Garlic rubs. Gelatin soaks. Supplements promising Rapunzel-length nails in weeks. If you've spent any time looking for ways to grow your nails faster, you've encountered no shortage of "tricks" that promise rapid results. Some sound vaguely scientific. Others sound like something your grandmother might have suggested. But do any of them actually work?

While everyone wants longer nails yesterday, most of the advice circulating is either wishful thinking or a fundamental misunderstanding of how nails actually grow.

The truth about nail growth

Your nails grow approximately 3mm per month. This rate varies slightly based on age (fastest in your teens and twenties, slowing as you get older), season (slightly faster in summer), and which hand you're talking about (your dominant hand grows marginally faster).

But the core rate is largely genetic and biological. No product, supplement, or viral TikTok hack is going to dramatically accelerate it. Your nail growth happens at the matrix, and that process operates on its own timeline.

What you can control is nail quality, strength, and preventing breakage. Nails that don't break appear to grow faster because they're actually reaching their full length potential instead of snapping off halfway there. Most "growth tricks" are actually prevention strategies in disguise.

Biotin supplements

The claim - Biotin makes nails grow faster and stronger.
The verdict - Partially true, but with significant caveats.

Biotin (vitamin B7) is a vitamin found in foods like eggs, milk, and bananas. But don’t go rushing to buy supplements just yet. Biotin supplements only work if you're actually deficient in biotin, and most people aren't. Studies do show improvement for people with brittle nail syndrome, but even then, you're looking at six months minimum before seeing results. There's no evidence that biotin speeds up growth in people who already have adequate levels.

If you regularly eat eggs, nuts, salmon, or whole grains, you're probably getting enough biotin through your diet. If you do take Biotin supplements, your body can only use so much before it's simply expelled.

Is it worth trying if your nails are genuinely brittle and weak? Sure. But manage your expectations. This isn't a miracle worker for most people, and it certainly won't give you visibly longer nails in a month.

Nail strengtheners

The claim - Make nails stronger so they grow longer
The verdict - True, but it's more about protection

Nail hardeners don't affect your actual growth rate. What they do is temporarily harden the keratin in your nail plate by removing moisture, which prevents breakage and allows your nails to grow to their full length instead of snapping off prematurely. It's the difference between a nail growing 3mm and breaking at 2mm versus growing 3mm and staying intact.

The catch? Not all hardeners are created equal. Cheap formulas often use formaldehyde or formaldehyde-releasing agents that make nails rock-hard but completely brittle, and they'll snap at the slightest impact. Better formulations use plant-based ingredients that harden the nail while maintaining flexibility, so your nails bend under stress rather than break. The Nail Strengthener uses a patented plant extract (hexanal) that does exactly this: strengthens without sacrificing the flex that keeps nails intact.

Use strengtheners for two to three weeks maximum during the initial recovery phase, then transition to consistent hydration for ongoing strength. The Nail Oil or a treatment like a Nail and Cuticle Pen becomes your long-term strategy. Oil actually supports healthy growth by increasing the nail plate's flexibility, so your nails strengthen without becoming brittle.

Soaking in olive oil, coconut oil, or garlic

The claim - Various oils and garlic "stimulate" nail growth.
The verdict - No evidence for growth acceleration, but they can help with quality.

Oils moisturise and prevent brittleness. Garlic has anti-fungal properties. Both are fine for nail health. But neither penetrates down to your nail matrix, where actual growth happens, which means they can't speed up the process.

What they can do is keep your nails hydrated enough so they bend rather than break under stress. That flexibility means your nails reach their full length more consistently, creating the illusion of faster growth. However, not all oils are equal here. Olive oil and coconut oil have large particle sizes that sit on the surface rather than actually penetrating the nail plate. If you're going the DIY route, warm jojoba or macadamia oil soaks are more effective because their smaller molecules can actually absorb.

A properly formulated nail oil, with the right ingredients, makes this kind of consistent hydration realistic (and won't make your hands smell in the process). The Nail Oil uses oils that can actually penetrate rather than just coat the surface, delivering serious hydration without the kitchen aromatics, so you're more likely to actually apply it morning, noon, and night like you should.

Gelatin and collagen

The claim - Drinking gelatin or taking collagen supplements strengthens nails from the inside.
The verdict - Largely a myth, with limited evidence.

Your body breaks down gelatin and collagen into amino acids during digestion. They don't travel directly to your nails in some targeted delivery system. And here's the biological issue: nails are made of keratin, not collagen. There's some limited research suggesting collagen peptides might improve nail brittleness, but the evidence is far from conclusive.

This is expensive insurance for something your body likely doesn't need if you're eating adequate protein. Save your money.

Keeping polish on constantly

The claim - Polish protects nails and helps them grow.
The verdict - Half true, and the other half is problematic.

Polish does create a protective barrier that prevents some breakage. But constant polish application without breaks dehydrates your nails over time, making them more prone to peeling and splitting because of the removal process. And the removal process, especially with acetone, is inherently damaging.

If you're going to use polish as a protective strategy, be strategic about it. Give your nails time off between applications to rehydrate and recover with Ultimate Nail Rescue.

How to actually make your nails grow faster

Most nail growth tricks miss the point entirely. You're not trying to speed up growth, but stop breakage so your nails can reach the length they're already growing to naturally.

What are the best ways to do this?

• Keep nails moisturised with cuticle oil multiple times daily. This is proven to improve flexibility and prevent cracking.
• Protect your nails from damage by wearing gloves when cleaning and not using your nails as tools.
• Eat a balanced diet with adequate protein, iron, zinc, and omega-3s to support overall nail health.
• Keep nails trimmed relatively short during the growing-out phase. Shorter nails break less frequently, which means they actually reach greater length over time.
• Use a hydrating nail serum that’s high in nutrients to support the nail that actually grows. 

But most importantly, be patient.

There's no shortcut to the three-to-four-month timeline for complete nail regrowth. If you have underlying health issues like thyroid problems or anemia, address those; they genuinely do affect nail quality and growth.

The same goes for gut health. If you have malabsorption issues, your body isn't absorbing the vitamins and minerals your nails need, no matter how well you're eating. This is partly why nail health tends to decline with age, and why certain medications can wreak havoc on your nails by interfering with nutrient absorption. If you've noticed your nails deteriorating after starting a new medication or if you have digestive issues, it's worth discussing with your doctor.

One thing that does help maintain consistent growth? Massage. It won't make your nails grow faster, but increasing blood flow to the nail matrix through regular massage (which happens naturally when you apply cuticle oil multiple times daily) helps keep growth steady and prevents the slowdowns that make nails appear stagnant.

The bottom line

Despite what everyone online is telling you, you can't hack biology. Your nails are already growing at the rate they're going to grow. What you're actually trying to do is create optimal conditions for that growth to survive long enough to become the length you want.

Stop chasing miracles and focus on the basics. Hydration, protection, nutrition, and patience. Your nails don't need tricks. They just need consistency.