An easy way to repair your nails with gel polish

Causes of fragility

Brittle nails can be caused by both external and internal reasons. After the nail is repaired and the threat has passed, be sure to analyze the situation and determine whether the reasons listed below are appropriate in your case:

unbalanced diet and lack of vitamins. Vitamin deficiency is a common cause of fragility. The nail plate becomes thinner and becomes vulnerable to external influences - mild mechanical shocks, snags on clothing;
mechanical impact - a one-time impact on a hard surface;
systematic mechanical influences, for example, working on a keyboard;
coating without a base coat;
hand contact with high or low temperatures.

Nail structure and growth: what healthy nails and skin should look like, care rules

Nail health during manicure and pedicure: what a novice master should pay attention to

How not to break: why nails are fragile

Repairing a cracked nail, despite the scale of the problem, is not a difficult task. Unlike teeth, the restoration of which costs a pretty penny and is carried out only by a specialist, nails can be repaired cheaply and anywhere - in the salon, at home, at work, on the go.

If the solution to a problem is simple, finding out the cause is a detective story. It’s good when it’s clear - I used a fingernail instead of a corkscrew. What if there are no visible reasons for fragility? We are looking for the invisible.

Nails become fragile when their owner takes excessive care of the centimeters at the waist, underfeeding the body with proteins, fats, silicon, calcium, iron, vitamins A and E.

Fragility may be a consequence of the fundamental position “I don’t understand how you can clean with gloves, it doesn’t feel right” - frequent contact with household chemicals without protection.

Finally, a weak nail plate may indicate reduced immunity or specific health problems - disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, thyroid gland, liver, kidneys.

Treatment, prevention - all this comes later. What to do now? A broken nail is not the case when you can not worry about trifles, not complicate your life, cut it off and forget. To return everything to the way it was - only this can bring a woman who has lost a nail back to her senses.

If your natural nail is broken

A broken natural nail often causes more discomfort than an extended one, because it does not have protection in the form of gel, tips or other foreign materials. For repairs, silk, fiberglass or improvised material in the form of a tea bag is used.

silk is available in dozens of brands of manicure products, for example Formula Profi;
EMI has fiberglass. It is presented not in the form of bunches, but in a narrow strip;

Silk is easier to work with and cheaper than fiberglass, so let’s look at the instructions for repairing with silk. The technology for repairing with silk, a tea bag or fiberglass is identical.

Fiberglass: what it is, application features, step-by-step techniques

The free edge is broken

Lovers of long natural nails have at least once encountered breakage of the nail plate in the area of the free edge. The hanging part is more susceptible to stress, as it does not have a safety cushion in the form of a nail bed.

If the free edge is damaged:

Remove the decorative covering, if any;
Sand the nail plate with a buff, including at the break point, to remove any unevenness;
Place a piece of silk or a tea bag on the crack and secure it with medical or special glue for silk. No superglue - it corrodes nails due to its aggressive composition. Instead of glue, you can use biogel - it is elastic and durable and can fix the damage;
Read also: Nail design 2021. Interesting facts about manicure
If the strip of silk lies unevenly, straighten it with an orange stick;
Wait for the glue to dry and polish to even out the areas where the glue protrudes. If you use biogel for binding, then you need to dry it in a lamp for 30 to 120 seconds;
For strength, you can apply another 1-2 layers of silk according to the same scheme - polishing-glue-silk;
Finally, coat the nail plate with a textured polish, such as glitter. This varnish will hide unevenness and increase the durability of the coating.

With silk repair, you can go through 5-10 days before the next correction. By that time, the nail plate will have grown a little and it can be filed down to the broken point or strengthened again with silk.

In the center of the nail plate

A crack starting from the free edge towards the center of the nail plate usually forms on weak and thin nails. It will not be possible to trim or file it down - the nail fits tightly to the nail bed, where there are nerve endings.

To prevent the crack from getting larger and clinging to clothing.:

Cut a piece of silk or, in extreme cases, a tea bag, so that it completely covers the crack and extends slightly beyond it;
Gently polish the broken area with a buff;
Apply a thin layer of medical glue or a special one for silk and place silk fabric on top;
Apply a little more glue;
Straighten the silk with an orange stick and wait until the glue dries;
Polish the nail plate with a buff to smooth out the protruding glue and cover it with glitter polish or gel polish according to all the rules.

All about nail buff - types, materials, abrasiveness, how to use, how to choose

Under the “patch”, the cracked nail will gradually grow back and be filed down. But even a small crack will take 1 to 3 months to heal completely.

If it breaks in the center, it is not recommended to seal it with an adhesive plaster - a greenhouse effect is created under it, which causes the growth of bacteria. In addition, an unfixed crack may increase in size.

