# How can I fix this fingernail? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 11, 2021, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-fix-this-fingernail/955864 "2021-12-11T00:51:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2021, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-fix-this-fingernail/955864/1 "2021-12-11T00:51:04Z")
Minor but annoying problem. One of my fingernails appears to have a permanent split in it. I trim it back and file it down as far as I can, but under magnification I can still see the split. I keep filing it as it grows but the split is still there. Whenever I let it grow even a little, the split is manifest. Is there a remedy for this? ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2021, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-fix-this-fingernail/955864/2 "2021-12-11T01:09:31Z")
No clue, but I have the same thing in 4 nails =( ---
**Author:** ![PB\_J](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/6de8d8/32.png) [@PB\_J](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PB_J)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2021, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-fix-this-fingernail/955864/3 "2021-12-11T03:04:20Z")
I had that once and someone told me to use a clear nail hardener. Also file the nail short until it grows out (to keep it from snagging on something). I found that putting the hardner on the top of the nail, the edge and as far under the tip as I could, it worked wonders. Nail hardeners are on Amazon. You can pay as much or as little as you would like. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2021, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-fix-this-fingernail/955864/4 "2021-12-11T03:16:39Z")
I had a nail split down the center once when I was a teenager. I glued a Lee Press-On Nail to it until it grew out. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2021, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-fix-this-fingernail/955864/5 "2021-12-11T04:02:12Z")
I think I’d rather try the nail hardener. I think I’ve seen them in the drugstore. Thanks for the suggestion. ---
**Author:** ![GreenWyvern](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/greenwyvern/32/2834_2.png) [@GreenWyvern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenWyvern)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2021, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-fix-this-fingernail/955864/6 "2021-12-11T04:08:08Z")
Superglue – I’m serious, and I’ve used it successfully. Spread a small amount of clear superglue over the split, holding it together if necessary, and being careful not to glue your skin. It will hold the nail together and prevent it splitting further until it grows out. If necessary apply some more after a few months. It worked well for me for a badly split toenail. ---
**Author:** ![PB\_J](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/6de8d8/32.png) [@PB\_J](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PB_J)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2021, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-fix-this-fingernail/955864/7 "2021-12-11T21:38:38Z")
Yea, I’m sure you have seen them in the drugstore. They are very common. I hope you have the same good results that I did. ---
**Author:** ![48Willys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/4/db5fbb/32.png) [@48Willys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/48Willys)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2021, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-fix-this-fingernail/955864/8 "2021-12-11T23:56:56Z")
X2 on the Superglue. It works well & you probably already have some on hand. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2021, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-fix-this-fingernail/955864/9 "2021-12-12T16:06:05Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > Is there a remedy for this? There might not be a permanent one, depending on how bad the injury was that cause it to start splitting. About a decade ago I was yanking small branches off a fallen dead tree because they were getting in my way as I did yardwork. One of the branches was less dried out than its fellows and when I went to pull it off I lost my grip and it whipped back at my hand. I was wearing gloves but I knew it was bad because blood was already seeping though the glove’s thumb before I got it off. And ever since, that thumbnail splits several times a year, and there’s not much I can do beyond trimming the nail down every time it happens. ---
**Author:** ![TRC4941](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trc4941/32/6792_2.png) [@TRC4941](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TRC4941)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2021, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-fix-this-fingernail/955864/10 "2021-12-13T16:23:41Z")
Yep - Superglue! Make sure you get the gel variety. The regular type will get everywhere. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2021, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-fix-this-fingernail/955864/11 "2021-12-13T17:27:50Z")
I appreciate all the advice. I have decided for now to go with the nail hardener. I clipped and filed the nail back to the quick, so there was no visible split, and then applied the nail hardener. That was about 3 days ago. It has not grown out enough yet to see if it is working. I will reserve super glue in case this doesn’t work. ---
**Author:** ![alovem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@alovem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alovem)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2021, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-fix-this-fingernail/955864/12 "2021-12-13T18:38:17Z")
There’s a long history of guitarists using it. Not so much for repair as for hardening nails (right hand). French fingerstylist Pierre Bensusan recommends it in a book of his. I have no experience with the gel type, but I think it’d work better, as noted upthread. With a pin or toothpick, spread it over the outermost half of the nail (to allow the rest to “breathe”) and sprinkle baking soda over it to harden. Bensusan also recommends not carrying baking soda in your luggage or on your person when crossing borders… ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2021, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-fix-this-fingernail/955864/13 "2021-12-21T04:01:54Z")
Reporting back in to note that the nail hardener seems to be working well. It is about 10 days since I started using it, and the nail is growing back without any visible or otherwise detectable split. I’m going to keep it on for at least another week, or until it is time to trim the nail again. ---
**Author:** ![PB\_J](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/6de8d8/32.png) [@PB\_J](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PB_J)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2021, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-fix-this-fingernail/955864/14 "2021-12-22T00:49:03Z")
That’s great news…thanks for the update. Do you reapply it every few days? I did, just to make sure it did not wear off and expose the split. No need to remove what is on the nail already, just add another coat or two. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2021, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-fix-this-fingernail/955864/15 "2021-12-22T04:06:40Z")
I slap a little more on pretty much every day. I did clean it all off once to see more clearly how it was growing out, then immediately re-applied. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2023, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-fix-this-fingernail/955864/16 "2023-08-10T03:19:36Z")
I am bumping this thread to report, at long last, success with this earth-shattering issue. I have had setback after setback, when I thought the crack had grown out and gone away but no, there it is still, and at the slightest excuse the split would manifest and I would have to trim it and file it and keep piling on the nail hardener. But then I kind of forgot about it, and I stopped putting on the nail hardener, and today I realized, Hey! It’s growing out and it’s still smooth, and even under magnification I can’t see the split. Maybe I noticed because a couple of weeks ago I discovered a split in the same finger on the other hand. That one may be faster to fix, it’s hard to tell for sure. But I won’t be posting about it.