Badly damaged nails (photos)- please help!

[LetsGoToTheHills]

I bought some cheap semi-cured adhesive nails from Amazon (never again), put them on and that night will up in agony and couldn't sleep so removed them at 3am. Could barely use my fingers the next day. This was just before Christmas. Have a look at the photos of my horrible nails and please tell me how I can repair them! Currently have an Opi nail and cuticle oil and am also regularly moisturising my hands and fingers.

Ouch! They look painful. I personally think you will just have to grow them out. I would do as you've been doing and maybe seal with a topcoat for strength. Sally Hansen has a good range.

You could call in to a nail technician (a proper one) and ask their advice. I'm assuming that everything that's on your nails now is natural and there's no residue left?

You might still have residual damage once your nails grow out as there may be a bit of damage to the nail bed but hopefully you won't.

Gosh you poor thing, I wore cheap stick ones during lockdown thank goodness that never happened, have you see a doctor?

Wow - you're saying they were on less than 1 day ?
Maybe cut them as short as possible and fill 2 dishes with an oil ( maybe almond if no nut allergy ) or Google the best to use and sit with them soaking for as long as poss for at least a few times a week .
Better still , find a very reputable nail salon and take their advice .
They look dried out and infected .

Warm olive oil and cut them as they grow, you’ll never repair that damage but the growth seem healthy so you’re lucky.

Thanks I will follow your advice. Good idea if I can find a reputable/properly qualified nail technician. They are growing well and I'm trying to keep them short. Another positive is I'm not in pain.

They look to be infected with tinea, a fungus! I would show them to a pharmacist and buy a tincture such as daktarin nail ointment. Trim them short and continue using it religiously. It could take weeks, possibly months for them to improve and grow out.
I wouldn't soaking in oils!

To me that looks like there might still be some product on them specifically the black one. Really find a good technician and take their advice although it wouldn't surprise me if they say they won't touch you.

It likely that you’ve had an allergic reaction, it looks like the nails have lifted away from the nail bed, best course is to keep them short and grow them out. I had a similar reaction on my little nail from gel polish, only one nail affected thankfully, but all I could do was cut it short and grow it out. On the darker nail though it does look a bit fungal so you could pop to the pharmacy and see if they can advise.

Gp. Looks like a fungal nail infection but I'd worry that it was something medical rather than cosmetic.

This might be relevant. If not, check out her other videos. Keep the nails really short while they grow out. I would also get them checked in case of a fungal infection and if that’s clear then follow the advice from The Salon Life.

After you get them sorted treat yourself to a basic manicure. That should help keep them healthy and strong.

Looks like a really bad fungal infection. Hope not. Awful to treat.

Don’t get a manicure til it has cleared completely.

I had a few toenails turn black and fall off after I walked up and down a mountain. Nails grew back though. I was impressed.

Thanks for the advice all. As you can imagine, I'm quite embarrassed about how ugly they look! I think the lifting/allergic reaction feels the most likely (on a couple I can see down under them if that makes sense) but for those of you who think it might be fungal, how could that have come about?

I think she's right. They've lifted and then bacteria can grow in the pockets. What a disaster

Fungus is the new pandemic waiting to happen it is becoming endemic and hard to treat.

Go to GP. You’ll need something stronger than over the counter stuff whatever it is.

She’s amazing. Following her advice completely changed my post gel damaged nails. It probably is what she says and does look like it but it still might be best to get them checked first, just to be on the safe side. At least you’ll know what you’re dealing with then.

This is called onycholysis - when the nail separates from the nail bed, likely an allergic reaction to one of the ingredients in the products you used.
Keep them short and clean and use cuticle oil several times a day. It’s just going to be a case of growing them out.

It’s not fungal it takes ages for fungus to eat a nail plate it’s onycholisis. Free edge of a nails white.

GP’s are loathe to prescribe terbinafine it’s £50 a month for 3m.

IBX would help repair some of it and stop them breaking off completely.

This is exactly how my nails looked when I had an allergic reaction to my gel nails. Keep them short, clean and use cuticle oil regularly then it’s just a case of growing the damage out. I had mine removed in November and my nails are back to normal now all damage grown out and gone.

I’ve not had that problem, OP, but I would recommend Manicurist products above OPI and Sally Hansen, their cuticle oil and other treatment products have transformed my nails. Once you know what you’re dealing with medically they could be worth a go.

Yes, onchyolisis- thank you. I have now read online a lot of information about what it is but there doesn't seem to be a silver bullet. Some people cut off the entire lifted bit but I'm not brave enough! I've ordered some tea tree based product to prevent infection and have cut them even shorter. Ugly fingers crossed!!

And thank you to those who have said it is fixable

You poor thing, I had this several years ago using a home gel kit I bought. I had used the polish for about a year with no problems but suddenly had a reaction and all my nails were lifting - I ended up going to a salon and getting them to do them, they eventually grew out but took a long time. I have never done my gels myself again!

Wow. What the hell was in their products!!

I think you probably need to grow them out, take nail supplements and see a professional nail tech. Not a walk in salon.

That looks incredibly painful and I can see that It’d be embarrassing - I was embarrassed too when I dyed my nails bright pink 🤣