Health and strength in nails depend on a good balance between calcium and silica in the diet and a system, which can metabolize and make good use of these minerals efficiently...
In my equine treatments I prescribe internal supplements based around millet, linseed, elecampane and yarrow, which provide the ideal nutrition to grow healthy bones, ligaments and other hard tissue like hooves. Horses have diets which are usually very high in silica (found in all dried feed in abundance) and there is usually sufficient calcium as well (also found in dried and fresh feed and grains).
Sometimes here is a deficiency in other minerals like magnesium, which is also involved, in structural health and this is the reason that a little Dolomite is useful to ensure sufficient magnesium (and calcium). Most horses have healthy enough metabolisms even if restricted to poor pasture as they are not nearly as likely to abuse their metabolism through bad eating habits or stress as we do.
Humans often don't have enough silica in their diets and they often have far too much calcium. We are told that we must drink milk to grow strong bones and all the rest but in fact westerners mostly have too much calcium and not enough of the other minerals required and are actually worse off than we would have been without milk at all. In my internal treatments for human nails I use the herb Equisetum (also called Horsetail) which is extraordinarily high in Silica and I also use Yarrow and Elecampane just like in the Hoof treatments. The whole issue of diet of course enters into any discussion of health with my human patients and I often make recommendations on diet where this is an issue.
When the correct herbs and supplements alone don't seem to make much difference to a horses hoof health it is generally because the circulation all the way down to the hoof is pretty limited and the problem is really a delivery problem. The ingredients are in the diet and carried within the blood but the blood supply is not sufficient to get enough of the minerals down to the hoof. I address this problem by making up an hoof oil preparation containing herbs which dramatically stimulate both the circulation within the hoof and the healing potential for any damaged or weakened structures.
There is much more blood down in our fingertips than there is in a horses hoof. However there are many people who suffer from cold hands and feet or even circulation problems specific to the fingertips like Reynard's disease and for these I include herbs like nettle, rue and Pprickly ash to improve peripheral circulation. I also prescribe the equine hoof oil preparation because of its ability to stimulate normal growth and healing, as there is commonly a problem right at the root where the nails are formed.
A simple dietary, circulation and metabolic tonic is rosehips tea, which also contains biotin, another ingredient essential to healthy nails.
McDowells Product
Internal Mix
The internal herbal tonic, to be used in conjunction with the fingernail health oil, will maximize the circulation of blood to the fingertips, warm the hands and carry extra minerals, especially silica, right to the nail roots.
This mix contains herbs which help to support circulation through to the extremities, bringing the nutrients required for strong and healthy growth. The herbs in this mix include equisetum, nettle, bladderack, rosehips, elecampane, maritime pine bark and prickly ash.
Growth Stimulating Oil
This powerful oil will dramatically improve the circulation to the roots of the nails. It contains; Arnica, Bladderack, Elecampane, Linseed, Equisetum, Rosemary, and Wintergreen to improve circulation locally and to drive these minerals and trace elements directly to the roots of fingernails ensuring optimum health, strength and growth. Rub a little of the oil into the nails, concentrating on the roots of the nails, once in the morning and once again before bed at night.
This formulation is derived from the program which I use to maintain horses hooves in perfect health, and after all, the horses hoof is really the exact same tissue as our nails. Continue this program for three months along with the internal treatment and you will be amazed how much difference the program makes even to the most fragile or difficult nails.
Caution: Please take care not to get this oil in your eyes or on other sensitive areas of tissue, it is very strong and will irritate sensitive areas.
