Broken gel nail: what you can do until your next appointment

If you have a broken gel nail, carefully file the edge of the break smooth so that it does not catch on anything, leave the rest of the gel on the nail and keep the finger as dry and protected as you can until your next appointment. Do not pull the gel off, because that can damage the natural nail, and do not glue the crack with superglue either, as it is not meant for use on skin. If the break reaches into the nail bed, though, or the finger is bleeding or very painful, have it looked at by a doctor first.

How to tell how deep the break goes

Sometimes only a piece of gel has chipped off at the edge and the natural nail underneath is intact. The natural nail can also break or tear together with the gel, however, for example at the front, in the part that extends beyond your fingertip. If the crack goes further back, to where the nail rests on the finger, the nail bed, the skin under the nail, may be injured too, as MedlinePlus, the health site of the US National Library of Medicine, describes (MedlinePlus on nail injuries). Under an opaque gel colour, though, you cannot see exactly how far the nail is still attached to the skin.

You can look after chipped gel and a crack in the overhanging part yourself until your appointment. If the skin under the nail is injured, if it is bleeding or if the nail has come away from the nail bed, please read the section on seeing a doctor below first.

Smoothing the broken edge so it does not catch

A sharp edge easily catches on tights or jumpers, and each time it does, the crack can open a little further. In a medically reviewed article, the health site WebMD therefore advises filing down sharp edges on a cracked nail (WebMD on cracked nails). Use an emery board or another fine nail file for this and always file in the same direction, because the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), the professional association of dermatologists in the US, warns that filing back and forth can weaken the nails (the AAD on trimming nails). There is more on this in the article How to file short nails.

File only the broken edge, not across the surface of the gel. According to WebMD, if a larger torn piece is hanging at the front, you can also trim it off. Only reach for clean nail clippers or nail scissors if you can clearly see that the piece is no longer attached to the skin, and then file the new edge smooth. If you are not sure, or if the crack goes further back, leave the clippers and scissors alone and just smooth the edge with a file.

Why you should not pull off the rest of the gel

When a piece of gel has come loose at the break, it is tempting to pull the rest off with it. The AAD warns, however, that picking or filing off gel polish can do considerable damage to your nails, and it also advises against pushing gel off with an orange stick, because according to the dermatologist Shari Lipner this can injure the nail and leave white spots (the AAD on removing gel polish). The AAD also advises against removing gel polish that is starting to come off with other nails or tools and recommends making an appointment at a nail salon to have it removed (the AAD on gel manicures). So leave the gel on the nail, even if it no longer looks nice. Why gel comes away from the natural nail in the first place is explained in the article Gel nails lifting.

Superglue on a broken gel nail: why it is not a good fix

If you want to repair a cracked gel nail at home, you will come across advice online to glue the crack with superglue. In the same article, WebMD counters that superglue is not meant for use on skin and can irritate it, and suggests leaving it out if the sensitive skin under the nail is exposed.

Besides, according to a dermatology article in the journal Cutis, ethyl cyanoacrylate, the substance known as superglue, is one of the acrylates that have been identified as triggers of an allergy to nail products (Cutis on allergies caused by nail products). A dermatological review of at-home nail cosmetics also summarises case reports in which nail glues containing ethyl cyanoacrylate caused allergic contact dermatitis, with inflamed skin on the backs of the hands, the face and the eyelids, eczema on the fingertips and, in some cases, changes to the nail, even to the point of the nail coming away from the nail bed (Wang and Lipner, 2024). So leave the glue in the drawer.

Cracked gel nail: what you can do until your appointment

Saving a broken gel nail until your appointment mainly means protecting it from snagging, water and pressure. A plaster wrapped around the fingertip covers a torn edge so that it does not catch on fabric.

Keep the nail as dry as you can, because according to the AAD bacteria and fungi thrive in a moist environment, and too much water can weaken nails so that they split, peel or break. For this reason the AAD recommends wearing gloves for washing up and cleaning, and moisturising your hands after washing (the AAD's tips for healthy nails).

Spare the finger when opening cans and packaging too, because the AAD advises against using your nails as tools, as they can chip or split.

When the finger needs to be seen by a doctor

If the nail broke because you knocked it, trapped it in something or cut it, more than the gel may be injured. Have the finger looked at quickly at an accident and emergency department or by your doctor if you notice any of the following:

• The bleeding does not stop soon when you press on it.
• The wound under or next to the nail looks deep, or long enough to need stitches.
• The nail has come away from the nail bed completely or in part.
• A bruise under the nail covers more than a quarter of the nail, or the pain is severe and does not ease.
• The finger looks misshapen, or you cannot bend and straighten it normally.

MedlinePlus and WebMD name these signs as reasons to have a nail injury treated by a doctor (WebMD on first aid for nail injuries). In the days afterwards, too, the finger needs a doctor if pus, redness or warmth appear around the nail or a red streak spreads from the wound, because according to WebMD these are signs of infection. More generally, the AAD advises seeing a dermatologist about nails that change, swell or hurt. While you are there, also ask when gel can go back on the nail.

Refill or removal at Anni Nails in Meidling

If you want to stay with gel, Anni Nails offers "Gel Refill + Manicure (short & medium length)". It includes a manicure, the gel refill, levelling and strengthening of the natural nail, and a single-colour gel polish or French. The treatment takes about two and a half hours and costs €60, and Anastasia works only with short nails and does not do extensions.

If you would rather be rid of the gel, "Gel Removal" takes about an hour and costs €25. About 70 per cent of the material is taken off with a drill down to the base layer and the remaining 30 per cent is softened and carefully removed so that the natural nail is not damaged, and at the end a nourishing serum goes on the nails, but a manicure is not included. How to look after your natural nail afterwards is covered in the article Gel nail removal.

Anastasia has been doing manicures for more than ten years, and every treatment includes a personal consultation on caring for your nails and hands, where you can also ask how to look after the nail until the torn part has grown out. If your finger was injured, please say so before the treatment, as you would with allergies, skin conditions or other health concerns.

The studio at Schönbrunner Straße 253, 1120 Vienna, is open Monday to Saturday from 9 am to 8 pm, and on Sundays on request. You will find all prices under Services and prices, and you can choose a free slot online under Book an appointment.