Fragile nails, easy to break even when doing simple household chores; nails disappearing after a shower; and forget about getting another manicure, as even regular activities cause pain and discomfort.

Solving this problem doesn’t start with simply avoiding nail salons; instead, it’s about giving your nails a hard shell to protect them from further damage. Of course, cleanliness and hygiene play a crucial role in providing better protection to wounds. Here’s a secret: acrylics, nail polish, and nail gel don’t actually damage your nails and make them fragile. The real damage comes from nail drill, buffing, nail file and removing, which is largely influenced by the skill of the nail technician. Some diligent and customer-oriented nail salons do not encounter such problems.

How can damaged nails be repaired? Can I still get a manicure? How should I take care of them?

Part One – Repairing Damaged Nails

• Case One: Super-thin nails, with blood and flesh visible, due to violent removal of nails.
  Repair Method:

1. Stop filing the wound, but thoroughly disinfect and clean the nail.
2. Trim a piece of fake nail to match the size of the wound, and use low-sensitivity adhesive to stick it on both sides of the damaged area, avoiding the deepest part of the wound. This creates a protective layer like a shell outside the skin, using the artificial nail to bear and block external dust and nail polish.
3. After treating the wound, use a builder gel with good leveling properties to make the nail smooth and prevent it from curling, thus avoiding further damage to the nail.
4. If you don’t care much about the appearance of your nails, we recommend using band-aids during the day and removing them at night. Consult a doctor when necessary.

 

• Case Two: Nails broken in the middle or missing a piece, due to weak nails with insufficient hardness but without substantial damage.
  Repair Method:

1. Use fiber to reshape the nails and make them harder to prevent daily life from causing damage, such as breakage and more serious consequences.
2. Choose fiber cotton pads and cut a small piece to stick at the broken part. Here’s how:
3. Apply a base gel with sufficient adhesion to the nail, and also apply it to the broken part.
4. Then place the cut fiber cotton pad on the broken part and wait for it to be completely soaked in the base gel.
5. Finally, apply a layer of reinforcing gel, cure it under a lamp, and then polish it smooth.

While some may use tissue or other paper, we do not recommend it because you don’t know if the paper used meets standards or if its hardness and thickness are sufficient. However, fiber cotton pads are produced in a sterile and dust-free workshop, specifically for nail repair. They are inexpensive, improve repair efficiency, and reduce error costs.

However, if you find this troublesome, you can also choose fiber nail gel specifically for nail repair, which can be used directly without complex steps. However, when choosing fiber gel, be sure to pay attention to the effects. Some cheap and improperly developed fiber gels have poor hardness and will break again within a week, causing secondary damage to your nails.

• Case Three: Very short nails, with flesh exposed at the fingertips, not growing, and painful when exerting force.
  Repair Method:

1. If you like to bite your nails, you can use press-on nails to suppress the urge to bite, and over time, your nails will improve.
2. Use extension gel to lengthen your nails. The most popular extension gels currently are POLY GEL and round jar extension gel, there is also the option of acrylic powder nails for extensions.

 

• Case Four: Nail sealing, with layers of white on the surface, caused by incorrect removal of nail polish.
  Repair Method:

1. Do not remove the nail pieces by hand. Use a nail drill machine or a rough nail file to remove them. Leave a thin layer of residue, do not remove it completely until it is clean, and does not affect the making of new styles. This way, the nails are well maintained.
2. Gently polish away the cracks on the surface of the nails, then apply nail repair solution to make the nails non-drying. At the same time, the repair solution can provide nutrients to the nails, making them tough and shiny.
3. When doing manicure again, use nail gel with good leveling properties.

 

• Case Five: Empty nails, with the nail and flesh separated. This type of nail has two categories: one is due to external trauma caused by incorrect nail techniques, and the other is due to insufficient nutrition.

Repair Method:

1. For either type, try to minimize contact with water, as the nails and skin have pores. If they are not kept dry, bacteria can easily accumulate, which is not conducive to nail repair or nail health.
2. Avoid dark-colored nail polish, as it is better for damaged nails to be exposed to sunlight.
3. Apply repair solution and wear finger cots to avoid contact with water, which is more conducive to the absorption of the repair solution.
4. Give the nails some time to repair themselves. If you urgently need to apply nail gel, light and translucent colors are preferred.

 

• Case Six: Green nails with black spots, due to improper techniques when applying nail tips, resulting in gaps between the nails and tips, and bacteria breeding in the gaps for a long time.
  Repair Method:
  Thoroughly clean the nails and expose them to sunlight. Suspend making nails temporarily until they recover.

 

Part Two: Should Damaged Nails Still Get Manicures?

Consider your own needs and the condition of your nails. Some nails actually require repair at a nail salon, such as those that are broken, fragile, and soft. Reinforcing them at a nail salon prevents the nails from being completely damaged. After making the nails, you can apply repair and nutrient solutions to the edges of the nails.

How should damaged nails be manicured? This was mentioned in the repair methods in the first part, which you can review.

 

Part Three: How to Take Care of Nails

This article mainly shares from the perspective of manicures and personal management and is not intended for medical purposes. There are currently many nail care products on the market, including various repair and nutrient solutions, and even nutrient creams. Many cosmetic brands have also joined the ranks, such as:

Gehwol – Mild, painless and deep penetrating, it can repair the nail root and around the nail, from plant extracts, it can deeply inhibit bacteria, moisturize and brighten nails, yellowish/grayish/fragile and cracked/separated nail beds/black dots and green spots on the nail surface.

CND Protein Repair Nail – Danish beauty award winner, rebuilds and repairs damaged nails, improves and strengthens nails with keratin proteins, makes nails thicker, improves splitting and surface peeling, uniquely scented.

And so on, which you can find on Amazon.

If you find this article helpful, please share it with friends around you who are experiencing nail damage problems!

Learn more about nail repair products.