Nail silk repair: how to fix a broken nail with a silk wrap

Broken nails are a real pain in the butt. If you’ve landed here I’m guessing that recently, you noticed that one of your nails has broken and/or split. So what can you do? A nail silk repair of course!

If you haven’t discovered the magic of silk nail repairs yet, you’re in for a treat!

In this post, I’m going to walk you through everything you need to know about repairing your nail with silk wraps.

Let’s dive in!

Here’s what we’ll cover:

What is nail silk repair and how does it work

The benefits of using nail silk repair

How to do nail silk repair on your own at home

Can a broken gel nail be fixed?

How do you wrap a cracked nail?

How do you fix a broken silk wrap on a nail?

How do you fix a broken nail without glue?

Final thoughts

FAQs about nail silk repair

What is nail silk repair and how does it work

Nail silk repair is an easy and affordable way to fix a broken or split nail.

It works by wrapping the silk around your natural nail, providing stability and strength while still allowing for flexibility.

Silk wraps are not damaging to your nails and can last for up to two weeks.

With a silk nail repair, basically, you cut and apply a thin layer of silk to your nail.

You place a very small piece of silk nail wrap over the crack itself. Or alternatively, you can choose to cover the entire nail plate with silk.

You can use nail glue, a clear resin, or a soak-off gel to complete the repair.

The benefits of using nail silk repair

There are a few reasons why you might want to try nail silk repair:

It’s easy to do – Silk wraps are very easy to apply, even if you’ve never done it before.

It’s affordable – A pack of silk wraps costs around $5.

They’re durable – The fibers in a silk wrap are very durable and can last up to two weeks.

They’re flexible – Silk wraps move with your natural nail, so they don’t cause any further damage.

It’s really easy to remove them –  If you want to remove your silk wraps, you can just soak them in water or acetone for 10 minutes, and then they’ll peel right off.

How to do nail silk repair on your own at home

Now that you know a little more about nail silk repair, let’s go over how to do it.

It’s super easy!

What you’ll need

• A silk nail wrap Click to check price (non-adhesive or self-adhesive will work)
• Tweezers
• Scissors
• A dotting tool or an orangewood stick
• Nail glue (or a brush on resin and activator)
• Soak off gel (optional but can be used to strengthen the repair)
• Rubbing alcohol or nail polish remover
• A Pad or cotton ball
• A nail file and/or a buffer

How to repair your nail with a silk wrap step by step

Here are the steps:

1. Prepare the nail.

If you’re wearing polish, remove it. Then buff the surface gently to smooth it out. Wipe the dust away using a cotton pad soaked in rubbing alcohol or nail polish remover.

2. Measure out the size you want. 

Take the silk and hold it up against your nail. You can do this by eye or mark the width you need with a pen.

3. Cut a small piece of silk wrap that will fit over the crack in your nail.

If you’re covering the entire nail plate, you can cut a larger piece. Be careful not to stretch the silk while you’re doing this. 

Also, try not to touch it with your fingers as this will add oil to the silk and we don’t want that.

If you are covering the whole nail, you’ll need to cut off the corners at one edge for a better fit around the cuticle.

4. Apply a thin layer of glue or resin to the damaged part of your nail.

The best way to do this is to use a dotting tool or an orangewood stick.

Make sure that the nail is flush where the break is so that it’s as seamless as it can be. 

Apply glue or clear resin (make sure you have an activator if your resin requires one) across the break or crack using the dotting tool or an orangewood stick.

5. Apply a full coat of resin (or soak-off gel base if you’re using that). 

Don’t cure or use the activator yet. You can also use a builder gel for this.

6. Place the pre-cut silk nail wrap onto the nail. 

It’s best to use tweezers for this step and don’t touch it with your fingers.

7. Make sure the silk is fully saturated. 

You want all the material to be saturated in the liquid, so add a little more gel or resin if you have dry areas.

