— iron, calcium, zinc, magnesium, iodine, and protein deficiencies in particular.

-Illness: Chronic illness and certain infections can also affect nail growth. Some common medical issues relating to nail deformities or slow growth include fungal infections, heart infections, viral warts, thyroid problems, lupus, psoriasis, eczema, and kidney, lung or liver disease.

-Trauma: Any sort of trauma to the nail bed can slow nail growth, even if the injury has healed if there is lasting damage such as scaring.

-Frequency of use: The fingernails on your dominant hand grow slightly faster. While it’s not clear exactly why this is, some suggest it may be a result of the pressure on the nails from more frequent use. The theory is that fingers that are used more signal the nail bed to increase growth because they’re more likely to be worn down by that use. For instance, it’s been shown that if an injured finger is splinted (and so not being used) the nail will grow as much as 25 percent slower than the in-use fingers on the same hand.

To further support this, individual fingers also have different growth rates. Your pinky is the slowest growing nail, followed by your thumb, and your middle is the fastest, seconded by your index finger. If you think of how you use your hands in everyday life, this corresponds for most to the most frequently used (or not used) fingers in such a way that the nail is going to be hit or feel pressure.

Studies also show that nail-biting and clipping likewise increase nail growth rates. All of the above suggests that more frequent trauma to nails (but not enough to cause injury) may increase the rate of nail growth.

How long does it take to grow an entire nail back?

As you can imagine from the information above, that’s going to depend on quite a few factors, but for most between 2 and 6 months. This assumes the entire nail has been lost. In cases of shed nails after hand, foot, and mouth (the inspiration for this page), that shedding is caused by the gap created by the virus being pushed out by nail growth. If you wanted to get a rough estimate, you could measure the missing nail, then divide that by 1.5 mm. This would give you a ballpark for the slow-end in months.

All that being said, we can finally get to how to grow nails fast using this information.

Nail growth tips:

-Keep your hands warm and well moisturized to keep your nails from becoming brittle. You may find oil-based moisturizers such as vitamin E oil massaged into the nail and cuticles more effective than lotion in this department. The pressure of the massage may also help encourage growth via the idea of frequency of use mentioned earlier on this page.

-Have regular physicals to check for hormonal imbalances and/or undiscovered chronic illnesses. Some health conditions, such as thyroid disorders, can cause hard-to-catch symptoms. The best way to catch underlying health issues is to have regular preventive health checks.

-Eat a balanced diet rich in nutrients, vitamins, and protein. True nutritional deficiencies that effect nail growth are uncommon, excluding iron deficiencies (anemia). In which case, dark leafy greens and lean meats are superior to supplements.

In fact, there are only two supplements that have research to support they have any effect on nail health. The first, biotin has more support than the second, collagen. In a 2017 study, which lacked a control group, collagen supplementation increased nail growth by 12 percent. Biotin has been shown (study 1, 2, 3, 4) to strengthen brittle nails rather than increase growth. Preventing breakage is one way to help nails seem to grow faster though.

-Wear gloves when working with harsh chemicals or washing dishes and avoid nail polish remover use. This doesn’t necessarily aid in growth, but again helps prevent breakage.

-Stay active. Finally, while activities that are likely to break nails probably should be avoided, things like exercise that improve circulation are great for nail growth.

Unfortunately, as you can see not much can be done to make nails grow faster, especially in children, but what little you can do is easy to implement.

What do you swear by for improved nail growth?

Toddler and Kid’s Tooth Extraction: Healing Process, Food List, and Recovery

I didn’t do anything wrong caring for my daughter’s teeth. I brushed and flossed her teeth regularly. She didn’t sleep with a bottle. She was transitioned to a sippy cup before she was even 2. Yet, unlike her three brothers who had and have healthy teeth, she had severe decay and cavities in her baby front teeth by the time she was 3. It resembled baby bottle tooth decay.

Working with her dentist, we tried to reverse the damage—mineral-fluoride paste (MI Paste), diet changes, even xylitol, but they kept getting worse anyway. When the first tooth chipped, I felt horrible knowing they would probably have to be pulled.

Unfortunately, I was right. She had to have all four of her top front teeth extracted. After her procedure, I was surprised to find how little information was floating about online on the healing process and tooth extraction recovery in kids. I decided to build this page as a result.

