Is Superglue Bad for Your Nails?- Reasons Explained!

You’ve worked hard to grow your nails. Or you’ve spent a lot of money on manicures. Either way, your nails are shining. But unfortunately, you ended up with a broken nail.

We know it hurts more than a thousand breakups. And at this point, you’re searching to fix it immediately. Suddenly you come across a tube of superglue.

And now you’re thinking of applying it to your nails. But you’re concerned about “is superglue bad for my nails?

The answer is yes. Superglue is bad for your nails. Because, when removing the glue from your nails, you can end up losing them. As the nail will come off with it. The glue also heats up and causes irritation. And it won’t serve any nail styling purpose. This is due to visible air pockets even after applying nail polish. Lastly, it can cause skin peeling.

Don’t get disheartened yet. Because we got a whole segment showing you other ways to fix your broken nails.

Why is Superglue Bad for Your Nails?-Explained!

We’ve already mentioned to you that superglue is really bad for your nail. You’re wanting to add some of the glue to attach your broken nail. But we say NO. Because that’s a bad idea.

We’re not claiming that it won’t fix your nail at all. It will but only temporarily. But there will be serious consequences. To give you a detailed idea, we’ve portrayed the reasons separately. So that you have a clear understanding.

Nail Can Come Off

The worst thing that could happen is the nail coming off. And we’ve witnessed it as well.

This situation occurs when trying to pull out the nail. Whenever someone tries to pull out the superglue from a nail, they usually fail. And if pulled too hard, the whole nail will come off. So if you’re not using a fake nail, it’s a huge risk.

From our experience, we’ve seen people repeat this mistake. And the results are terrifying. Because when it comes off, the only option is to rush to the hospital. 

Plus, it’s a long process to grow the nail from the roots. And then you can return to your normal nail styling. It might take months to recover.

So it’s not wise to apply super glue on your nails.

Glue Can Heat Up in Contact with Cotton

Another problem with superglue is it gets heated up in certain situations. Especially when it’s exposed to wool.

So, you may be wearing a cotton cloth. And you used super glue to attach your nails. Somehow the glue dropped, and this simple cotton heated up the glue.

We haven’t seen anyone get burned by heated glue yet. But what we’ve heard is that the glue starts warming up when it’s near the cotton fabric. 

Eventually, it gets hot and itchy. So if you don’t want to feel this burning sensation and skin irritation, avoid it. Thus, accidentally dropping the glue might not be a good idea.

Air Pockets Can Form Under The Nail Polish

If you’re using superglue to attach your nail, consider air pockets forming. Let’s break it down. The initial thought when fixing a broken nail is that you’ll style it. Especially if you’ve put superglue on it.

So you’ll probably apply gel or regular nail polish on top.

Now, superglue is super thick. Moreover, the texture changes once dried. So it will mess up the styling. Because when you apply nail polish, the air pockets will be visible. These air pockets are from the glue itself. But applying nail paint over it will make it more noticeable. 

So the ultimate goal of nail styling is meaningless if you use superglue. Because the design would be all ruined.

Skin Can Start Peeling

Once you end up with superglue in your nails, there’s no going back. It will spread to your cuticles and fingers. And you will be wondering why my cuticles itch. As superglue is not made for direct contact with the human body, it can be really dangerous.

If it gets stuck in your fingers or cuticles, there’s no removing it. And if you do, the skin will get peeled. That’s the only way you’ll get rid of the glue.

You can wonder how the skin will be peeled. So the answer is while trying to remove glue from hands you’ll rub it hard. And when you do so, the skin attached to the glue will come off. Because there’s no way you can separate the glue from your skin.

How to Use Super Glue with Safety Measures- 4 Steps

You have gone through the reasons why superglue is bad. But let’s assume you’re in a dire situation. You might have broken your nail while heading to a party. So you need a quick fix.

At the same time, you don’t see anything else to bind your nail. So you’re pretty much left with superglue as an option.

So considering that this situation may arise, we’ve come up with a solution. This solution will help you even if you decide on using the superglue. That’s why we’re here to provide exact steps. So that you can avoid unnecessary damages and chaos.

Just, see what the steps are-

Step 1 of 4: Glue The Broken Part of Your Nail

Like all nail art lovers, you have gone through the short or long nail argument. And you ended up choosing long nails. But having long nails has its own drawbacks.

Because the nails can break anytime. You may have broken fake or real nails. But now you need to put glue on the broken nail.

Rather than gluing the main nail, putting glue on the broken part saves hassle. Considering you might have glued the remaining nail. There’s a high chance it will drip to your fingers.

So it’s safe to just glue the broken part. Now, what if you’ve lost the broken part of the nail. If you have, then you can use a teabag.

For using the tea bag as a nail substitute, follow this method. Just put your fingernail on top of the teabag. Now mark with a pencil to understand how much you need to cut for filling up space. Then just cut accordingly.

Now that you’re done cutting the teabag in the size of your nail. Move on to the next step.

Step 2 of 4: Attach to The Main Nail

The next step is to attach the broken part or tea bag with your nail. For that, you’ll need super glue that has a brush. These superglues come in a packaging that looks a lot like nail polish tubes.

