How to Cure Cracked Nails

The next time your finger is cracked, don’t panic. There are many tips that you can use to treat cracked nails. Cracked nails are painful, but don’t let them become unsightly. Never let an event be interrupted again by a cracked nail.

Table of Contents

Nail patching

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Wash hands or feet. Before fixing your nails, you need to make sure your hands are clean and oil-free.

Wash hands or feet with warm water and soap. Use a clean towel to dry.
Rinse and dry carefully to avoid accidentally scratching the torn nail and making the problem worse.

Cut a piece of nail patching material. ^{[1] X Research Source} If a special nail patch kit is available, use the tissue paper in the kit and cut a piece large enough to cover the nail and wrap it under the fingertip.

If you don’t have a nail patch kit, you can cut a piece from a tea bag. This is the most popular and quite effective alternative material.
If you don’t have nail paper or tea bags at home, you can try using a handkerchief or coffee filter.
At a minimum, the material should be large enough to cover the entire broken foundation. Ideally, the material should be wide enough to cover the entire nail and enough excess. ^{[2] X Research Source}

Paste nail patching material. Dab some super glue or nail glue on your nails. Next, use a pointed object to gently apply the glue around until the entire nail is covered. Use tweezers to place the patch material on the glue on the nail.

If using a nail patch kit, use nail patch solution instead of glue and simply use the brush in the kit to apply the solution to the nail.
Use tweezers to smooth out parts of the piece of material that are wrinkled or raised. The patch should be as smooth as possible.
If necessary, use small nail clippers or regular scissors to trim away the excess patch.

Wrap the patch at the tip of the nail. Use tweezers to grab the patch at the tip of the nail, fold it down so that the patch sticks to the underside of the nail. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

If the patch material doesn’t already have an adhesive, you may need to apply a small dot of glue or patch solution to help the patch material stick under the nail.
This step ensures extra balance and protection for the cracked nail.

Apply an extra layer of glue to the patch. Dab an extra drop of glue on the patch covering material on the nail and then use a pointed object to spread the glue around. Form as smooth a layer as possible.

Nail patch solution can be used instead of super glue or nail glue.

Trim and polish nails. If there is a polishing stone, you need to carefully polish the nail after the glue dries. Use the smooth side of the stone first and then the polishing side.

For best results, rub the polishing stone in a single direction instead of back and forth.

Paint one coat over the entire nail. Apply a coat of topcoat or strong nail polish to cracked nails to balance the nail and add a final layer of protection.

Allow the adhesive to dry overnight before applying topcoat to avoid bubbles or uneven patches.
If desired, you can apply a coat of nail polish after the top coat dries. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

Temporary nail repair

Cut a small piece of transparent tape just enough. Carefully use scissors to cut a piece of tape just slightly larger than the size of the tear.

To make it easier to cut the tape without having to remove the tape from the blade, you should use small nail clippers or sewing scissors. If using large scissors, you should use the tip of the blade to trim off the tape.
Choose single-sided tape with slight tack. It is recommended to use Magic tape, gift wrapping tape, multi-purpose tape or other transparent adhesive tapes used in the office. Avoid using strong adhesive tape such as electrical tape.

Apply adhesive tape to cover the entire tear. ^{[5] X Research Source} Apply the center of the tape to the center of the crack. Press firmly to stick. Then, use the tip of your uncracked fingernail to run the length of the tape on either side of the corner, so that the tape covers the tear from start to finish.

Make sure both ends of the crack are straight before applying the tape.
Use strong and even force to secure the tape.
Swipe the tape in the direction of the nail tear, not backwards. Swiping the tape in the opposite direction can cause more nail stripping.

Trim off excess tape. If the tape on the nail is a bit large, you can use nail clippers or sewing scissors to trim the excess.

Make sure the edge of the tape is flat and follows the nail.
Regular scissors can be used to cut the tape if small scissors are not available. ^{[6] X Research source blackcatnails.com/how-to-fix-broken-torn-nail-quick-easy-method/}

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Fix your nails as soon as possible. This is just an emergency nail care but not a permanent solution. You need to stick the nail back in place with a stronger adhesive and a more thorough application process.

At the same time, special care should be taken to avoid scratching the tape or the underlying nail.

Be careful when removing the tape. When peeling tape, you need to peel in the direction of the tear, not back.

Apply nail glue

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Wash hands or feet. Before fixing your nails, you need to make sure your hands are clean and oil-free.

