Nutrition....check

Perhaps I should have mentioned this earlier, but to me it was sort of a default.  I realize however, this needs to be mentioned because everyone's diet is directly related to nail health, just like skin and hair.

Simple Rules ... (at least simple enough ... I admit I myself am a work in progress)

1. Stay hydrated.

You know that rule.... 8 glasses of water blah blah....eeehhh what a chore.  The good news (by way of Dr. Nancy Snyderman from the Today show), is that apparently those 8 glasses can be included in the food you eat.    All food has moisture in it.  Some has more than others, think watermelon vs. cereal.  Therefore, if for example you have tea or milk during the day this can be counted as your "moisture" and part of the 8 glass minimum.  Yeahy!  My only problem with this rational is, coffee and tea drinks contain caffeine, which is a known diuretic.  So, it seems all you are doing is quickly peeing out your moisture.  This is counter intuitive.  Does that mean you have to drink even more to make up for the loss or are your kidney's just happy enough they got something?  My mind is going in circles thinking about this, and biology is not my friend.    




2. Balance your fats, carbs and proteins.
I love all of the above.  BUT like nail buffing, all things are good in moderation.

3. Vitamins
Maybe this is a personal preference, but I think the best vitamins come from actual food.  I was raised in Russia and back in the day if I told my mom I yearned for an apple, she would say "sorry they are not in season and we can't afford them."  Then we would go stand in line for bread, or whatever they were selling in "the line" that day.

4. To Biotin or not to Biotin
If you decide to take biotin, the rule of thumb, from my research, has been 5 milligrams (mg) (or 5000 micrograms (mcg)) a day.  This is a favorite among both nail and hair forums.  However, a few words of caution on the side effects:

a. strong healthy hair growth (awesome!)
b. strong healthy nail growth (double awesome!!)
c. strong healthy mustache growth (what the .... eeehhhh, maybe I'll pass and stick to moisturizer.)

Others have also reported some skin problems, while others swear by it.
Everyone is different and individual results will very *insert 30 min infomercial here*.

Has anyone tried Biotin?  For how long, how long before seeing results?  Any side effects, good or bad?