@abitofabi
Two words: cuticle oil!
Nails are dead material, and while they do get a bit of moisture from the nail bed underneath, if your nails are brittle and peeling, they are likely too dry.
I used to have a hard time getting my nails to grow as well, as they continually peeled and stayed so thin that they broke just from looking at them funny. And strengtheners didn't help either; in many cases, they can make your nails too brittle, leading to further breakage.
Cuticle oil can make a HUGE difference though; well moisturized nails are bendy and flexible, and are able to withstand more stress than dried out, brittle, peeling nails.
The caveat is that cuticle oil isn't an overnight fix; as I said before, nails are dead material, which means you can't repair any current damage. What it will do though is slow down any current peeling, to help keep it from spreading further, and your new growth will be in much better shape once it gets to your fingertips.
From what I've read, jojoba oil is the only oil that can penetrate the nail itself, and will make the biggest difference in the health of your nails. A blend is great for the surrounding skin, as the other oils provide other benefits there, but make sure that whatever you pick up has jojoba high on the ingredients list for maximum impact. Apply daily, as often as you can remember...aim for at least twice a day, but if you can apply more often, absolutely go for it! Rub it into the nail itself and the skin around it, and don't forget the underside of the tip if you have any length at all.
A few other tips:
🔹Water is the devil, for your nails at least. It works its way in between the layers, swelling them up and accelerating the peeling, and weakening them in general. If you can avoid it, do so whenever possible, and wear dish gloves for work/chores whenever you can't skip the h2o. Apply that cuticle oil asap after washing hands or otherwise getting them wet!
🔹Nail clippers can cause small fractures and splits, leading to more peeling. Files are a better way to take length off, and glass files in particular are said to be the gentlest version, helping to seal the layers together.
🔹Keep them painted! Even if you aren't feeling up to color yet, a simple base coat + top coat can help provide a couple of extra layers of protection.
🔹Be mindful of what you do with your nails. This was one I had to work on a bit; I'm a klutz and broke them all the time by doing stupid things like bumping the doorframe or grabbing at something without paying close attention and hitting my hand on something I didn't realize was there. Use a knuckle to open a cabinet or the microwave instead of your fingertip, grab a spoon to open a soda can, use a box cutter to open a package instead of trying to pick off the tape with a nail, and so on and so forth.
I was trying to keep this short and sweet, but failed miserably 😋 In any case, I *highly* recommend hopping over to YouTube and watching a video by SimplyNailogical titled "how to grow long nails fast"...my post is basically a synopsis of at least some of her info, but she goes into more detail, and probably has more tips that I've forgotten to mention. Watching that video was a turning point for me, and ditching the strengtheners and taking up a cuticle oil habit really turned my nails around! 💖