What is this thing going on with my nails called, and what can I do to help it?

Does the skin around your fingernails get chapped? Like dry and flaky?

Sounds serious. See a doctor or go to a clinic. You could leave yourself open to a staph infection or something. Fingernails are meant to protect very sensitive tissue.
This sounds like malnutrition or a vitamin deficiency. How is your hair?

I found this on webmd
http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/slideshow-what-your-nails-say-about-your-health
(Pictures of nails and the health problems that may be related to them)

Agrees with @SeventhSense sounds like malnutrition or a vitamin deficiency. I’d get it checked – could get (if don’t already have) a major infection!

@jctennis123 yup it does. Does that have anything to do with it?
@SeventhSense My hair is fine, quite normal. My scalp and back of of my neck are quite itchy, though. We’ve been trying to figure out what that could be. Do you think it’s related?

It might be an early sign of psoriasis. I have a pretty light case of psoriasis and my fingernails do that slightly. The dermatologists said that the fingernails and the psoriasis are related. I wish I could tell you a remedy for it. I just use a bunch of hand lotion when they start to get dry. I don’t know if it keeps them from detaching but it at least feels better.

@ChocolateReigns
Often they are related but again we are not professionals. I would spring for the 65–100 bucks and go to a doctor or walk in clinic. Your health is too important.
by the likes of that screen name…umm…maybe your diet may need some tweaking

See a Dermatologist. Most other Physicians will not know what to do. I have Dermatitis . I have wasted time with Doctors that no little to nothing.

@philosopher me too man. Those doctors have not helped me at all. I feel like it would be better just to buy one of those herbal remedy books.

@SeventhSense No I don’t eat that much chocolate, but it is really good.

I’m a chocolate lover too. :0)

I just thought of something – There’s this weird thing that I’ve always called hangnails, even though hangnails are skin beside your nail, not part of your nail. Parts of my nails on the very sides break off and I usually end up cutting them with a nail clippers. Maybe, since I cut part of the nail short and not the whole thing, the nail just keeps growing straight and doesn’t reattach to the skin on the side. Could I be right? Anybody?

If you keep cutting the “side nails” short the attachment area of skin will not return after so much time. It is delicate and readjusts to harder tissue to keep infections out.
You might go to a doctor to see if you have a nail fungus. If you don’t then you at least can find out how to care for your nails and if you do have a fungus then tropical treatments work better than pills on one ot two nails.
You might have to clip your nails straight across and round the side points/edges a bit with an emory board.

A Broad certified Dermatologist would know how to address the problem.
It takes an experienced Physician to figure such problems out. Not a novice Physician’s Assistant.