Q&A with VV
Welcome to another edition of Q&A!
Question:
How do you care for a broken nail? Do you cut or file them all down, or put on a fake one until it grows out?
Answer:
I am a strong believer in keeping nails all the same length. Maybe a FRACTION of a bit shorter doesn’t bother me, but overall it’s a giant pet peeve of mine when I see nails all various lengths. It looks messy and just not good.
Since I keep my nails pretty short, when I break one (which is pretty frequently) I have no issue cutting them all off. They usually grow back with a week anyway. But I know that there are those of you very really long nicely shaped nails and when one breaks it’s pretty horrible! I myself have never used a fake nail or nail glue to mend a nail until it grows out, but know that people definitely do. I don’t think there is anything wrong with that method at all. My issue is when someone has say nine long one inch nails and then one tiny nub. 
What do you think? Do you cut or file them all down to one length if one breaks?
-Kelly
Welcome! My name is Kelly and Vampy Varnish is a animal friendly beauty blog.
I try to keep them all one length. I remember both of my index fingernails breaking off right before my senior pictures. I subtly (??) hid my index fingers by burying them into what ever I was holding.
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I repair them if I’m in the mood for it and when it’s not too bad, but else they all go down! I also want them all on the same size as much as possible
If it’s just a tiny chip that ain’t so visible and grows out really fast I don’t mind it too much though.
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If more than one breaks, or one is broken and several others are peeling..I take them all down. If just a small corner breaks, I might just round it a bit and keep them the same length. I have yet to put a fake nail on, since they never seem to stick but I’ve seen it done!
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Totally agree. Long and short don’t look well taken care of at all. I tend not to let mine get too long (now thanks to Barielle I grow my nails). If I let them get longer than about 1/4″ white, I will file them all down to a bit shorter than my max of 1/4.” I am happy with the results.
I keep mine short too – pretty much same length as yours as I’m on a computer all day. If I break one then they all get shortened. I really hate the colour extra long nails go….gives me the willies.
I either cut (or file) them all or use nail bandages for the broken one. And always keep a set of fake nails in case mine breaks off completely and I’m not willing to cut them all… Like last May, when I had to partecipate to a wedding and didn’t want to go with short nails.
Yes! I seriously get so grossed out when people have nails that are different lengths! It does not look nice at all.
I do the same thing you do, save for when I break a nail really low (meaning below the white). On those rare occasions, I do break out the nail glue so that it doesn’t tear the skin or anything.
If I have a break that is really short and it literally hurts then I will glue on a nail tip. My mom gave me tip that really works for me. If I have only a crack, then i dip a little nail glue on it and then a tiny piece of tea bag. After that dries I add another tiny drop of nail glue then smooth it with my finger (really quick so it doesnt stick) and after it dries, apply polish!
I have quite long fingernails and if one breaks, I mend it with nail glue, because I never use fake nails and because I want all my nails to be the same length … If a tragedy occurs and I find myself unable to fix a nail with nail glue, I file all my nails to the same length (and probably cry while doing it). I never cut my nails, because they’re so hard it’s almost impossible to cut them.
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I hardly every break a nail. I am luck to have thick strong nails that grow fast. If I break one, I just file it and go with it because it will be fairly long in a week. I will if it is a break that hurts and I cant cut it down, I will glue it until I can file it down or cut it.
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Depends on the situation and the finger. I prefer to keep mine the same length, and since I usually have a few millimeters sticking up above the tips, any break is noticeable. If I’ve got a peel or a split where the length is still there, I’ll patch the nails (why I’ve got one on my middle finger at the moment). If there’s a chip or a really bad break that I can’t file off to mostly the same as the rest, then off they go to the point where they’re even. I try not to nubbinize if I don’t have to because it makes my hands look very stumpy and mannish. However, if it’s the thumb that gets a clean break, I won’t chop the rest of them. For some reason that doesn’t bother me when it breaks as much as the others.
I can’t stand to have nails at uneven lengths. It drives me crazy. If I break a nail, I take them all down to the same length and let them grow back out.
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I’m with you. If one breaks, off they all go. I keep mine pretty short too.
The last time I broke a nail I went bowling. My nails are really thick and don’t break easily, so it actually snapped halfway down the nail bed. *Shudder*
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Depends on my mood. Most of the time I leave it. I have enough OCD for other things LOL (NOT suggesting you do, really!) My nails are growing well (yay Qtica nail lenghtener!) but they all grow at diff. rates. And my right hand grows longer than left.
Guess I’m in the oddball category LOL
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Hmm…the only time I can think of my nails breaking was when I went bowling spontaneously and had longer nails. Haha, what a mistake. Not only did I play a terrible game, but my thumb nail broke!
When one breaks, I just cut all my nails short and it wouldn’t bother me that they’re not long.
Actually, I like to regularly switch up the length of my nails. I’ll cut them really short, let them grow until I can’t stand it and then cut them really short again. I don’t favour a particular length over another…unless I’m going bowling or doing physical work where I’m lifting stuff – then I prefer really short nails.
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My nails don’t usually break now. Back when they were really weak, when one broke, the rest usually followed suit LOL. So they all ended up the same length that way…
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I don’t use glue (too much fuss) but I have found a product called +nail aid 5 in 1 TOTAL, Clear liquid bandage. I’m not sure why it works, but when I get a rare crack or much more common vertical layer split (I’m a BAD polish peeler), it holds things together long enough to let it grow out a bit so they can all be filed down. I dislike nails that aren’t all the same (or at least close) length with one exception. My right thumbnail will never grow past the tip of my thumb. It alone has horrendous ridges that always peel, and I can’t seem to break the ‘nail as tool’ habit in the kitchen which doesn’t help. So, it stays filed to my finger tip and the other nine are from an 1/8″ to 1/4″ past my tip.
My nails don’t grow very long without splitting or breaking so I keep them pretty short. They also have a distressing habit of curling on one side of the nail once they get to a certain length. If I have a break, I file all my nails down to match the length of the broken nail. If I have a break down below the quick, then I apply nail glue to the break and then let the nail grow out to the point where I can safely file it down. Then I file the rest of my nails to match.
I try to make them look similar but I don’t go that down like the broken nail.
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I just trim the sucker off. Life’s too short!
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