Do you know how to fix a broken nail at home? What if your nail broke in the middle of the lockdown and going to a nail salon isn’t an option?
Check out these nail hacks to help bring them back to Instragram-worthy condition.
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Check out These Super Easy Broken Nail Hacks
1. How to Fix a Broken Nail With Glue
Bear in mind that this is a temporary solution and it still demands some face time with a manicurist after the quarantine. After this hack, you can apply polish again with no worries.
What You’ll Need:
- Nail buffer (medium coarseness)
- Nail glue
- Cuticle oil
- Clear top and base coat
How To:
- Apply the glue on the crack on the front and back of the nail. Allow the glue to dry for 10 minutes.
- Buff along the top and sides of the nail to remove excess glue and to smoothen the nail.
- Lather and spread cuticle oil all over the nail and nail bed.
- Finish off with a nail strengthener or base and topcoat to protect your nails.
2. How to Fix a Broken Nail a With a Tea Bag
Here’s a hack for the tea lovers! You can use the fabric of the tea bag as a bandage for your split nail.
What You’ll Need:
- Tea bag
- Nail glue
- Nail buffer
- Base and topcoat
- Nail snipper
- Tweezers
How To:
- Cut up a piece of fabric from your tea bag big enough to cover the crack on your nail.
- Apply glue over the fabric to keep it in place.
- Cut off the excess fabric.
- Use a nail buffer to smoothen the glue over the nail.
- Apply a base and topcoat.
3. How to Fake out Broken Nails With Fake Nails
If you’re not ready for short nails or you’ve run out of tea bags, you can fake out the broken nail! By applying a fake nail, you can maintain a consistent length for all your nails even if you had to amputate one. Here’s how to mend that broken nail with fake nails.
What You’ll Need:
- Fake nails
- Nail glue
- Nail polish
How To:
- Apply a small dot of glue onto your nail.
- Press on your fake nail for 10 seconds.
- File the fake nail into the same size as y0ur other nails.
- Apply polish.
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4. How to Make a Bandage With Gel and Silk Wrap
The silk wrap will act as a band-aid and will help keep your broken nail intact. The gel polish serves acts as an adhesive and will affix the silk wrap onto your nail, making sure it’s secure. Below is how to fix a broken nail using gel polish and a silk wrap.
What You’ll Need:
- Acetone
- Nail glue
- Silk wrap
- Scissors
- Clear gel
- Nail snippers
How To:
- Clean your nails with acetone to remove all oils.
- Cut up a silk graph long and wide enough to cover your entire nail.
- Use nail glue to bond your broken nail as we did in the first hack.
- Apply clear gel on your nail.
- Place the silk wrap over the wet gel with a pair of tweezers.
- Once the gel has dried completely, cut off the excess silk.
- Apply two layers of clear gel. Allow the first layer to dry before applying the second layer. Make sure that there is the least amount of clear gel along the cuticles to make it look natural.
- Buff your nail, making sure to focus on the corners of the nail.
- Apply a top gel and cuticle oil to finish off.
5. How to Fix a Broken Nail With Dip Powder
If you want something that will work harder than gel polish and requires less precision than the silk wrap and tea bag technique, here’s how to fix your nails with dip powder.
What You’ll Need:
- Nail glue
- Cuticle pusher
- Nail bond
- Base
- Dip powder
- Seal protect
How To:
- Paint over the cracked nail with the nail glue to make sure it stays in place.
- Push back your cuticles.
- Use a buffer to remove the nail’s natural shine and to remove oils.
- Apply a thin layer of base.
- Once the base is dry, paint 3/4 of the nail starting from the tip with the dip powder base.
- Dip your finger into the dip powder, making sure to cover the entire nail.
- Dust off any excess powder.
- Apply a second layer of base, this time painting over the entire nail but avoiding the cuticles.
- Dip your finger into the dip powder.
- Repeat steps 8-9.
- After dusting off excess powder, apply a generous layer of seal protect to harden the dip powder.
- File your nails to its natural shape.
- Apply your favorite gel polish!
6. How to Fix a Broken Nail With Gel Strips
Need an option with a lot less handiwork? Got you covered. Instead of the tea bag or silk wrap trick, use a gel strip as a bandage alternative.
What You’ll Need:
- Nail glue
- Acetone
- Nail file
- Gel strips
How To:
- Mend your nail with nail glue.
- Clean your nail with acetone.
- Smoothen your nail with a nail file.
- Tape your nail in place with a gel strip.
- Fold the excess strips and file it off.
It’s great to know that there are simple tips and tricks that we can do during a nail emergency.
Don’t let this lockdown keep you down. After this article, you should know to fix a split nail from the comfort (and safety!) of your own homes.
Have you had experience with a broken nail? Let us know your favorite lockdown hacks! We’d love to hear from you! Share your story in the comments section below.
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