How to Patch a Broken or Torn Fingernail

    (click here to read the rave reviews of people who tried this tutorial)



[PLEASE NOTE: This How-To is primarily intended for regular people trying to repair a torn nail. By regular, I mean, "not a fingerstyle guitar player." If you are a fingerstyle guitar player, and need to fix your torn nail for professional use, I would recommend you check out Greg Neaga's fingernail how-to. He has pics and everything, but his tips are better-geared to someone putting hard wear and tear on their nails.]

DIRECTIONS:
If you don’t wear fake fingernails, tearing one of your real ones can be a bitch. A manicurist can replace a broken acrylic with a new tip, but the rest of us with natural nails are usually out of luck – unless you can patch it, which takes about five minutes. It’s a temporary fix: the goal is just to buy time till the tear grows out far enough that you can repair the manicure one way or the other. You could wear a Band-Aid for a week, but that’s a beating – it’s hard to type, shower, dial your cell phone.

I’ll patch a nail in two situations: when it’s tearing below the quick (and it will hurt like a mother), or if all my other nails are long and pretty (and I don’t want to have to cut them all short to match). I’m dealing with the former right now: I have tried to just be careful with it, but I keep catching it in my hair and on my clothes, and I’m scared I’ll tear it off. Then I'll cry.

Click on the thumbnails for the full visual aid. Please!
(I spent a lot of time trying to learn to work my new camera.)
(ha! "Thumbnails!")

What you need: Super Glue, scissors, tweezers, a tea bag and an emery board, also called a cardboard nail file (not pictured).

1) Cut out a piece of the tea bag to use as a patch.

Tea bags are made of woven natural fibers, and the material is very similar to the composition of our actual fingernails. I like to cut the patch from the side of the bag where it folds, so the square is double-ply but attached. Cut a square about 1/2" by 1/2". You can trim one side to a curved shape if you like.

2) Position the patch over the tear, aligning the curve with the top of the nail and/or a straight edge with your side cuticle.

3) Apply a big drop of Super Glue to the patch.

Use a toothpick or the tip of the nozzle to spread the glue all over the patch (be sure to hold the tube lightly so you don't squirt more glue all over you and stick your hand together). If you need to, gently adjust the position of the patch while the glue is wet. You'll see the tea bag turning clear as the glue resin soaks through.

4) Wait while the Super Glue hardens/dries fully. It’s bonding with the fibers to form a waterproof permanent shell.

5) Use the scissors (nail clippers actually work better here) to trim up any part of the patch that hangs over the top of the nail.

6) Use the rough side of the emery board to shape up the patch and smooth it along the edge of the top of your fingernail. Use the finer side of the board to file lightly on the top of your nail, so the edges of the patch smooth down into your nail bed.

7) Wash your hands to remove filing dust and Super Glue residue.

At this point, the patch becomes practically invisible. I like to put a clear coat of polish on (or even a clear strengthener, like Sally Hansen’s, to reinforce the patch) at this point – but you can just leave it plain till it grows out and you can get to the salon. Try to keep that finger away from nail polish removers, as the chemicals will soften the Super Glue and make the tea bag gummy.

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