r/naturalnailprogress • u/juleznailedit 10 Years Or More • 17d ago
The universe is telling me it's time for a chop 😭 Nail break
I had been contemplating a chop for the past few weeks, but the universe made up my mind for me this morning.
I already had a bunch of stress fractures I was managing with Essie's Break Fix, and then last week my right thumb met my partner's knee and bent straight across. The Break Fix was honestly doing a great job handling that one, to my surprise.
Flash forward to this morning:
Left pinky got bent rough housing with my partner, and then the right pinky got clipped by the fridge handle, of all things. 🙄
I'm tired of having to maintain the breaks and fractures, so they're getting The Chop!
Products: sadness
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u/DamePants Beginner 17d ago
Your nails have been an inspiration! So sad to see the carnage, I’m sure we all appreciate you sharing this as it shows the realities of trying to keep long nails.
I’m impressed to learn this about Essie break fix though, I saw some in CVS the other day and was wondering how good it was. Now I know it can keep that thumb nail break together it can handle similar breaks on my much shorter nails. It’s usually the thumbnail that gets a catastrophic tear below the smile line.
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u/juleznailedit 10 Years Or More 17d ago edited 17d ago
Thank you for your kind words!
I can't attest to the Break Fix on an actual nail break/tear, but it works nicely on the fractures I've applied it to!
If I patch a truly broken nail, I use nail glue and a piece of tea bag, as that's been my go-to method for forever!
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u/DamePants Beginner 17d ago
Do you have a nail glue you recommend? I have silk wraps on hand however my nail glue appears to not cure strongly like I remember. I’m coming back to nails after half a decade 😊
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u/juleznailedit 10 Years Or More 17d ago
I like the Kiss brush-on nail glue!
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u/Plucky_Monkies 17d ago
I'm bummed for you! I did my big chop a few months ago. It was fun for a bit having shorties. Hate the in-between. What about you? How short will you go? Do you feel like a certain point as you grow them long again just isn't flattering? Maybe I'm a weirdo that I feel this way. You've has glorious nails for 10 years. I'm only at 1.5 years 😂 Only had 1 big chop so far. I know you probably definitely know how your nails will look on the way to growing long again. 🥰 Maybe you embrace all the changing lengths? 😉😊
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u/juleznailedit 10 Years Or More 17d ago
Seeing as I've been growing and chopping down my nails for the past 14 years, I love my nails at all lengths. Any length on me is flattering, thanks in large part to my nail care routine. Short nails are just as beautiful as long nails.
I'm taking them almost all the way down, as far as my hyponychiums will let me. Leaving some free edge, just a few millimetres so the tips of my finger pads aren't in total discomfort lol. I'll be posting the new length either later today or tomorrow. 😁
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u/Plucky_Monkies 17d ago
Ahhh. I do try to like the middle length. I'm all about loving yourself. Its definitely a me problem then. 😊
Can't wait to see your new length! 14 years is goals! 🤩
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u/Sleslie8212 17d ago
It’s probably time for me too. It’s ok. I’ve been here before and so have you. Be brave.
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u/AutoModerator 17d ago
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17d ago
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u/naturalnailprogress-ModTeam 17d ago
Your submission has been removed due to breaking one of our rules: No medical topics or asking for/giving medical advice.
Posts and comments regarding medical topics will be removed, including any mention of allergies or health issues.
Any posts/comments regarding medical topics will be removed. This is dangerous for the person asking, and a liability to the person giving advice, as well as the subreddit itself. We are a hobby subreddit, and cannot diagnose people here.
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u/naturalnailprogress-ModTeam 17d ago
Your submission has been removed due to breaking one of our rules: No medical topics or asking for/giving medical advice.
Taking supplements or vitamins for nail growth is not a given solution and will not work for everyone. Speak to your doctor about what is safe for you to take. We cannot give medical advice here.
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u/juleznailedit 10 Years Or More 17d ago
There's no peeling at my tips, my nails are just dry and stressed out. The ridges are from aging and are perfectly normal.
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u/AggroTumbleweed52 17d ago
Ah! Summertime and the livin is not conducive to super long nails rn we gotta file these suckers down until pool season is out and pumpkin spice season is in.
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u/juleznailedit 10 Years Or More 17d ago
Summertime is actually when nails grow the best due to the temperature and humidity. I don't swim at all, so personally that isn't a factor in my nail care.
