Quick Fix for a Broken Nail

Holy moly I haven't posted since mid-July! That's just how it's going to be I suppose. Though I have many pictures that deserve a full blog post, I wanted to write a little "quickie" about something neat that I learned today!

About a month ago, one of my girlfriends was painting my toenails and we noticed that one of my big-toe nails had broken nearly all the way across the width and it was quite far down. (YUCK!) We decided to paint over it hoping that the polish would hold it together until it would grow out. The polish didn't last long and soon cracked. With fall so newly arriving, I figured it may be time to box up the flip flops and bring out the boots...But how wrong I was. Being born and raised in the state of Minnesota, I should know better.

I was in need of a fresh pedicure and a way to prevent this nail from breaking any further. I was looking around online for a solution. There are special nail kits you can purchase. You can go to your favorite nail salon and ask them to apply an acrylic or gel top coat. Both of these methods are effective but they cost money. You can also use nail glue or crazy glue, which can get very messy and sticky. The glue solution is very temporary as showering, baths, swimming, etc. will eventually cause the glue to wash away. Then there is the old-fashioned tea-bag method, which I decided to go ahead and try:

Materials needed:
Teabag--Any kind of tea will work
Nail polish color or topcoat
Scissors
Latex gloves (Optional so that you don't ruin your manicure!)
Toothpick or cuticle pusher
Nail polish remover
Cotton balls

Instructions:
1. Clean the nail with nail polish remover to get rid of any polish and oils
2. Cut off the top of the teabag and empty contents into the garbage. You can also save it to use in a tea ball for later!
3. Cut a small piece of the teabag enough to fit over half or all of your toenail. The bigger the piece, the stronger and more uniform it will look.
4. Place the piece of teabag material on your nail and generously apply the nail polish or top coat so that it saturates the teabag material.
5. Use the tip of your nail, a toothpick or cuticle pusher to hold down and smooth out the material on the nail. You may need to hold it in place for a few minutes and then add another coat.
6. Let your nail dry COMPLETELY before putting putting on shoes, socks, showering, etc.

You should barely be able to notice the teabag when the polish dries. Your nail will continue to grow as normal. It is also a good idea to clip the nail to an appropriate length before following these steps. It helps to prevent the nail from snagging and further breaking. You should only clip the nail if it will not prevent further breakage. This also works just as well for repairing a fingernail! Remember, if you have a deep break, are in pain, have redness, swelling, or other symptoms, you should have it checked out by a doctor. This only works for minor breaks!

I hope this brings relief to you as it did for me. Until next time! Whenever that may be...