Fingernails keep on breakin'
Despite all the care I'm takin'
A terrible sight, I can't play tonight
Until I get acrylic on my hand

Nah - too hard to find a decent rhyme for "acrylic."

Murray, I think you hit the nail (sorry) on the head with the bit about the top layer coming off. I've never bitten my nails, but I do have a tendency to pick at stuff on them, whether it's polish, superglue or acrylic. I think I may have had a hand (sorry again) in removing some of my own fingernail. Stupid thing broke again, but it's still long enough to pick with. I may see if it grows this time without me screwing with it, then do the acrylic thing if it looks like the nail on that finger's just wimpy.