Wash hands or feet with warm water and soap. Use a clean towel to dry.
Rinse and dry carefully to avoid accidentally scratching the torn nail and making the problem worse.

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Soak cracked nails in warm water. If the tip is completely broken and you want to reattach it, soak the broken tip in warm water until the nail is pliable.

If the nail is still sticky or still flexible, you can skip this step.

Apply nail glue to the torn nail. Gently squeeze the tube of glue until a small bead of glue comes out. Use a toothpick to pick up the glue beads and apply it to one side of the broken nail, forming a thin sticky layer.

If nail glue is not available, super glue can be used. Generally, adhesives containing cyanoacrylate will provide the strongest bond.
Do not touch the adhesive with your fingers for any reason.

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Press the nail into place. Use the tip of the toothpick to push the broken nail back into place. Use the edge of the bath stick to press down on the nail, or even force.

Avoid letting the glue stick directly on your fingers.
Press for at least 1 minute to make sure the nail is firmly attached.

Wipe off excess glue. Before the glue dries completely, dip a cotton swab or cotton ball in nail polish remover and then wipe along the edges of the foundation. This step helps to wipe away excess glue from the skin.

You may need to rub a little to let the glue come off.
Be sure to rub nail polish remover on any skin that has glue on it.

Smooth the nail that has just been fixed. After the glue dries, file the nails evenly. Use the rough side of the sanding pad or file tool to file away the excess and rough edges of the tear.

File in one direction, not back and forth. To minimize the risk of further damage, file the nail only in the direction of the crack, not in reverse.
File slowly to avoid further damage to the crack.

Apply a protective topcoat when the nail dries. Once the broken nail looks smooth again, you can protect it by applying a protective topcoat or nail polish to the entire nail. Let the nail dry completely.

Repair cracked nails

Remove cracked nails. When the nail or part of the nail is completely detached from the foundation, you may need to remove the nail to treat the damaged part. Use nail scissors to carefully cut off the part of the nail that is still attached, and then remove the nail with tweezers.

By removing the nail, you can easily access the underlying lesion. As a result, you can treat lesions more effectively and reduce the risk of infection.
Or you can leave the cracked nail intact and clean around. Although more difficult, this is possible. A split nail will fall off on its own as a new nail grows out.

Stop bleeding. Depending on the severity of the nail detachment, the nail bed may bleed more or less. Before continuing treatment, you need to stop the bleeding by applying pressure to the wound.

If possible, use a medical dressing or disinfecting cotton pad. Place a bandage or cotton pad directly on the wound and press firmly for a few minutes. You can even use force when pressing.

Trim the rest of the nail. Use nail clippers or sharp nail clippers to trim sharp or jagged edges. You need to do this step whether you remove the split nail or leave it on to prevent further hooking and tearing.

See your doctor and ask him or her to trim your nails if it’s too painful or uncomfortable to trim yourself.

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Soak your feet or hands in cold water. Immediately after trimming the nail, soak the damaged nail bed in a bowl of cold water for about 20 minutes.

The water must be cold enough to soothe and numb the damaged nail.
Soak your toes or fingers in cold water to help regulate blood circulation in the damaged nail.

Soak your feet or hands in salt water. After soaking in cold water, switch to soaking your feet or hands in warm salt water.

Mix 1 teaspoon of salt in 4 cups of warm water.
Soak the injured toe or finger in salt water for about 20 minutes. Salt water will help prevent infection.
Repeat this process 2-3 times daily for the first 3 days.
Use a clean, soft cotton towel to pat dry.

Apply antibiotic ointment. To speed healing and reduce the risk of infection, use a clean finger or cotton swab to gently apply an antibiotic ointment over the entire nail. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

Make sure your hands are clean while handling the injury.

Bandage the foundation until a new nail grows out. Wrap an adhesive bandage over the damaged nail to prevent further scratching and reduce the risk of infection.

Cover the entire nail with a bandage until a new nail grows out.
Change the dressing every time you soak or clean the wound. Make sure the wound is dry every time the dressing is changed. Replace with a new one each time the dressing becomes wet.

Monitor damage. Watch for signs of infection every time you change the dressing. This step is especially important for the first 72 hours, but you should also continue to check until the new nail has grown enough to cover the exposed nail bed.

Signs of infection include: fever, redness, increased temperature in the affected part of the nail, painful swelling or pus.
See your doctor if you suspect an infection.

Steps

Nail patching

Temporary nail repair

Apply nail glue

Repair cracked nails

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