Yes, you can salvage a break and keep on track with your nail goals. Here, experts weigh in on how to fix a broken nail in a snap. That said, you’ll likely have to file the rest of your nails down to keep them all looking even—which, for those partial to long tips, might feel more painful than the break itself. We hear you. If your nails fall on the more brittle side, you might want to choose a different adventure here. “Tips are a little heavier on your nails,” says Lin, and they don’t work for everybody. It’s much better to keep them free, especially if they’re already a bit weak. But just in case it’s not so easy to stop by the salon (say, a pandemic has made it a touch more difficult to attend appointments), both Lin and Lim mention you can replicate a silk wrap in the comfort of your own home—not with silk, but with a tea bag. Here’s the three-step guide: That said, you’ll also want to monitor the tea bag weekly (i.e., taking off your polish to inspect) to make sure there are no air pockets. Don’t panic if you do see a bubble of air—it happens!—just soak the tea bag off completely and start fresh, says Lim. “Keep [monitoring] until the split or crack grows out to an area where you can safely trim it off.” Of course, once the broken nail grows out, you’ll want to make sure you’re tending to your tips correctly. A one-off split is nothing to write home about, but if your nails are prone to breaks, you may want to try some long-term remedies.
