Why Are My Nails Growing So Fast? 10 Possible Reasons

Your nails are one of the first things other people notice about you, so it’s natural to wonder why they seem to grow so quickly and, at times, in such odd shapes. But knowing the reasons behind your nails’ odd behavior can help you take action and get healthier, stronger nails that look beautiful as well as serve their basic purpose of protecting your fingertips and enhancing your grip on everyday objects. In this article, we’ll look at the 10 possible reasons why your nails might be growing too fast and how to address each of them so that you can finally have strong, healthy nails again.

Why Are My Nails Growing So Fast? 10 Possible Reasons.

1. Are you pregnant?

If you’re pregnant, your body is producing more hormones, which can cause an increased rate of nail growth. Don’t worry though. This won’t harm your baby in any way. ⁽¹⁾

In fact, it’s actually healthy for your body to be under this kind of stress during pregnancy. It helps produce more blood cells and gives the baby nutrients through its umbilical cord.

2. Are you taking Medicines?

Another reason why you might have unusually fast-growing nails is a side effect from medications or supplements that you take on a regular basis.⁽²⁾

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If you want to know for sure if this is the cause for your quick nail growth, try to stop taking the medicine or supplement for a few weeks and see if there’s a change in the rate at which your nails grow.

3. Do you have a mild form of diabetes?

If you have a mild form of diabetes, the reason for your nails growing quickly could be that your body is producing extra insulin. This can happen when there is too much sugar in the blood or if the body isn’t properly using insulin.⁽³⁾

When this happens, glucose from food and drinks builds up in the bloodstream and spills over into urine. As a result, people with type 2 diabetes may also urinate more often than usual.

4. Are you stressed out?

Stress is a well-known culprit for nail growth. The body releases cortisol in response to stress, which is why people usually get faster nail growth when they’re feeling anxious or experiencing high levels of stress.⁽⁴⁾

5. Do you have eczema or psoriasis?

If you’re wondering why your nails are growing too quickly, it might be because of an illness. Eczema and psoriasis can cause the immune system to attack healthy skin cells, leading to a rapid growth in nail length.⁽⁵⁾

In some cases, the nail will even detach from the skin completely. There is no cure for either of these conditions, but they can be treated with creams and ointments that help alleviate symptoms.

Talk to your doctor if you have eczema or psoriasis or other medical condition that could be causing your nails to grow too fast.

6. Acetone exposure.

Acetone is a solvent that is often found in nail polish remover. When the nail polish remover gets on the skin, it can cause rapid nail growth due to the harsh chemicals.

7. Did it get cold out where you live recently.

Nails grow faster in cooler temperatures because the nail bed is trying to make your fingers warm. It is not uncommon for fingernails and toenails to grow by as much as 1/8 inch per week in the winter time.

Keep your hands and feet moisturized, wear gloves, and wrap up with a cozy scarf or blanket to keep them extra warm. You can also reduce the growth of your nails by biting them or filing them with an emery board if they’re too long.

8. Age Factors.

Compared to younger people, the elderly tend to have thinner nails that grow more rapidly. Because of its narrow size, the nail bed cannot produce as much keratin as it should for strong, long fingernails.

My father, for example, has thin nails, but he files them every day, which I believe is the right way to do it. As people get closer to middle age and their growth hormones start to reduce, their nails grow slower as they get older. When you’re over 40, your nails probably won’t grow quite as quickly as they used to.

9. Gender Difference.

Women’s fingernails grow more slowly than men’s fingernails because of the wide beds, whereas men’s nails grow at a faster pace.⁽⁶⁾

What’s more, there can be differences depending on things like one’s sex, ethnicity, or health status–for instance, a person with thyroid problems will have faster-growing nails than the average person.

10. Hormonal Reaction.

When you are younger, your nails grow faster. Yet, as you get closer to middle age, growth hormone production reduces, leading to a slower rate of nail growth.

Older women find that they are unable to grow their nails at the same rate as they used to.

Bottom Line.

Nails grow at a rate of 1/16 of an inch per month. This means that by the end of a year, your nails will have grown from their original length to almost 3 inches. So the reasons behind nails grow faster than others could be age, the health conditions, or even hormonal reactions. If you’re experiencing any pain or other symptoms with your nail growth, it’s important to speak with a doctor.

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