How To Fix Short Nail Beds

Short nail beds are a common issue that affects millions worldwide. As you’ve landed on this page, we’re sure that you’re with the same problem.

Thus, what is the way to make it better and stronger if you’ve got short nail beds?

Firstly, this can happen from injuries, biting or just genetically. It will have some consequences. But you can’t actually lengthen the beds. To make the nail beds look better and longer, try growing the nail out, using fake nails, pushing back the cuticles, filing, manicures etc.

Remember there is more information on short nail beds than you would expect. Luckily for you, we have outlined the causes, effects and 5 step-by-step solutions to end the problem once and for all.

Let’s jump in, shall we?

Understand Your Nail Bed

What is the nail bed? It’s the part of the skin, which sits under the nail plate. It’s the fleshy sections of the nail, which contains nerve endings and blood vessels. The blood vessels have the role of nourishing the cells around the nail. The blood that flows underneath the skin is responsible for the pinkish appearance of the nail.

What does it mean to have short nail beds? It refers to people who don’t have adequately sized nails and nail beds. Such an issue can compromise the functions of your finger, as the nail makes up an important section of its functionality.

What Shortens Up Your Nail Bed

“Why are my nail beds so short?”- You might wonder in the first place.

Before we get to know how to deal with a short nail bed and it’s consequences, we’ll be answering that question in your mind. In fact, among many, here are 3 of the most frequent reasons why a nail bed might be shorter than usual-

Nail injuries

In some cases, the nail might seem short if you experience a nail injury. These injuries can cause the nail to detach from the nail bed. Usually such injuries occur when you expose your fingers to high impact forces such as nail snag on a firm surface. Plus, when this occurs at the tip, it can compromise the length of your nail beds, no matter how fast or slow you repair the injured nail bed.

Nail Biting

Does biting nails cause short nail beds?  The answer is Yes!

Yes, especially when you do it for several months or years. Furthermore, people who bite their nail short will get all the way through the nail bed. Eventually, such a biting will have negative effects on the size of the nail bed.

Genetic Inheritance

You are likely to have short nail beds if someone in your family tree has the same condition. It all relates to genetic factors, which often determine physical characteristics of your body such as the shape of your nails.

Problems You’ve to Deal with A Short Nail Bed

Even if short nail beds might not necessarily pose a direct threat to your health, they can bring many challenges to your life. Gaining insight into these challenges should give you the right motivation for you to find ways to address the problem. They might include:

• Looks unsightly – short nail beds are not appealing to look at, and might show signs of bad nail care. Good grooming communicates lots of stuff about you. Keeping your nails in good shape, means that you need to find a way to address the problem of short nail beds. 
• Can compromise finger functions – short nail beds can make your finger weak and prone to pain from firm surfaces. The nail and nail bed are important sections of your finger. They contribute towards the strength of your finger, and you need them in top conditions.

Is It Really Possible to Lengthen Up A Short Nail Bed?

That is a good question! There is really no well-known method for lengthening your nail beds. So, if someone asks, “can you lengthen short nail beds.” Well, the answer would be no.

You can only apply techniques to help it grow stronger, so that it’s not weak when you use your finger on firm surfaces. It’s not possible to lengthen your nails because nail growth relates mostly to your genes. Plus, since short nail beds can occur due to bad habits such as excessive biting over several months, it can be a challenge to reverse the issue.

How to Make Your Nail Beds Look Longer?

While there is really little you can do to lengthen your nail beds, you have many options for making them look longer and to improve their growth as well. These might seem like many things to keep track of, but we have outlined them into the following few steps:

Tip 1: Grow Out Your Nail

The most common cause of short nail beds would be improper nail cutting habits. Thus, the first step in improving the length of your nail beds is to let them grow out naturally. Instead of cutting your nails every 3 or 4 days as you have done in the past, wait for at least 10 more days. 

It gives the opportunity to evaluate the extent to which your nails can grow, and the health of the nail beds. You can use nail strengthening oil to help promote nail growth.

Tip 2: Use Acrylics and Fake Nails

 Using fake nails and acrylics on short nail beds can be an excellent way to improve the appearance of your short nail beds. Acrylics are a form of adhesive paste that you apply over your nails. They help protect the nail from damage and exposure to dirt.

The fake nails are specially made plastics, which you apply using glue to your nails. However, remember to use the right nail management techniques to keep your nail healthy.

Recommended Fake Nails for Short Nail Bed	Recommended Acrylic Nails for Short Nail Beds
Fake Nails Acrylic Nail Tips	Natural Acrylic Nails Coffin Shaped

Tip 3: Push Back Your Cuticles

The cuticles are the clear layer of skin that exists at the base of your nail plate. You can push cuticles back as a technique to help improve your nail beds appear longer. However, practice caution to help maintain the health of your cuticles.

Let us have a look at some of the expected steps:

Step 1

Get a medium sized bowl, which will provide sufficient space for all your fingers. 

Step 2

Add some water into the bowl, and then add some drops of essential oil.

Step 3

Soak your fingers in the bowl containing the water and the essential for a few minutes. Also, soaking your nails in the water helps soften the cuticles so that they are easy to push back.

