A torn or detached nail is no laughing matter. The act is often extremely painful and jarring and some may start to panic and wonder what to do. First and foremost, it’s important to seek first aid as soon as possible to prevent infection and eliminate the pain. If there is someone around to help you out, it’s even better, especially if the nail is a fingernail and on your dominant hand.

Keep in mind that a nail, whether it be a toenail or a fingernail, will not reattach to the nail bed, no matter how hard you try. Even if you leave the nail alone, it will eventually fall off as the new nail grows and takes its place. For fingernails, it can take up to 6 months to get back to its normal growth, where a toenail can take up to 18 months, depending on which nail was affected and how severe the tear is.

How is it treated?

Again, it all depends on the type of injury that has occurred to your nail. If a part of the nail is still left and is digging into the nail bed, removing it would be the best course of action to prevent the rest of the nail catching and tearing on clothing and other objects. For less severe cases, trimming off the detached part and filing down any sharp edges of the nail will suffice. If there was any kind of infection or skin condition that caused the nail to fall off, seeking treatment to prevent the spread of infection and to speed up the healing process is recommended.

Once the nail has been removed, soak the damaged nail in cold water for 20 minutes, then remove it, coat it in a thin layer of Vaseline or a similar product, and cover the nail with a bandage, preferably non stick. All of these items can be found at your nearest grocery or convenience store.

In the days that follow, you’ll want to keep treating the nail to prevent any infection from occurring.

To do this, you’ll need to:

• Soak your damaged nail in warm water with 1 tsp of salt added to it. Repeat this 2 to 3 times each day for the next few days.
• Apply Vaseline or a similar product, and cover your nail with a fresh bandage.
• Repeat the Vaseline and bandage procedure until the nail bed has either hardened or the nail has grown back.
• Keep watch for any signs of infection such as heat, redness, unusual pain, swelling, or pus. Contact your doctor if any of these signs appear as you may be prescribed an antibiotic to rid your nail of the infection.

Once your nail has grown back, be sure to pick up a bottle of Plei Nail Strengthener and apply to your nails every day to prevent this kind of injury from happening again.

It’s no secret that nail clippers are outdated and impractical. The archaic design does little to benefit your nails as the shape doesn’t aid in the process of shortening them. Even curved nail clippers, which are supposed to be better than the original, are curved in the wrong direction, and thus are no better than their predecessor.

But with the limited options out there, should we continue to use them? The answer is controversial as there are many who have shunned them from their beauty routine and opted for a nail file, and those who love the convenience of a quick cut and refuse to give them up. While no one can argue with the time saving properties of the original, the nail file may be the better choice overall as the use of a nail clipper may be the cause of split and cracked nails.

What happens when you use the nail clipper is that you are applying pressure and flattening the nail as you cut through the nail plate. This, in turn, weakens the nail and cracks the keratin that is holding the layers of the nail together.

Below, you’ll find a video that demonstrates what happens to your nail when you apply the heavy pressure of a nail clipper to your nails.

While you make the switch from nail clippers to a nail file, be sure to use Plei Nail Strengthener to speed up the process and get on track to healthy, strong nails.

Artificial nails have grown increasingly popular over the years, and more people than ever now are flocking to the salons for their own splash of colour and lengthening enhancement. The process can be quite lengthy depending on the route that you take as well as the experience of the nail technician, and the nails themselves typically last for month or so before people go back for a touch-up. This all depends on how fast your nails grow, as well as if the nail ends up chipping or breaking off entirely.

The most popular kinds of artificial nails are acrylic and gel nails. Both are similiar in the fact that they are made with acrylic, but gel nails require a further step called “curing” which is done with the aid of a machine that emits ultraviolet light. The acrylic adheres to your natural nail, and as your nail grows, the space between your nail bed and the acrylic also grows, resulting in a gap.

Nail technicians will warn you beforehand that when this happens that you should keep your hands as dry as possible as the gap creates a moist and warm environment where bacteria can fester and grow, resulting in a possible nail infection. Signs and symptoms of a nail infection include swelling, redness, and pus.

With proper care, this doesn’t happen to most people. Artificial nails are completely safe and do not damage your nails, but nail technicians do advise that you give your nails a break every 2-3 months to allow your natural nails to breathe. This can be done either at home with various tools, or your nail technician can remove them using a special formula designed to remove acrylic.

After removing your artificial nails, Plei Nail Strengthener can be applied to strengthen up the nails for their next round of acrylics and to keep them healthy and strong.