Three reflexes for a broken nail: do not tear it off, file in one direction only, and protect it with a discreet plaster while you wait. At 7 rue d'Argenteuil, a €10 repair in 20 minutes rescues a surface crack. For a deeper break, the €50 gel overlay reinforces all ten nails.
A nail catches on the car door, splits while you unpack a suitcase, lifts after a bump: it happens to everyone. The golden rule is to buy time without making things worse, then come and see us quickly.
1. Identify the break: surface or deep?
Before any gesture, look at the split in natural light. Two scenarios.
- Surface crack: the split sits on top, the nail does not bleed, the nail bed (the skin underneath) stays intact. The most common situation in winter when the nail plate is drier.
- Deep break: the split runs down to the pink zone, sometimes to the bed. Part of the nail may be lifted. Rarer but more delicate — leave that one to us.
In both cases, never tear off a fragment. Pulling on a piece risks taking healthy tissue with it and delaying regrowth by several weeks.
2. The right home gesture: file, never cut
The natural reflex — reaching for nail clippers — is exactly what to avoid. Clippers apply pressure that extends the split lengthwise. Instead:
- Use a fine-grit file (180 or 240 grit, never a cheap cardboard file).
- File in one direction only, not back-and-forth — the back-and-forth movement weakens the keratin layers.
- Soften just the edge so it does not catch on clothing or hair.
- Apply a discreet flesh-toned plaster until your appointment to prevent the split from widening.
💡 Tip: If you wear semi-permanent and the break is hidden under the coat, do not try to peel it off with a knife or your teeth. A €10 hand semi-permanent removal at the salon is the only clean way to access it.
3. At the salon: two solutions depending on depth
At You Rêve Paris, a manicure salon in the 1st arrondissement, the decision depends on the diagnosis made by Dodo, Eva, Xin or Melody when you arrive.
Simple repair — €10 / 20 minutes
For a surface crack we proceed in three steps: cleaning and filing the area, laying a silk wrap or a fine gel layer, then sculpting and top coat. The nail is reinforced locally, leaving the other nine untouched.
Gel overlay — €50 / 50 minutes
If the break reveals a wider fragility — several lifting nails, thin keratin, harsh winter — the gel overlay protects the whole hand. A thin layer of reinforcing gel is applied to all ten nails, sculpted and cured under LED lamp. Wear time: 3 to 5 weeks.
Why nails break more in January
Parisian winter is hard on keratin: dry heated air, repeated hand sanitiser, cold outdoors, gloves on and off. The plate becomes brittle within weeks. Three simple gestures limit the damage: cuticle oil at night, cotton gloves for household chores, and a monthly hand-care session at the salon with the €55 SPA Luxe Manicure.
When to come without delay
Some signals call for a quick visit:
- A split that bleeds or exposes the nail bed.
- A fragment lifted by more than one millimetre.
- Lasting pain to pressure.
- A break on a nail already extended with tips, Gel-X or forms — we remove the extension cleanly before repairing.
A nail snapping? We save it in 20 minutes.
Repair, overlay or removal: book a slot 3 minutes from Tuileries metro.
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