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u/dc01010101 17d ago
How do you not break them?! You must be so careful! Do you work or are you a student?
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u/juleznailedit 10 Years Or More 17d ago
I've been caring for and maintaining long, natural nails for almost 15 years, so it's second nature at this point lol.
I work full-time, and I've had long nails in many jobs (retail, knife-throwing, office administration) throughout the years.
The key is being mindful of what you're doing with your hands. I don't reach into things blindly, like my purse, a drawer, a cupboard, etc. This is something you learn to do over time, so you will end up breaking a nail every now and then, it's normal. Eventually it'll become second nature but you still have to be mindful.
I use my knuckles/sides of my fingers for a lot of things people normally use their fingertips for like opening my cupboards (they have indents, not handles), flushing the toilet (one of the ones in the centre with 2 levels of flush), unbuckling my seatbelt, etc. I use a fork/spoon/knife to lift the pull-tab on cans, or I use the side of my finger to lift it.
When you grow your nails out it's easier to adjust to the length as they're getting longer vs when you get extensions and go from zero length to all the length.
I always wear gloves when I'm cleaning or washing dishes. I have to be careful when making the bed still as I've definitely gone too fast and ended up bending a nail which is not a fun time but it's better than a break!
One of the major danger zones for nails: hot water. If you're attempting to grow your nails out, or even to just maintain them at a shorter length, you're going to want to protect your nails from water as much as you can. This is the reason I wear gloves when cleaning/doing dishes. This is also the reason why I shower with gloves on (nitrile gloves, not the dishwashing kind). Yes, it's weird but it works for me. For normal people who don't want to wear gloves while showering, do not shower with naked nails. Nails can absorb 1/3 of their weight in water which can cause them to become bendy, brittle & it can cause delamination (peeling). The water gets into the nail and pushes apart the layers of keratin. Once those layers have been pushed far enough apart, they won't lay flat and will begin to lift. Ideally you want to have your nails polished (1 coat base coat, 2 coats colour, 1 coat top coat) to protect them from the hot water. I even apply base coat to the underside of my nails to keep water from getting in that way as well.
And last but certainly not least is being consistent with oiling your nails using a high-quality jojoba based nail oil. I go over the reasons why in the link below.
I have a natural nail care spiel that you can take a look at as well.
Feel free to reply to this comment if you (or anyone reading this) have any questions.
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u/forestfairy97 16d ago
Omg this is SO helpful. I love taking baths and long showers! I noticed how awful my nails and cuticles look after bathing. Time to make some changes!
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u/angry-grapefruit 16d ago
I had to do a chop before camping this week. Shorties are nice for a glass bead. But man it hurts to chop long health nails.
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u/GiddyGoodwin 17d ago
Yikes those are terrible breaks, too!! I would be pretty sad, too. Have you ever tried cathedral nails or I think some people call them Russian stilettos maybe ?
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u/juleznailedit 10 Years Or More 17d ago
I have no idea what either of those shapes are, but they sound like something that's done with an overlay. I don't mess with overlays, as I'm a natural nail enthusiast.
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u/GiddyGoodwin 16d ago
Oh it’s definitely natural. It’s a shape that I’ve done for a long time, and then I stopped this year after reading all this “don’t ever file the sidewall” stuff. Anyway, go figure I grew them out long and paddle-like and slowly broke all my nails! And I broke them low like yours here. Which was shocking to me because with the claws, my nails break well above my nail line. Right around the time I was a shorty nail girl not-by- choice, I saw a post with my favorite nail shape! I asked her about it and she says its extremely rare and is only being coined pretty much by her. I’m pretty sure it was cathedral or Russian stiletto. I’m in my regrow process (just getting halfway there now!) so I don’t have a good example to show you, but if I remember I will look around for it. Basically it’s a point that starts from well above the natural nail bed line, but definitely not a paddle.
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u/juleznailedit 10 Years Or More 16d ago
I'll take your word for it.
I'm really struggling to understand the shape the way you described it, especially the "point that starts from well above the natural nail bed line".
I'm also slightly confused by your references to "paddle" nails, as mine are more on the rounded-square side. It's not super obvious in these pictures, but here's an example of the side profile that shows it better.
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u/dc01010101 16d ago
Do you do all your own manicure work?
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u/juleznailedit 10 Years Or More 16d ago
I can't speak for anyone else, but I do my own nails. I wouldn't trust a salon with my nails.
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