And just like nail polish tubes, these have a brush attached with the tubes.

So, with the help of a tweezer, place the broken nail. Or place the shaped teabag with the main nail. After placing it as mentioned, fix the position.

It’s time for you to brush over the cracked nail or teabag with superglue. Here, be extra careful about not letting the glue drip. Apply a thin layer of glue above the crack.

We know that most superglue comes in a dropper. So it’s understandable that you won’t have a brush type superglue handy.

If that’s your situation, bring an old nail polish jar. Now clean it properly. And let it dry for a while. Pour your glue into that nail polish container. And use the brush to apply the glue.

Step 3 of 4: Let The Glue Dry

You’ve attached the nail with glue. But you have to let it dry now. For it to stick, the superglue needs to be dried properly. But do not let it dry under the fan.

Because that can cause a mess. Rather, dry it naturally. Normally it will take 5-7 minutes to dry fully. Do not touch and see if it’s properly dried. You might stick your fingertips to the glue if you do so.

Step 4 of 4: Apply Nail Polish

Gluing your nail is a quick fix but not a flawless one. If you don’t apply nail polish over it, the fix will be visible.

And we’re pretty sure that you don’t want that. So apply thin coats of your favorite nail polish. After that, you’re all good to go.

You can apply gel or regular nail polish over superglue.

If you’re trying to fix or attach acrylic nails with superglue, you need to stop. Because acrylic nails can not be fixed with superglue. Even if you try, you’ll lose your actual nail. Because the actual nail will come off when trying to remove it.

But for other nail types, we know exactly how to remove the glue from nails. Just follow as we guide you.

How to Remove Glue from Nails?

Removing glue from nails can be a hard task. And things might get serious. If you don’t know how bad it can be, just scroll up and see.

But we understand that you’ve ended up with superglue on your nails. Now the concern is how will you get rid of it.

First, you’ll need warm water. Now soak your nails in the water for 40 minutes. Then, apply the glue removing-solvent to remove it.

There might be some glue left on your hands. Just soak your nails in warm water again. And this time, wait for 20minutes. Repeat the process until all of the glue comes off. 

It’s the safest way to remove super glue off your nails. But you can still face skin peeling. Even your actual nail can come off. It can happen if the glue was messy and reached the end of your fingernail.

Alternatives of Superglue

After hearing all the information about superglue, you might be terrified. That’s the reason why you’re avoiding superglue on your nails.

Well, lucky for you. Because we’ve come up with alternatives. You can pick any of the given alternatives to fix your broken nail.

Nail Glue

Nail glue is something that should be used when trying to fix a broken nail. People confuse nail glue and superglue to be the same. Though the initial properties are the same. Nail glue is a lighter version. 

And its texture makes it perfectly sticky. But it’s not as sticky to attach to the skin of your fingers. Which can peel your skin or actual nails. So while applying it, you can be a bit relaxed. For the best results, we suggest you apply cuticle oil. And then apply the nail glue.

So even if the nail glue drips, it will be easily wipeable. We found this tip really useful. 

With time, some of the nail glues became our favorite. Hence, we’re sharing some of our choices with you-

Now that you’re prepared, just go ahead and fix your nail.

Topcoat

To fix your broken nail with a topcoat, first take one with a thick consistency. Now press the two separate nail parts lightly. Apply a thick layer of the topcoat. Now cure it under the UV lamp.

Now you have to take an alcohol rub and wipe the topcoat. This way the nail will be attached temporarily. Also, no dangerous element is needed here. So this way, safety will be assured. And the purpose of attaching the nail is done as well.

To remove the topcoat, you can use any nail polish remover or solvent. Then wipe it gently until the coat comes off. Most likely the broken part of the nail will come off with the topcoat. If not, then you can cut the broken nail part out.

Nail Stickers

Lastly, you can use nail stickers. It might sound unusual and funny to fix broken nails with them. But nail stickers are the safest alternative to superglue. Though the grip of these stickers won’t hold the nail for long. If you need a quick fix, then stickers can be used.

First set the nail where you want to seal it. Then unpack your favorite nail sticker. Peel off one side of it. Now place the glued side of the sticker on your nail.

If you’ve put it in the wrong order, redo it. When you’re done adjusting the place, press the sticker with your fingertip. It‘ll make sure that the sticker doesn’t slip. 

But the stickers won’t last much longer. If you needed to fix the nail for 2-3 hours max, then it’s right for you.

But if you’re looking for a day-long fix, it won’t be that helpful. So choose the alternative depending on your purpose. If you want the safest yet most effective fix, go with nail glue. Or you can also go for a topcoat.

If a temporary fix is what you seek, then consider nail stickers.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Bottomline

By now you know the answer to “ is superglue bad for your nails”. We’re glad to provide you the information. 

But we’re not done yet. Here’s a little tip, if you’re using teabags as a solution, use fresh ones. So that you can get a quick fix to your nail. 

So let us know how you fixed your nail. And comment below to share your concerns.

Thank you & good luck!