"Before the meat"

If the nail is broken until it bleeds, and the nail bed is damaged, this is a reason to consult a doctor. Surgeons deal with such problems, but, as a last resort, you can also contact a therapist so that he can write out a referral.

Why see a doctor:

He will examine the nail plate and select care to prevent inflammation and infection, as well as relieve pain . In such cases, herbal baths with chamomile infusion, as well as antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory ointments, for example Levomekol, are usually prescribed;
the surgeon will determine whether the remaining portion of the plate is viable . If the damage is serious, it may be necessary to remove its remains.

With such a serious injury, do not self-medicate - this can result in more global problems - the development of infection, serious inflammation, increased pain.

First aid for breaking the nail plate to the meat:

Treat the injury site with chlorhexidine or hydrogen peroxide;
Wrap your finger in a bandage and leave it alone until you see a doctor.

It is not recommended to cover the wound with a plaster - removing it will be painful. Complete restoration of the nail plate will take from 4 to 12 months, depending on the characteristics of the body.

To make regrowth happen faster:

Lubricate the cuticle and nail bed with oil products with the function of accelerating growth, like the Levrana “Lemon Oil” brand;
Use gloves when in contact with water and chemicals;
Follow your doctor's recommendations for changing dressings, taking topical medications, and home care.

All about nail and cuticle oil

You can find dozens of tips online on how to repair such a breakdown and even save your manicure. Don't use these tips - it's better to ignore the beautiful design and length and take care of your health.

How to avoid:

watch your diet - your diet should contain vitamins of all groups, as well as minerals and trace elements. If you can’t balance your diet, buy a vitamin complex with vitamins A and E - they are responsible for the strength of the nail plate;
use gloves when washing dishes and cleaning . Exposure to water and chemicals thins the nail plate, making it fragile and prone to breakage;
drink water . With a lack of fluid in the body, the nail plates become thinner and dry, which increases fragility;
Remove decorative coating correctly . Do not tear off the gel polish - use special tools or a device. When the material is peeled off, the top protective layer is separated along with it, and the nails become thin and prone to brittleness.

All products and procedures to accelerate nail growth

Natural nail repair

Most often, the nail plate breaks at the point where it attaches to the finger. This line is called a "smile". The repaired nail loses its strength, but retains its appearance. The repair technology is as follows:

Nail repair process

Remove the polish and treat the nail with an antiseptic .
Apply a buff to any uneven areas on the broken nail.
Prepare a piece of fabric - cut it so that it covers the crack by 2-3 mm on each side.
Apply glue and place a piece of fabric over the nail , pressing it carefully. To level the patch, use a toothpick or an orange stick with a pointed end.
After the glue has dried, smooth the edges of the fabric with a buffer .
Similarly, glue another 1-2 layers of fabric on top of the first, depending on the size of the breakage, carefully filing each layer
Cover the nail with varnish to completely disguise the crack.

You can learn more about how to repair a broken nail by watching this video:

When gluing tips, the technology is similar. Instead of three layers of fabric patches, an acrylic tip is glued over the damage. After the glue has dried, the tips are cut to the required size.

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If the extended nail is broken

Usually, extended nails on forms break, since this material is fragile compared to tips. The easiest option when such a nail breaks is to remove the material and re-build it. But if you just came from the salon and there is still a long time until the next procedure, try one of the methods presented below.

Repair with silk

Repairs with silk or its analogue in the form of a tea bag are carried out according to the same scheme as when saving natural ones:

The affected area is filed down and covered with a silk patch coated with glue;
After drying, the irregularities are filed with a file or buff and covered with varnish or topcoat.

The only difference is that any glue can be used for extended nail plates, since it will not come into contact with the natural nail.

Superglue

This method is used when the free edge of the extension has broken off completely.

Take a broken piece of artificial nail and lubricate the joint with natural superglue;
Press the piece against the broken edge and hold for about a minute so that the glue sets;
Apply top coat to the inside of the extended nail and dry it in a lamp. Repeat this action 2 more times;
On the front side of the nail plate, we filed away the area where excess glue appeared with a file. It is better to do this with a hard file – 150-180 grit;
After leveling the surface, cover the entire plate with topcoat and dry it in a lamp.

Such repairs allow you to save length, but the repaired nail will be many times more fragile than all the others - keep this in mind and carefully wear your manicure before correction. The next time you go to the salon, it is better to remove the material and re-build it.

If the extended nail breaks and damages the natural one

In rare cases, this also happens - careless wearing of especially long extended nails leads to the fact that the natural one breaks or even partially moves away from the nail bed.

In this case:

Remove any material immediately. Use acetone-free products for soaking so as not to irritate the damaged nail bed;
Wash your hands thoroughly and treat the injury site with hydrogen peroxide;
Apply a bandage and see a doctor.