Step 4

After about ten minutes, remove your hands from the bowl and then get a cuticle pusher.

Step 5

Place the pusher on the cuticles and use it to slightly push the cuticles back. Repeat this process after a few days for the next coming months.

Tip 4: File, Don’t Cut with a Nail Clipper

Cutting your nails the right way is an important aspect of nail care. If you have short nail beds, the best option would be for you to use a file, rather than a clipper. It’s not easy to control the length of the nail cutting when you use a nail clipper, especially if you have these types of nail beds. Using the best nail file for short nails means that you gradually reduce unwanted sections of the nail.

Recommended Files for Short Nail Beds

Makartt Zebra Nail Files

Steps on How to Shape Short Nail Beds with A File

If you have short nails, you have to be careful so not as to grind all the way through to the flesh underneath. The good thing is that it’s easy, and we have the steps for this below:

1. Wash your hands clean using some soap and warm water
2. Get the file set and choose one with the lowest grit level
3. Place it on top of the tail, and gently grind the nail until it has a good shape
4. Once you are through, clean your hands and finger 

Tip 5: Do Manicure and Apply Nail Polish

 

Using solutions such as a manicure and nail polish can be excellent for your short nail beds. Users have to apply them over the nail, for protection against dirt or fungus, and as part of manicuring. The manicure will help improve nail growth and make it look better. Plus, nail polish helps stop nail fungus and also benefits the nail appearance.

Recommended Nail Polish for Short Nail Beds

Gel Nail Polish Start Kit

The steps involved in using manicure for short nails:

1. Clean your hands using some warm water and soap
2. Get a nail brush, and dip it into the nail polish
3. Then, apply the polish to the nail
4. Once complete, let your fingers sit undisturbed as the polish dries

Things to Do to Keep Your Nail Bed Healthier & Stronger

Keeping your nails healthy should be an important priority, because the hand gets exposed to various types of traffic each day. Plus, it’s also highly important when you use artificial nail products such as acrylics. Below are the few key ways on how to keep nail beds healthy:

1. Adopt Good Grooming Habits

Good grooming means that you have to take good care of your fingernails. It’s a technique that can include moisturizing techniques, whereby you use hand lotion around your nail beds. Keeping the nails moisturized helps reduce dryness and also helps promote the development of the nail bed. 

You can use an applicator brush to apply the moisturizer around the nail. Good grooming also extends to the way in which you cut your nails.

2. Remove your Acrylics or Fake Nails Regularly

Using acrylics can take a toll on the overall health of your nails. Issues such as nail snag, poorly fitted acrylics and more are likely to compromise the health of your nail beds. Thus, if you want to use acrylics, you have to keep them well maintained for the best results. 

These can include procedures such as disinfecting, regular acrylic nail removal, and more.

3. Use Nail Strengthening Products

Products such as nail resin and lemon juice are excellent for improving the development of nails and the nail bed. You can use them as part of daily nail grooming procedures, or when you want to use products such as acrylics.

4. Use Natural Oils to Promote Nail Growth

The list of natural best natural oils for nails you can use to promote the growth of nail and the nail bed are many. A good example would be biotin oil. Otherwise referred to as Vitamin H, various studies have shown that biotin helps promote health nail development.

It becomes a more potent nail bed product when you use it with various other essential oils and vitamins in liquid form.

Natural/Homemade Products	Commercial Products
Coconut Oil	Maximum Strength Liquid Biotin Drops
Lemon Juice	SOZGE Nail Strengthener

5. Don’t Ignore Nail Fungus

Remember that any issues such as nail fungus are likely to lead to various nail infections. You have to keep your nails clean using disinfectant, especially if you use acrylic or fake nails. The nail fungus is bad because it compromises the ability of your nails to grow healthy and strong. When you have short nail beds, growing healthy nails should be an important goal and using fungus nails treatment can be beneficial.

3 Myths About Growing Nail Bed Short/Long

You may have probably fallen victim to the various myths associated with growing short nail beds. These myths are not true, and you can make your nails look good when you have the right solutions.

Some of these myths include:

1. Clipping the Nails too Short is the Only Cause

Cutting your nails short is not the only cause of short nail beds. It can also be attributed to issues such as poor diets, genetics, and more. So, remember to be informed before determining the key cause of your short nail beds.

2. Diet Does not Contribute to Nail Health

It turns out that diet indeed contributes significantly to your nail health. Whether you know it or know, nail health can be a strong indicator of your body health. Consuming a well balanced diet can help make your nails strong and healthy. The common foods recommended for nail growth include leafy greens, eggs, nuts, whole grains and more.

3. Short Nail Beds are Not Treatable

If you have short nail beds, the good thing for you is that they are easy to address. You can opt for solutions to make them longer, or use products that promote nail and nail bed development.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Parting Words 

Good personal grooming can make a good impression on your friends, family and even workmates. If you have short nail beds, you have probably felt uncomfortable placing your hands on an open table. The most common cause of the issue would be genetics and poor nail grooming habits. Thus, if this is the case, you should know there are various meaningful solutions for making your nail bed appear longer.