Hi Abi and welcome along to the forum. Sorry to hear that it took you an awful long time to get referred to a derm. I can never understand it. So many skin conditions look the same, you can't expect your GP to know them all!
I find the moisturising is vital for my skin, particularly my hands. I must put stuff on at least 20 times a day (have a small bottle of moisturiser with me at work). I have had issues with my nails, but never to the extent you are describing. A long term solution I have found is adding pumpkin seeds to my diet. They improve the appearance and strength of my nails, and I can even tell periods when I haven;t been eating them so much - like rings in a tree! You should start to see improvement from the bottom of your nails, so it'll take time for it to grow through to the ends. Keep on moisturising though, it all helps.
Scruff
