Biotin

[Danger Man]

I don't know if there are any other fingerpickers here but thought I'd pass this tip on just in case there are.

 

Most fingerpickers keep the first couple of nails on their picking hand a bit longer because it helps with the tone. This is especially true for nylon strings but it helps with steel too. However, as we age our nails get weak and brittle so they chip off real easy. Six or seven years ago mine were so brittle that one of my big toe nails was split into three pieces and stayed that way for years. I searched for remedies and found that biotin (a branch of vitamin B) was good for strengthening nails but that it took a long time to work. I tried it and both those things are true. I took 5,000 mcg per day and in seven months my toenail was down to two pieces. A couple of months later in was completely normal and remains so to this day. I used to chip nails on my picking fingers all the time too. That hardly ever happens anymore.

 

After a year I started splitting the pill in half so that I take 2500 mcg per day to maintain healthy nails. Highly recommended. It takes forever to start working but biotin does the job.

[Gtar Pkr]

I guess I've been blessed with good nails...

My problem is, I can't maintain "finger picking" length when I play electric guitar. All the "pinch picking" grinds off my index nail lol