How to Fix a Broken Nail, According to the Experts
Of all of the sexist tropes that have been floating around for the last few decades, one of the most tired has got to be the notion that women are absolutely devastated when they break a nail — as if there's no bigger problem in their life or in the world. But show me an individual whose most pressing concern is a broken nail, and I'll show you a hand model who has no interpersonal relationships and never watches the news.
That said, breaking a nail is annoying as hell, and it always seems to happen at the most inconvenient times. Perhaps you've been working on growing out your nails for a while, resisting the urge to pick or bite; maybe you just got a manicure and you managed to somehow snag it before you had an opportunity to snap a photo of its short-lived perfection. No matter what, it's completely understandable to let out a curse or two and search for a way to undo the damage.
Dana Stern, a board-certified dermatologist who specializes in nail health, explains that brittle, weak nails are the most likely to peel, split, and break easily. "Think of a brittle nail that has a tendency to break as analogous to overly processed hair that frizzes and has ends that split. We condition and protect our hair to avoid these issues," Stern explains, noting that to avoid future broken nails, you need to take care of your nails with effective products.
Unfortunately, breaking a nail is sometimes unavoidable, and once it has happened, you can't go back in time. In some cases, however, you can fix a broken nail — and you can definitely do a little more to prevent another mishap in the future. Here, the experts explain how.
What makes a nail susceptible to breaking?
"Nails are made up of keratin, the same protein that makes up your skin and hair. And just like how the skin and hair can get dry and brittle, so can nails," says board-certified dermatologist Shari Marchbein, who explains that over-washing hands — as so many of us are doing during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic — can contribute to nail weakness.
However, it's not just the soap part of over-washing that can mess with your nails' strength. "Nails are extremely absorptive of water — even more so than skin," Stern says. "When water is constantly moving in and out of nails, it puts a tremendous strain on the delicate onychocytes — nail cells — and can result in weakening, softening and breakage." Cuticles become dehydrated, Stern explains, leading to hangnails or openings where infections can more easily gain entry.
Stern adds that there can be deeper underlying causes of easily breakable nails, such as medical conditions like hypothyroidism, Raynaud's syndrome, and severe protein deficiency all can cause nails to be brittle. Even aging can contribute to breakage. "Nail physiology can change and parts of the nail growth plate can become thinner or atrophy, resulting in ridges," Stern tells Allure.
Both Stern and Marchbein say that certain chemicals can also contribute to breakage. Marchbein says using harsh cleaning and hand-sanitizing chemicals are a common cause of weakness, and Stern notes that polish removers with acetone can be especially drying, exacerbating brittleness.
What can you do for a natural nail if it breaks?
If you're out and about and don't have access to a sophisticated arsenal of repair options, take the advice of Emi Kudo, Angelina Jolie's go-to nail artist. "At the moment, and if you are outside, I would put on a bandage and protect the nail until you can repair it at home," she says.
Once you're near supplies, Kudo says to reach for a brush-on nail glue, which you can find at the drugstore. "Brush a coat of glue on, let it completely dry, do the second coat if necessary, dry again, and buff it to smooth up," she tells Allure.
For a longer-lasting fix on a nail that hasn't broken all the way off, Stern recommends the DIY "silk wrap" using a tea bag. After emptying out a tea bag — Stern says you can also use a paper coffee filter — cut it to the size of a small patch that can cover the break in the nail.
"Paint the broken nail with a generous coat of base coat or nail glue," Stern says. "While the base coat or glue is tacky, gently place the trimmed tea bag over the broken part of the nail. Allow it to dry, and then cover the nail with one or two more coats of base coat or nail glue." Once dry, you can polish with the color of your choice to camouflage the tea bag.
If the break is completely or nearly all the way through, Marchbein says there's really not much that can be done to salvage the nail. "Depending on the length of the nail and where the break is, it is often best to gently clip the nail down and file down to the level of the break," she tells Allure.
What can you do for an acrylic nail if it breaks?
If the broken nail you're nursing isn't a natural one, your approach to fixing it needn't be much different. Stern tells Allure that the tea-bag trick works for acrylics just as well as it does for natural nails.
Although Kudo normally files off the broken part of an acrylic nail and applies a new mixture, she says that, as with natural nails, you can use a nail glue to put acrylics back as a temporary repair. "Poly gels are also great to fix broken acrylic nails instead of glues," she tells Allure. "Don't forget to spray alcohol and wait until it drys before you apply any type of adhesive."
If you're a bit nervous about fixing a broken acrylic nail on your own, trust your instincts. "This repair is best left to a professional nail technician to avoid further damage to your natural nails," says Mabelyn Martin, creative director of New York City nail studio Paintbox.
What can you do to prevent future breakage?
As simple as it may seem, keeping your nails at a more manageable length means they're less likely to break. "Nails can be kept short and groomed so that they can't get caught or broken on anything," Marchbein recommends.
Martin agrees, telling Allure, "it also helps to keep your nails filed at a natural round or oval shape as square shapes have more tendency to catch on things and break."
Both Marchbein and Martin also emphasize just how important moisture is in preventing breaks. Martin is a fan of oils, while Marchbein recommends creams that contain ingredients like ceramides, glycerin, petrolatum, and dimethicone to seal in hydration and moisture.
Marchbein also suggests avoiding gel and acrylic manicures, which can cause damage to the underlying nail that can take months to repair. Board-certified dermatologist Heidi Prather, however, says it's good to take a break from even traditional manicures.
"Polish seals and dehydrates your nail, which needs to breath to maintain its integrity. Take a break once a month from nail polish and let your nails heal with cuticle oil and nail strengtheners with keratin for a few days," Prather says. "If your nails appear damaged beneath your nail polish, consider letting your nails grow out before resuming polish-based manicures."
And then, those longer nails are less likely to suffer a dreaded, sudden break.
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More on nail care:
Here's How You Can Stop Biting Your Nails and Cuticles, According to Experts
The 9 Best Nail Serums for Repairing Damaged Nails and Cuticles
Now check out all the ways you can remove nail polish:
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Originally Appeared on Allure
