How to Fix a Broken Nail

Do your nails ever break so low down that you can't cut them off? They split on the edge almost halfway down your nail and yet no matter how many times you paint over it continues to split more and more, catching on your hair or clothing, breaking further and further across your nail bed and becoming really sore.

This often happens to me, especially on my thumb nails for some reason. In the past i've always done one of two things: Either, gone through the pain of cutting it off, ending up with an extremely short nail and a very sore, or sometimes even bleeding nail bed. Or, if i couldn't bear to cut it, i've wrapped it in sticky plaster to stop it catching on things, which always looks rubbish and comes off every time i wash my hands.

However, i have recently discovered a new method which works like a dream! Hoorayyy! The nail spilt is fixed completely which means no more painful catching and pulling, plus it lasts ages and when you paint over it it looks like a perfectly normal, unbroken nail. It's a tad fiddly but the results are well worth it!

What you'll need:

sellotape, tissue, a fairly rough nail file, super glue & tweezers

Before you start make sure your nail is completely bare, clean and oil free

Step 1:
- Wrap you finger in selloptape, leaving only the section of the nail that is split bare. You should try to get the tape as close to the edge of your nail as possible, and underneath the tip of it if you can. This will stop the super glue seeping through the split and sticking to your skin.

Step 2:
- Take your tissue roll, and if double-ply, split it in half leaving yourself with the two thin layers.

Step 3:
- Rip a small piece off one of the thin layers. It should be just a little bigger than the section of nail where the split is so that it's enough to cover it completely.

Step 4:
- Holding your section of tissue in the tweezers with one hand, use your other hand to squeeze out a few drops of super glue onto it, then place it onto your nail, over the split. Use the back of the tweezer to press it firmly onto the nail and flatten it out, be quick though otherwise the tissue will stick to the tweezers! Once happy with the position, leave the tissue to dry hard onto your nail.

first layer applied, second layer dry and tape removed

*Tip* One layer is sometimes enough, however just to be safe, i'd recommend repeating steps 3 and 4 and applying a second layer for extra reinforcement.

Step 5:
- Once the tissue is completely dry and hard, carefully remove the sellotape from your finger.

Step 6:
- Use the nail file to file away all the loose rough edges, and file down the superglued area until it is flush with the rest of your nail and feels smooth if you run your finger over it.

Tissue paper filed down and away until smooth, a clear polish applied, and the final result - smooth and split free! 

Step 7:
- Apply a clear nail polish to secure it in place and give a super smooth result. Then you can go ahead and apply whatever colour polish you want! Job done! I used 'Funtime Fushia' by Rimmel, review here!

Your new repaired nail should last you a pretty long time, especially if you keep it painted. Obviously still be careful with it, but you no longer need to worry about it catching on hair or clothing. 

Hope this has been helpful to some of you :)

xo