If the break is minor, remove the coating and file off the broken natural nail. After this, the extension can be done again.

How to avoid:

use high-quality materials from trusted manufacturers for extensions;
reduce mechanical impact - this includes, among other things, tapping on the table with the tips of your nails;
use gloves - under the influence of chemicals the material loses its strength;
make the correction in time. As the extended nail plate grows, the stress zone shifts, and the risk of breaking a nail increases significantly;
completely remove old material before applying new material.

Extensions on top forms with examples and instructions

Nail extension with tips: materials, step-by-step instructions and nuances

Causes of cracked nails

There are various reasons for cracked nails. The most common cause is nutritional deficiency. A diet that is lacking in certain vitamins such as: C, A, B-12 can cause your nails to become brittle.

Folic acid is a vitamin that plays a role in the body's recovery mechanism. If the body does not contain enough of this element, it cannot synthesize proteins to produce healthy tissue. Consequently, nails become weak and brittle.

Age. With age, the nail plate becomes thinner, which increases the chances of cracks. It is most common in women over 60 years of age.
Nail polish and nail polish remover contain strong chemicals. With regular use, they weaken the nail plate.
Excess or lack of water. Water can soften your nails, and repeated exposure can weaken them. Dehydration contributes to dryness of the nail plate and, as a result, the formation of cracks.
Nail injury. As a result of impacts, injuries or strong pressure on the nail, cracks may occur. People who work with their hands (such as gardeners) often encounter this problem. The way to prevent this is to protect your hands with gloves.
Fungal infection. Symptoms of a fungal nail infection include:
thickening of the nail;
slightly discolored nails, yellow, white or brown.
Psoriasis. The disease causes changes in the nail plate, including the formation of cracks.
Thyroid diseases. The thyroid gland is responsible for maintaining the body's metabolism, as well as the functions of hair and nail growth.

Attention

Avoid nail products that contain toluene and formaldehyde, two particularly harsh chemicals.

If your nail is broken under gel polish

Remove the material using gel polish remover. To do this, moisten a napkin with the product and apply it to the damaged nail for 10-15 minutes;
Wash your hands under warm running water;
If the nail breaks off along the free edge, simply file it with a file and repeat the coating;
If a crack appears in the center or at the base, grease a small piece of silk or a tea bag with medical glue or a special product for silk and place it on the crack;
Wait until it dries and carefully file the patch with a 180-240 grit file or buff;
Apply regular polish on top or do a manicure with gel polish.

What not to do

seal a natural nail with glue - the aggressive composition of the adhesive irritates the skin and disrupts the structure of the plate. You can use glue only if the extended nail is broken;
treat with acetone containing product . This is especially true in cases where the nail is broken “down to the meat.” Acetone is irritating and causes inflammation. In the case of extensions, it is also not recommended to use acetone - it will destroy the strength of the material and will probably catch entire nails;
hesitate . You shouldn’t put off repairing it – careless movement of even a slightly damaged nail can result in more serious damage.

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What to do if your nail breaks until it bleeds?

Firstly, if the gel polish on the nails is cracked and along with it the nail is injured to the core, then it is better to forget about the perfect manicure until the plate is completely restored. You have to sacrifice beauty for health!

If a nail breaks to the point of bleeding or at the root, you should not start thinking about how to glue it, but first properly treat the wound with chlorhexidine, hydrogen peroxide or any antiseptic. Beauty is beauty, but health is much more important!

You need to completely remove the manicure to give the nail time to recover.

Next, wrap it with a plaster or bandage and leave the injured finger alone until the wound is completely healed, after which it is recommended to seek professional help at a salon. During healing, you need to promptly change the dressing material and lubricate the cuticle with products that promote rapid nail growth. If you plan to contact the hand, the nail on which has broken at the root, with water or chemical reagents, you must wear a rubber fingertip or even special protective gloves.

To avoid aggravating the situation, it is strongly not recommended to repair a deep plate rupture yourself.

After the wound has completely healed, you can think about how to fix the situation with your damaged manicure. The ideal option is to contact a professional. In the salon, to the question “Gel polish is cracked, how to save it,” the master will most likely answer with an offer to fix the broken nail with biogel. This is an innovative drug containing many healing substances, including protein. With the help of biogel, damaged layers of the plate and nail bed will be restored in record time. In addition, it perfectly protects wounds from infections and germs.

Biogel restoration technique

This is a universal tool that can be used for both extension and restoration of a broken nail.

This is an easy way to restore your nails and takes less than 30 minutes. There are only three stages:

Apply biogel.
Dry.
Apply base, decorative gel polish and top. Dry in a UV lamp after each application.

Biogel does not tolerate the proximity of household chemicals, so cleaning the house and washing dishes should only be done with rubber gloves.