Damaged nails?

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Hnails30

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Hi all! Looking for some advice. Had a friend who has filed and pulled off their hard gel. The nails now are sensitive if things touch of it and to heat. Therr is a crack down on of the nails. Would it be best to put fresh gel over the nail now to allow it to grow out and not be sore with them hitting off things? I am concerned about taking the shine off though as well as don't want to further damage the nail. Any advice would be welcomed. Thanks!
 
Hi all! Looking for some advice. Had a friend who has filed and pulled off their hard gel. The nails now are sensitive if things touch of it and to heat. Therr is a crack down on of the nails. Would it be best to put fresh gel over the nail now to allow it to grow out and not be sore with them hitting off things? I am concerned about taking the shine off though as well as don't want to further damage the nail. Any advice would be welcomed. Thanks!
I would leave these to heal for a few months. Oil and lotion.
 
Any shine left would be natural oils easily removed with dehydrating cleanser. The original purpose of ‘removing the shine’ which is abrading the nail plate was to give more surface area for adhesion of product.

Sounds as if she has done that herself. If you decide to reapply product, just clean well and leave off the extra prep. Maybe put her into gel polish which will protect the tender nail plate but not be so hard to remove.

Solar Oil used daily will permeate the Shellac and help the nail plate.
 
Generally speaking, pain is a signal to stop doing whatever causes the pain!

It is hard to tell from here what is causing the pain - nails filed too thin, damaged cuticles, split nail, etc., but she should listen to the signal and give her nails a break. I would recommend at least eight weeks (and preferably six months) without any enhancements. During that time she should focus on healing her damaged nails and letting them grow out healthy. I recommend tea tree oil on her nails, the eponychium and side walls, and hyponychium a few times during the day; Nail Rehab at night; supplemental biotin everyday. Keep her nails short. You could do a gentle weekly manicure, but avoid even nail polish if you can, and no buffing or "removing the shine" on her nails ever.
 
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Generally speaking, pain is a signal to stop doing whatever causes the pain!

It is hard to tell from here what is causing the pain - nails filed too thin, damaged cuticles, split nail, etc., but she should listen to the signal and give her nails a break. I would recommend at least eight weeks (and preferably six months) without any enhancements. During that time she should focus on healing her damaged nails and letting them grow our healthy. I recommend tea tree oil on her nails, the eponychium and side walls, and hyponychium a few times during the day; Nail Rehab at night; supplemental biotin everyday. Keep her nails short. You could do a gentle weekly manicure, but avoid even nail polish if you can, and no buffing or "removing the shine" on her nails ever.
Thank you so much. Much appreciated!
 
Any shine left would be natural oils easily removed with dehydrating cleanser. The original purpose of ‘removing the shine’ which is abrading the nail plate was to give more surface area for adhesion of product.

Sounds as if she has done that herself. If you decide to reapply product, just clean well and leave off the extra prep. Maybe put her into gel polish which will protect the tender nail plate but not be so hard to remove.

Solar Oil used daily will permeate the Shellac and help the nail plate.
Thanks so much for your advice
 
Any shine left would be natural oils easily removed with dehydrating cleanser. The original purpose of ‘removing the shine’ which is abrading the nail plate was to give more surface area for adhesion of product.

Sounds as if she has done that herself. If you decide to reapply product, just clean well and leave off the extra prep. Maybe put her into gel polish which will protect the tender nail plate but not be so hard to remove.

Solar Oil used daily will permeate the Shellac and help the nail plate.
Thank you so much
 
I actually did this to myself when training in acrylics, gel & e-filing. Used my own left hand for practice too many times & filed off way too many times in a short space of time. Lesson learned. The sensitivity is from too much friction from over filing & the resulting thinned nail plate. The only thing you can do is wait til the thinned & damaged nail plate has grown out. You could apply tips & overlays but you'd have to be soooo careful not to cause further damage & when the nails are already so thin it's almost impossible. I basically kept my nails cut as short as poss for about 4 months. A couple that had quite bad splits in them, I applied plasters to until they'd grown enough to stop catching on everything. Applied nail oil or hand cream several times a day and waited it out. It's miserable at the time but I'm pleased to say no lasting damage and 6 months later my nails were completely back to normal.
 
I actually did this to myself when training in acrylics, gel & e-filing. Used my own left hand for practice too many times & filed off way too many times in a short space of time. Lesson learned. The sensitivity is from too much friction from over filing & the resulting thinned nail plate. The only thing you can do is wait til the thinned & damaged nail plate has grown out. You could apply tips & overlays but you'd have to be soooo careful not to cause further damage & when the nails are already so thin it's almost impossible. I basically kept my nails cut as short as poss for about 4 months. A couple that had quite bad splits in them, I applied plasters to until they'd grown enough to stop catching on everything. Applied nail oil or hand cream several times a day and waited it out. It's miserable at the time but I'm pleased to say no lasting damage and 6 months later my nails were completely back to normal.
Thanks so much ☺️
 
Hi all! Looking for some advice. Had a friend who has filed and pulled off their hard gel. The nails now are sensitive if things touch of it and to heat. Therr is a crack down on of the nails. Would it be best to put fresh gel over the nail now to allow it to grow out and not be sore with them hitting off things? I am concerned about taking the shine off though as well as don't want to further damage the nail. Any advice would be welcomed. Thanks!
Is the crack down to the nail bed?
 
Hi all! Looking for some advice. Had a friend who has filed and pulled off their hard gel. The nails now are sensitive if things touch of it and to heat. Therr is a crack down on of the nails. Would it be best to put fresh gel over the nail now to allow it to grow out and not be sore with them hitting off things? I am concerned about taking the shine off though as well as don't want to further damage the nail. Any advice would be welcomed. Thanks!

Hello Wangel,
I feel for your friend. Those nails will be sensitive for a while. The top layer has been ripped away, thinning the nail and exposing sensitive nail bed. You can help.

2 thoughts.
1 - cover them with something light to ease the sensitivity while they grow out. Silk wrap would be best. Applied with cyanoacrylate glue(super glue, nail glue) will provide comfort and damage what is left of the nails the least. Do NOT apply acrylic! Gels could be ok but just a thin layer. Most gels are primarily a cyanoacrylate compound. Do not rough the nails or use any kind of primer if you choose this route.
2 - Leave the nails alone. Have them apply neosporin or its equivalent to the nails and cuticules each night before bed. This will help remoisterize the cuticle area and speed healing. You can apply a restorative base coat only to the nails. MOst polish is made of harsh chemicals so just a simple base coat to cover the nails if anything. This should last a couple of weeks, maybe up to four.

Patience is the key. If you need help applying silk wraps I am sure you can find Youtube videos to help.

Hope this helps.
 
Sounds very painful and sore!

Definitely leave them for now i'd say. Recommend her to use OPI nail envy to get them strong again. It is the best for strengthening nails! As well as regularly using a cuticle oil. Could also be worth her taking some kind of hair & nails vitamin supplement.

Agree with the comment above that you do need a bit of patience too sadly. Hope they're looking healthier soon!
 
One more thing. Do NOT extend the nails if you decide to wrap or gel them! The weakness of the nails will cause a lot more problems.
 
I’d keep the free edge (if any or when grown back) sealed by gentle minimal professional (from edge inward either side) filing as the nail will be more porous to water until they are healed, and consider using a neutral clear polish not any strengtheners.

Regular nail oil or hand and nail creme on top of that will help nurse the nails back to health whilst helping the surrounding skin stay hydrated to support them. One day they’ll be back 😀.

Careful of lemon or citrus based creams as they can be very drying so counterproductive x
 

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