Toddler tooth extraction healing process:

Thankfully, a fair amount of extractions in kids are baby teeth. The tooth extraction healing process after the removal of a baby tooth is faster than it is for adult teeth, because the wound is smaller.

The first 24 hours:

Immediately after removal, a clot will begin to form in the empty socket.

Your dentist may have also packed the wound with gelfoam. This is often used because children aren’t the greatest about biting down on gauze the way an adult would, but it serves the same purpose—to absorb and slow initial bleeding.

Gelfoam is white in color, so if you look in your child’s mouth and it almost looks like you can see bone or the remainder of a tooth in the socket, this is what you’re actually seeing. The image below is an example of this. It frequently falls out within a day. In fact, your child may even spit it out shortly after the procedure.

toddler tooth extraction gelfoam

Once the gelfoam is gone, the extraction wound will just look like a hole in your child’s gum. It may continue to weep blood lightly in the first 24 hours. For instance, you may see a little blood on your child’s pillow when they wake up. However, for the most part, the bleeding will stop within a few hours of the procedure.

Common complaints the first 24 hours after tooth extraction in kids:

Beyond bleeding the most common complaints that kids or parents have during tooth extraction recovery in the first 24 hours are:
(expressed as a percent of kids that experienced each in the first 24 hours)
-Inability to eat: 12 percent
-Less active: 72 percent
-Sleepiness: 71 percent
-Pain: 48 percent
-Sore throat: 35 percent
-Vomiting or nausea: 26 percent
-Behavior changes: 24 percent
-Fever: 21 percent
-Cough: 12 percent

Some of these issues are likely a result of the procedure itself rather than the tooth removal, such as sore throat and cough. All of the above are considered normal and not cause for concern with the exception of bleeding that is heavy and fevers that are over 101 F. In either of those cases, you should contact your provider.

Things to avoid in the first 24 hours:

While a clot is establishing in your child’s wound, you should do your best to help them avoid:

-Straw or non-spill sippy cup use (the cups with a valve that require suction)
-Touching the wound with fingers or tongue (this one can be difficult)
-Brushing close to the extraction site
-Vigorous activity

Within a three days after a kid’s tooth extraction:

Mouth wounds heal very quickly. As early as 12 hours after the extraction you may notice the gum tissue is beginning to heal. By day three most parents can see a clear difference in the size of the wound site (the “hole” is smaller). Typical complaints (mentioned above) also begin to decrease.

Once again, expressed by percent of children experiencing each (on day 3 in this case):

-Inability to eat: 12 percent
-Less active: 20 percent
-Sleepiness: This side effect should be gone.
-Pain: 17 percent
-Sore throat: 8 percent
-Vomiting or nausea: 1 percent
-Behavior changes: 3 percent
-Fever: 2 percent
-Cough: 4 percent

Within two weeks after a kid’s tooth extraction:

In most cases by day 14 or so, the gum holes have sealed over completely, though occasionally this can take up to a month. A longer time frame is more common in molars and older children (with larger teeth).

You’ll still see an indention of sorts in the gum where the tooth was as bone hasn’t yet mineralized in the socket. This indentation will become less noticeable as time passes with significant bone formation being complete within 6 to 8 weeks.

What to feed kids after a tooth extraction?

Having covered the tooth extraction recovery time and process, your next question might be what your child can eat after tooth extraction.

You want to stick to soft, non-acidic foods that are unlikely to get stuck in the extraction wound. If the extraction was a front tooth, you also want to cut foods small so that your child can easily chew (or more like mush in this case) them with their back teeth only. You’ll find a list of ideas below.

Side note, if you can, try to get your child to swish some water after meals as well. In the case of toddlers, offering water to drink may be the best you can do there.

Some great foods for after tooth extraction include:

-Ice cream, milkshakes, or popsicles
-Fruit smoothies
-Yogurt or cottage cheese
-Jello or pudding
-Apple sauce
-Mashed potatoes
-Steam vegetables with or without cheese sauce (not al dente, arguably overdone and mushy)
-Boiled vegetables or canned soft options such as peas
-Oatmeal or porridge
-Chicken or beef vegetable soup (do not use a tomato base, mince ingredients small)
-White-sauced pasta with small noodles and meat cut into small pieces
-Macaroni and cheese
-Scrambled eggs
-Bananas
-Berries (strawberries may need cut small)
-Baked beans
-Meatloaf (cut in small pieces)

Once the extraction holes have mostly closed, rice and softer baked goods are also OK, such as bread (without a crispy crust) and soft-top cookies. With front-teeth extractions, again you may still have to cut these into small enough pieces your child doesn’t have to bite chunks off so to speak. This can make things like peanut butter and jelly or tuna sandwich squares, waffles, or pancakes an option (things most kids are a fan of).

