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10. Nail Repair

If you find yourself with badly broken or split nail, order silk nail wraps or builder gel on Amazon. 


Save it. Don't cut it off!


Silk Nail Wraps

Because I try to avoid suffocating my nail beds for discomfort reasons, I don't plan to use traditional nail dips but the silk wraps use a somewhat similar method. An adhesive is used to hold a small piece of silk fabric onto the nail bed to protect it from further breakage, strengthening what you have left. (With dipped nails, a popular trend, a gel-based glue holds acrylic particles to your nail.) NEVER use super glue. You'll either apply an adhesive to the nail first, or use a peel-and-stick wrap. (Note that fiberglass fabric is different from the silk.) You can get a water-soluble sealant so it's easier to remove later, and safer to your nails.

So to reiterate: apply adhesive, then apply wrap. When dry, you can polish a base coat over it for stamping like normal. Or, you could apply just a top coat if you weren't painting your nails further, to help preserve the glue. Expect about 2 weeks of duration from this method, but note to take care and not be soaking your hands in water if you want it to last that long (wear gloves while cleaning, etc). 

Here is what I am using:

 
72 inches of China Silk for Wrapping nails, with KDS Nail Glue, individual vials

There are liquid and gel based adhesives. Liquid won't require UV to cure the gel. 

Builder Gel

A builder gel can be used to fill in cracks and breaks. This usually requires a UV curing lamp so be aware what you are buying. Also note that hard gel requires drilling to remove, whereas soft gel requires soaking in remover. Even a soft gel will help strengthen weak nails, while smoothing it out. 

Use polish remover designed for gel polish to avoid discolored nails when working with gel.

Please be aware of the different types of gel, even different soft gels, if you're buying this. There is a hybrid gel polish that can be soaked off at home so you won't need a motorized file to remove it. Soak nails in remover for 15 minutes to soften the gel and remove. Look for soak-off gel builder to purchase this type of product. 


But again, I think I'll stick with the silk wraps for my reoccurring problem spots because it is breathable; your preference may vary.

By the way, nail glue is not as strong as super glue, but is less likely to cause irritation. So don't use super glue.


Great reading references: 

https://karanailedit.com/blogs/news/base-gel-builder-gel-types-of-gel-more

https://brunetteonamission.com/beauty/the-most-comprehensive-guide-to-silk-wrap-nails/

https://brunetteonamission.com/beauty/what-are-fiberglass-nails-and-how-to-apply-them/

What is Nail Builder Gel

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