A few weeks ago, I got a nasty chip out of one of my fingernails. This is an unusual circumstance for me, as I've always had nails that were tough as, well, nails. But I think that modifying my diet after the diabetes diagnosis, including reducing the amount of milk I drink, has lowered my calcium levels and probably weakened my nails. One of the things they warn newly-diagnosed diabetics about is checking fingers and toes for circulation issues, so I've been excessively conscious about my nails as well.
I trimmed down the chipped nail, but unfortunately, every time the nail grew out a little bit, the chip would repeat. Even when I thought it was filed smooth, it would snag on things easily. Worse, I could see a hairline fracture growing clear down to the root of the nail. I do not want to lose a fingernail.
I fretted about this to Lisa, who said, "why not put some clear nail polish over it?" I hadn't thought of that, but it makes sense. Lisa didn't have any polish to give me -- she almost never wears nail polish of any sort -- so I went ahead and obtained a bottle of clear nail coat that claims to contain nail-strengthening ingredients. I filed down the chip as smooth as I could get it and coated the nail liberally.
So far, this experiment seems to be working. The nail has stopped snagging every loose fiber it touches, and maybe it will start growing out smoothly again. I'll have to keep a close eye on it and keep filing and coating it, probably for months, while the nail grows out and (I hope) repairs the hairline fracture down to the root.
