Nail cracks and breakage are common for all of us. The first thing we should all do is not to panic! There are numerous tricks which helps your fix the damage. Broken nails are surely painful, but they don’t need to kill the fashion. Don’t let the occasions go without printed nails just because your nail broke. In this article, we will give you some simple methods which will repair your nail crack and help you carry it of like you do!
The temporary fix
Step 1
- Take a clear tape and cut out a small piece. Use scissors for carefully cutting out the exact shape of your nail. It should be a little bigger than the size of your nail.
- Now for making the tap easier to cut over around the nail, use nail-scissors or sewing ones. If you don’t have either, and you have to use larger scissors, trim your tape with the tip of the blades.
- The tape should stick on one side and should be mildly adhesive. Choose gift wrap tapes, transparent office tapes or multitask ones. Don’t go for strong tapes like the ones used for electrical work!
Step 2
- Stick the center of your tape over the middle of the crack. Firmly press it down to adhere. Use the top of any unbroken nail for gliding the lengths of your tape on both sides. This will cover your tear from one end to another.
- Both the broken sides should be aligned properly.
- Add pressure firmly and secure the tape well.
- Rub your tape in the direction it tore and not against it. If you do the reverse, it might peel off further.
Step 3
- Now you are to trim off the excess tape around the nail. Chances are that the tape will slightly larger than the nail. Use the small-sized scissors for snipping away the excess. Use any standard-sized scissors if the small ones aren’t available.
- The end of you tape should be flat and against your nail.
This hack is temporary and is recommended for quick solutions. This will suffice your emergency nail care needs, but it won’t last long. You also have to make sure that you avoid snagging the piece of tape or the broken nail below. When you want to take off the tape, peel off in the direction it tore and not against it.
Usage of nail glue
Step 1
- Keeps your hands and feet clean. Before you try to fix a nail crack, you need to make sure that your hands are free of oil and dirt.
- Use warm water and add soap for cleansing your hands and feet. Dry it well and use a clean towel.
- Wash carefully so that you don’t end up snagging the broken nail. This can make the condition worse.
Step 2
- Soak the broken nail in boiled water, after it comes down to a bearable level. If the cracked nail breaks off and you want to reattach it, you can soak the broken tip in bearably warm water till it feels pliable again.
- If your nail is still attached, skip this step!
Step 3
- Apply nail glue on the broken nail, by gently pressing the tube of the glue till the small bead oozes out. Hold the bead with the help of a toothpick and then spread it over one side of your broken nail. This will create a thin coat like adhesive.
- Use super glue if you don’t get nail glue. Any glue with cyanoacrylate will be good for the bond!
- Don’t use your fingers for touching the glue, at any cost!
Step 4
- Press your nail so that it adjusts back in the correct place
- Use a toothpick for easing out the broken portion.
- Press the nail down with firmness and use the side of your toothpick.
- Try and avoid getting glue on your finger directly. This is not just because it could harm the skin but it could also disrupt the process.
- Exert press for around 1 minute so that the nails attaches properly.
Step 5
- Wipe off the excess amount of glue. This has to be made sure before the glue starts drying up.
- Dip a cotton ball or swab in a nail paint remover and then run it over your nail bed.
- This will get the excess glue off your skin.
- If you have got glued on, on your skin, you can clean that with nail polish remover too!
Step 6
- Smooth out the repaired portion once you are done with the above step.
- You can file the nail and make it look even.
- You can take the rough side of the emery board or your regular nail file for filing down the exposed edge of your tear.
- Move your file in one direction. This reduces risk of further damage which is possible due to back and forth usage.
- The filing should be done in the direction of breakage and not against.
- Follow this step slowly to avoid additional harm.
Step 7
Finally, you must add a top coat once your nail dries up. Once you feel that your nail is smooth again, you should protect it by applying the top coat. This strengthens the nail and also gives it a nice shine. When the nail dries out completely, it will not look cracked anymore.
Possible reasons of a broken nail
Water exposure
If you are exposed to water quite frequently, it could be one of the major reasons of nail breakage. If you have to use water many times, for whatever possible reason, it can actually dry out your nails and make them weak. Nails start swelling due to overexposure of water and then shrink and dry up. Repeated cycles of this procedure make the nails weaker and they break. The tip is to use waterproof gloves when you wash clothes or wash dishes. You should also apply moisturizer at the base of your nail to add hydration.
Chemical exposure
When your nails are too open to chemical compounds, they can damage the fingernails and weaken them. If you have to hold chemical elements with your fingers you should do it while your hand is covered. Sadly, when it is about applying nail paints and removers, we expose our nails to chemicals and that damages our nails. This is one condition which we cannot control, but we can always choose good quality products to reduce the damage.
Injury
Any type of an injury on or around your nail zone can make them weak. Typing quickly, playing guitar, using products which hamper your nails, can be reasons to this condition. You should avoid situations where you bite your nails and increase nail damage a little more. Try and avoid activities which could injure nails and take better care.
Medical causes
If you have fungal infections, you can have nail breakage. Brittle nail have a possibility to have such a condition due to medical causes. It could be psoriasis, iron deficiency, disease, diabetes, etc. Your diet should be rich in minerals or vitamins and protein, to avoid such circumstances. Take the necessary precautions to avoid such condition further.
