I don't love the gym, so Fit [1] and I joke that it's progress when I merely think about exercising. Well, the other weekend I played soccer and was excited to tell Fit about my burst of fitness — until I noticed that I'd broken the nail of my big toe. ("It's a sign," I told Fit. "Exercise and me are not meant to be.")
There are much worse things in life than breaking a nail, but a bad split can be painful. And in some cases, like mine, there's no way to remove the broken part without exposing your nail bed. Fortunately, there's a pretty simple way to repair your nail. To learn how to do it, .
Since our nails can't heal themselves, your best bet is to keep the split nail from snagging while it grows out. If you don't want to walk around with a Band-Aid, try doing this to keep the broken nail as intact as possible.
What you'll need:
- Clear nail polish
- Nail clippers
- Nail file
- Scissors
- One tea bag emptied of the tea, or a coffee filter
- Colored nail polish (optional)
Step one: Clip the broken nail if possible, getting it as close to the tip of the finger or toe as you can. Gently file any snags, staying away from the split itself.
Step two: Trim the tea bag or coffee filter to the size of a small patch that can cover the break in the nail.
Step three: Paint the broken nail with a coat of clear polish. While it's still tacky, gently place the trimmed tea bag/coffee filter over the broken part of the nail.
Step four: Cover the nail with one or two more coats of polish. To cover the tea bag, use a colored polish.
Source [2]