How to Repair a Torn Fingernail

To avoid nail breakage, moisturize your nails and use gloves when you're washing dishes or gardening. Here's how you can fix those unavoidable nail snafus.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Tweezers
• Colored Nail Polish
• Emery Board
• Manicure Stick
• Nail Buffer
• Nail Glue Or Fast-bonding Glue
• Nail-polish Remover
• Toothpick
• Tea bag, coffee filter or silk swatch

1. Remove any polish from the nail. Start with clean, dry nails.

2. Cut a patch from a tea bag, coffee filter or swatch of silk. The patch should be large enough to cover the tear.

3. Put a drop of fast-bonding glue on a toothpick and apply it to the tear. Use nail glue or a household glue containing cyanoacrylate. If you get any glue on your skin, wipe it off with acetone-based nail-polish remover.

4. Hold the nail in place with the toothpick for 30 seconds. If the tear is small, this alone will fix it--no need for a patch.

5. Dab the glue on the patch, then pick up the patch with tweezers.

6. Use the toothpick or a manicure stick to smooth the patch onto the tear. Act quickly because the glue dries fast.

7. Allow the glue to dry thoroughly for 1 minute. Then smooth out any rough edges with an emery board and a nail buffer. File nails in a square instead of an oval shape to prevent breakage.

8. Apply colored nail polish to camouflage the patch.

Tips & Warnings

• If glue gets in your eyes or mouth, seek medical attention immediately.

• Do not use glue containing cyanoacrylate to attach artificial nails.