Now I know I'm not the only one here, but I swear nothing is worse than breaking or ripping a nail. Not only do they hurt like hell, but they are unsightly and irritating when you want to do a manicure with one short stubby nail and the rest looking nice. Since I have a major Pinterest addiction, I've seen all the different pins out there about doing the "Nail Band-Aid" method, so I thought I'd give it a try and tell you all how it turns out.
After some research, I've found both pins and videos that either do the whole nail or just right around the area that is breaking. I think repairing the whole nail is a bit of a drastic measure for just a side rip, but to each her own and I guess it will depend on how badly the rip is. For me, I prefer to just do the part of my nail that is actually broken, so that is what I'm going to tell you about.
List of Supplies:
 |
| Sally's Beauty Supply |
nail glue (I prefer the brush-on kind)
tea bag (empty out the contents; you are going to need the paper)
scissors
tweezers
rubbing alcohol
cotton ball
nail files (I use one fine and one medium grit)
nail buffer
nail hardener
Step 1
You need to make sure you have no oils or lotions on the nail, so use the rubbing alcohol and cotton ball to take off anything that might be on your nail so you can start with a clean surface.
Step 2
Cut a tiny square of the tea bag paper out using the scissors. You need a piece that is just big enough to go over the break with a tiny bit of excess.
Step 3
Brush on the nail glue making sure to coat the area of the break well, but avoid your cuticle in the process. (I made this mistake and trust me-it is irritating.)
Step 4
Using tweezers, position the tea bag square over the break so that it covers it, and pat down using the tweezers so that it has no air bubbles trapped and is flush and smooth with the nail surface.
Step 5
Allow repair site with glue to dry for at least thirty minutes.
Step 6
Brush on another coat of nail glue and allow repair site to dry completely. Ensure that you get the glue well into the break and allow it to dry for at least an hour.
Step 7
Once the repair site is completely dry, you can file down the glue, working outwards until the surface is nice and smooth. I use a medium grit file first, and then a finer one to smooth it out better. After that, use a buffer to give it a nice even shine. You will hardly be able to feel where that break is after this step.
Step 8
Use a nail hardener to seal or a base coat if you are going to paint your nails after you are done.
If you need a visual how-to on this method, you can find many videos on YouTube. This is the one that used a similar method to the one I just explained.
What you have, when finished, is almost a fiberglass-type finish for your nail repair. All of the equipment that you will need is featured on our blog's Pinterest board with links on where to go to purchase them. For the tea bag, just use a tea bag from your kitchen.
Now, I'm not saying this is going to be a complete savior for your nail, but if you have a tiny rip or break, it could help save your manicure. The rip that I just finished repairing on my middle finger seems to be holding up well, but only time will tell. I'll check back in and let you guys know how it's going a few days from now.
****So in the process of finalizing this post, I managed to break the corner of my thumb doing laundry. I went through this entire process, and it seems to be holding up well so far. *crossing my fingers* ...or maybe I should my toes, so I don't break another nail*
 | ||
| Can you see that break??? |
While the repair on my index finger lasted a few days, the thumb one didn't fair quite as well only lasting 24 hours. Now both of my nails have officially broken, but I still think that the logic behind this method of repair is sound. I'm still going to utilize it when I have a potential break on my hands, so we will see what the future holds.
No comments:
Post a Comment