How To: The Tea Bag Trick
Today, something awful happened. I broke a nail! I’m not really sure how it happened. I looked down and saw a nasty tear within the free edge of my right pinky. I don’t mean to be dramatic but this is a little devastating. But I guess it happens to the best of us. Even nail artists break nails! Fortunately, there is another option aside from chopping off the nail. Have y’all heard about fixing a broken nail with a tea bag?
The tea bag trick mimics what we in the industry refer to as a “nail wrap.” Nail wraps are made of very thin products made of silk, fiberglass or paper, and can be used over natural nails to increase strength and durability. I’ve used fiberglass wraps to help my nails recover after a set of acrylics, and most states require a nail wrap procedure for state board. This trick is basically the same thing as a nail wrap, but chances are, you already have this stuff lying around the house.
Things You’ll Need
- Tweezers
- Scissors
- Yellow Buffer
- Nail File
- Nail Glue
- Tea Bag
1. Empty contents of tea bag. Cut out a small enough piece that will fit over the broken area of your nail.
2. Very lightly buff the nail to create a smooth surface.
3. Apply a thin layer of glue to the area, and then use the tweezers to place the small piece of the tea bag on the nail, like this:
4. Let it dry for a minute, then apply another thin layer of nail glue.
5. After the glue has dried, file off any excess fabric along the free edge and buff the area to smooth it out.
6. Apply polish as you usually would and finish with a top coat!
Original tea bag image via | All over images are my own
