Can this nail be saved or do I just have to cut it down?

[Dunedinready]

I've just had surgery and the only perk is that I can’t use my arm, so my nails have grown longer. Hoorah. Except one has this split - can it be salvaged? or do I need to cut it down and start again?

For background, I’m always plagued by these splits in a couple of different nails. Not all the way down the nail bed but to the nail bed. I’ve tried biotin for a year and it didn’t improve it.

All is not lost! I would file down the top to remove any jagged bits, I’ve had success before by putting a hardening top coat over a split to seal it as it growns out. I’ve also put a thin piece of tissue over a layer of topcoat in the crack and then add another layer of topcoat. You may need to buff it a bit then add a final layer. Good luck! ☺️

Just treat yourself to a manicure? That will help with the healing process more than anything.

Both excellent suggestions, thanks. @Overtheatlantic i was worried they would just cut it down, but maybe I go with @soontobeamama’s suggestion until I can get an appointment / get to somewhere for one.

I’ve also had a lot of success with Sally Hansen’s Miracle Nail Thickener in the past when I’ve had a break from using gel on my nails, it really helps to strengthen them - worth a try xx

Cut a tiny square of tbag and use clear polish. One coat of polish then press the tbag into it so it covers the split area evenly with some sticking over the edge of the nail. Leave it to dry. Then add another two layers of clear polish and when it's fully hardened carefully clip the overlapping part of the tbag back to the edge of the nail. The tbag acts as a mesh to hold the sides together. It can take weeks to grow out so you need to remove and reapply about twice a week and carefully clip the split out as your nail grows. The difficulty with vertical splits like this is they tend to keep splitting if you can't trim back past the split so it's better to wait for it to grow away from the nailbed rather than filing it. The tbag stops the sides moving independently and splitting even further back.

Don’t do what I did and stick a gel nail on it , it actually pulled the split further down. I’ve had this issue for a year, I’m going to try the teabag idea again.

A good manicure treatment can help! Ingredients like urea, glycerin, and panthenol in nail treatments or hand creams can make improvement.

It won’t work for this (clear polish is what I’d try while it grows out), but CND Repair Rxx is the best thing I’ve found for overall strengthening. Smells like candy floss, tiny bottle but lasts ages.