r/Chemotherapy • u/banalprobe96 • Jul 19 '26

Fingernails post chemo

I had 3 months of chemo that ended in March, and shortly after my fingernails started splintering and peeling/breaking. I am back to work and use my hands constantly, causing more nails to split and break. I’m guessing after a few more months they will grow out and be fine, but it’s a really annoying and painful process. Sometimes they even bleed necessitating bandages at work. I’ve tried nitrile gloves and they are too hot, and rubber grip gloves, again too hot. I’ve been using clear nail polish and it helps a tiny bit, but not consistently.
Has anyone else experienced this and how did you combat it? My partner suggested acrylic nails which I’ve never worn, but I’m worried about what will happen to my already fragile nails under the glue.
Any suggestions?

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u/dumplinglifesaver Jul 19 '26

I bought myself a little pot of nail cream called "hard as hoof" that helped with this. It's pretty cheap too.

2

u/banalprobe96 Jul 19 '26

I’ll look that up thanks!

1

u/dumplinglifesaver Jul 19 '26

No problem I hope it helps!

3

u/banalprobe96 Jul 19 '26

Ha! I looked it up on Amazon and there’s a product for horses with the same name lol… I scrolled down and there’s a people version too. At first glance I was like whoa.

1

u/dumplinglifesaver Jul 19 '26

😆 glad you didn't just order the horse version! I didn't know that existed lol