When will my child’s tooth or teeth grow back after an extraction?

Finally, at least in my case, I was really wondering when my daughter’s front teeth would grow back in. Obviously, this question only relates to baby teeth, as permanent teeth don’t grow back.

Many of the online eruption charts for permanent teeth such as the one shown below are giving an average range. You may find that your child falls outside of this. For instance, my first son got his first front permanent tooth at 5 years old, while most charts state this happens at age 6 to 7. Teeth eruption patterns are largely genetic and vary from child to child.

However, a study published in the Journal of Dental Research in 2015 did find that permanent tooth eruption was tied to baby teeth eruption. So, if your child was an early teether, they may likewise get their permanent teeth faster. The same holds true for late teethers. Girls also tend to erupt teeth earlier than boys.

child tooth eruption chart

Kids, Cars, and Heat Stoke: What You Should Know

While leaving your child in the car for a moment is often a legal and moral conundrum in itself, the heat wave hitting the nation has added a new safety factor to the equation. Honestly, living in Alaska where typical weather does not top 70 degrees Fahrenheit or so, there have indeed been times that I have left a sleeping child in my car while stepping out to use a port-a-potty or run into a convenience store where I could see them through the glass. In areas such as mine that are now seeing record highs residents just aren’t used to, the dangers of leaving an child in a car even for a short time may be unknown.heat stroke cars kids

On average 37 children die of heat stroke or heat exhaustion in hot cars each year, with a total of 669 since 1998. The vast majority of those children– 97 percent–are under the age of 5 with 74 percent being younger than age 3.

How hot can a car get, and when does heat stroke become an concern?

A human being can suffer from heat stroke and die once the surrounding temperature reaches 104 degrees Fahrenheit. A child is more susceptible to heat stroke, because his/her central nervous system (which acts to cool the body in extreme heat) is not fully developed. A study from San Francisco State University found that in temperatures between 72 and 96 degrees a car will increase in heat by approximately 19 degrees in 10 minutes, 29 degrees in 20 minutes, 34 degrees in 30 minutes, and 43 degrees in an hour. That means on a sunny 80 degree day, it may take 20 minutes for a car’s interior to reach lethal temperatures, but in 100 degree heat, it would take mere minutes. The color of the vehicle’s interior may affect this rate. Numerous studies have shown cracking the windows to have little to no effect. In addition, interior temperatures don’t increase at a steady rate either, rather they vary with the external temperature and rate at which the surfaces of the car absorb radiation.

What do you need to know about vehicular heat stroke?

To put it frankly, never leave your child alone in the car. If you absolutely must, leave the car and air-conditioning running and be as quick as possible. That being said, the majority of heat stroke deaths in children are not a result of parents intentionally leaving them in the car. In fact, only 17% are, while 54% are a result of children that were simply forgotten in the car, another 29% were playing in an unattended vehicle, and the remaining 1% are unknown. It’s easy to say, “Oh, I’d never forget my child,” but parenthood can be hectic. It can and does happen– even to parents who said, “I’d never..”  It may help to always bring your child in first before groceries, your purse, etc (even if they are napping), refrain from answering calls or texts until you and your child are inside, and talk to your child often while driving.

To keep your child from sneaking into your car unattended, always keep your doors locked and your keys out of reach. You might also try some efforts to prevent toddler escapes.

Next, know the symptoms of heat stroke. These include dizziness, confusion, agitation, an overall sluggish appearance, dry, flushed skin without sweat that is hot to the touch, rapid heartbeat, hallucinations, seizure, and finally unconsciousness. In younger children, such as infants, some of these signs may be hard to spot.

If you suspect your child may be suffering from heat stroke, seek medical help immediately and make efforts to cool their body temperature. This may include removing clothing, applying cool water to the skin, offering cold drinks, cranking the AC, and so on.

Of course, heat stroke can happen outside of cars too. Remember to dress your child accordingly, use sunscreen, stay hydrated, and when not in the car, find cool places to escape the heat as often as possible. Avoiding strenuous activity in peak-heat hours is also recommended.

It’s hot outside, be safe.