8. Cure or apply an activator and let dry. 

Cure for 2 minutes in a UV lamp or 30-60 seconds in an LED lamp. If you’re using resin, apply your activator and wait for it to dry for 1 to 2 minutes.

9. Trim the excess silk. 

Take the scissors and cut around the nail to remove any extra material.

10. Add a second layer of gel or resin. 

Paint around the cuticles as normal, but when you get to the break, don’t press as hard. Instead, let the brush glide over the nail. 

That way you’ll get a slightly thicker coat over the damaged section.

11. Cure or activate again. 

Cure for 2 minutes in a UV lamp or 30-60 seconds in an LED lamp. If you’re using resin, apply your activator and wait for it to dry for 1 to 2 minutes.

12. Wipe your nail. 

Take a cotton ball or pad and wipe over the nail. This will remove any stickiness and prepare your nail for the buffing step.

13. Buff your nail. 

Use a 180 grit file or a nail buffer to smooth the whole surface of the nail plate and get rid of any bumpy bits.

14. Wipe again to remove any dust and file down the free edge. 

File your silk tip to the shape you want.

15. Add a gel topcoat. 

This will seal everything nicely and give you a good shine. If you were wearing polish before, then go ahead and apply that first.

That’s it – you’re finished, so sit back and enjoy your shiny new nail!

Can a broken gel nail be fixed?

Absolutely! In fact, it’s pretty easy to do. All you need is a little bit of nail silk and some nail glue or resin. Follow the steps above and you’ll have your gel nails back in no time!

How do you wrap a cracked nail?

The silk nail repair process is the same whether your nail is broken, split, or cracked. Depending on the damage, you may need to add a second or even a third layer of silk.

Just follow the steps above! It’s really easy to do and will take just a few minutes.

How do you fix a broken silk wrap on a nail?

If your silk wrap somehow breaks, remove it by soaking it in water (if you used resin) or acetone (if you used gel).

Soak for 10 minutes, then apply a new silk wrap from scratch.

How do you fix a broken nail without glue?

If you don’t have any glue, you can use silk wrap, resin, and an activator to fix your nail.

You can also use builder gel or a soak-off gel base.

Final thoughts

Nail silk is an absolute lifesaver! It’s a really great way to fix a broken or split nail. It’s easy to apply nail silk and the wrap will last for up to two weeks. If your nail break happens while you’re wearing polish, you can take it off, add a silk wrap, and re-paint – voila! Your manicure is saved! 

I hope that this article was helpful. If you have any questions, please feel free to check out the FAQ section below. Thanks for reading!

FAQs about nail silk repair

1. What is the silk nail repair process?

The silk nail repair process is pretty simple. First, you’ll need to clean and prep your nails. Next, you’ll apply a layer of gel or resin to your nail. Then, you’ll place the silk wrap on your nail and make sure it’s fully saturated. Finally, you’ll cure or activate the gel or resin and trim the excess silk wrap.

2. How long does nail silk repair take?

The whole process should only take about 15 minutes.

3. How long does a silk nail wrap last?

A silk nail wrap will last for up to two weeks.

4. Can I use nail polish with my silk nail wrap?

Yes, you can! In fact, if you have a break in your manicure, you can take off the polish, add a silk wrap, and then re-paint.

5. Do I need to use gel or resin with my nail silk?

Both will work so use what you have. But make sure you use an activator if you’re using a brush on resin. Otherwise, it won’t dry.

5. Where do you get silk wraps?

You can buy silk wraps from ebay, Amazon, and most beauty stores. Sally’s have them.

6. What kind of silk nail wraps are there?

There are 2 main types. Self-adhesive and non-adhesive. Self-adhesive has a sticky back like a nail polish strip or decal. Non-adhesive is just fabric.

Other useful posts:

What are silk nail wraps? Here’s what you need to know.

How long do silk wrap nails last? Everything you need to know.

What color nail polish goes with a green dress?

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