Plastic Nails?

[BigMac5]

Has anybody tried using plastic nails while their natural nails grow back after braking them? I broke both m & i nails last Friday. They just peeled off like a banana from one side to the other. This was just so frustrating as I had broken my m nail a month earlier and it had just grown back. Its going to take me another month or more to grow my nails back. Playing without the nails is really hard and I need to play a Couple of pieces Thursday for my Teacher.

Will these plastic nails work?

Will the glue and plastic nails damage my natural nails?

Should I just suck it up?

[Libre]

Hey, BigMac5
A lot of folks on the forum like them. Me, I wouldn't stick one of those on my finger for a million bucks. Well, if your offer is a million, I guess so. I'll tell you where to send it.
But really, I'd rather form the remaining nail to the most advantageous shape possible and just be patient. Also, don't keep them too too long and they won't break so radically. And, Pepe's garlic suggestion is a pretty good one, I think (see past threads for that).
I know a bunch of folks will jump in and write about silk wrapping, turtle shell hardener, plastic nails, and other things.
Me, I just keep them trimmed and filed, and my right hand in my pocket.
Don't open a drawer or pick up things with full force. Go easy with the hand, and the nails won't break as quickly.
How, exactly, did the carnage to the nails occur? Remember how, and DON'T DO THAT AGAIN!

[Zak]

Yeah, I agree - avoid using any chemicals on your nails. Just be patient.

But if you're really in a pinch, I've had success with ping pong balls. Cut them to fit the nail and superglue in place, just underneath, between the nail and the flesh.

[J]

I had a teacher that used ping pong balls.
Coming from an avid false nail wearer I would recommend that you never glue any fake to your real nail if you plan to use your real nails in the future. It will destroy them. Furthermore, if you break a fake off it often takes some of the first layer of nail off the real nail. Doesn't happen too often, but it does.

In my view you can either use exclusively fakes or exclusively real nails. There's no inbetween. Fakes feel different than real nails and take some getting used to. Now real nails feel strange to me and fakes feel natural.

Since I spend a lot of time working with my hands and using a lot of tools, there's no way I could keep my real nails long enough. Using fakes means I never have to be without my nails.

[Libre]

I think the "genuine article" beats falsies every time.
So Big-
If you have any choice in the matter, don't go with the prosthetics yet. Just give your nails the opportunity to come back, and go easy on them.

[GSI Fan]

BigMac,

I have to agree with the "natural" crowd. Super-glue works fine for mending a cut, it will destroy your nails though.

Pepe always has good advise. I'd try that garlic routine if I didn't need to be around people for a few days. Take a peek at the thread on garlic, you might find it helpful.

Ping-pong balls???? I saw a seedy show at a seedy club in San Fran., CA, about 20 yrs ago and the attraction included a ping-pong ball demonstration. Enough said, use your imagination.

The method I use, and have fantastic success with is to file the nails to length (not too long as Libre pointed out) and then I use a polishing file to remove ALL abrasions from the end of the nail. The ends should be as smooth as a baby's bottom. When I'm completed I simply apply a couple coats of Nail Strengthing Polish. It's not a magical formula and it's advertised to help them grow; the reality is it protects your nails from all the crap that weakens them (soaps, chemicals, day-to-day use, etc.). If you don't like the shine, the following morning take an old tooth brush and a little tooth paste and rub away the shine. It will leave your nails looking smooth, healthy and well groomed without casting a reflection and the polish will still be there (unless you get too aggressive).

I know the performers here hate breaking nails. I intentionally shorten mine every so often to practice. It forces me concentrate and after a few days I become deadly accurate with my right hand.

So, to answer your question...suck it up!!!

Fan

[Pepe Vergara]

Why not cut all the nails to the same low level and give it a try to play without nails? Maybe you like it.

[Hucbald]

I use plastic nails, and I have to agree with these guys about the glue: It makes your remaining nail underneath soft as a plastic straw.

However, I NEVER use them on my i and m fingers; just the p, a, and c. It seems the more years I play the shorter I can keep my i and m without any trouble using them. Because I keep them so short, they hardly ever break.

My p is so soft it wears down to the flesh faster than it can grow with all the playing I do, so I really have no choice there; I have to use a falsie. My a and c are naturally flimsy, and they were always breaking because I have to keep them quite a bit longer than the i and m in order to use them (My a and c fingers have more bulbous tip pads).

In the end it's a decision you have to weigh very carefully because once you start using them, you would have to let your nails grow all_the_way_out from the quick in order to use them naturally again because of what the glue does to your nails.

Considering your situation and that the affected fingers are the i and m, I would strongly recommend against your going to plastic nails at this point.

Hucbald

[MWA]

As an option you may want to consider using a product such as the Savarez Kit to build up just the tips of the nails or to repair the break by applying to just the damaged area. This leaves most of the nail unaffected by glue. In any event it is probably a good idea to avoid gluing artificial nails to the base of the real nail close to the cuticle. I know from a painful experience that this part of the nail is not hard yet. I think it becomes hard after it grows out a bit.

[Ted]

Hi, Big Mac. I posted this some time ago. Nothing has changed.
Here's something for you to ponder. My nails are so messed up; I don't have a thumbnail, the index finger is hooked shape and biased toward the right, the middle finger is flat, and the ring finger is high arched and biased toward the left. So, what do I do? I use artificial nails by Fingers. These have a natural look to them, so as to not draw attention. For the thumb, I use gauge (sp?) on the nail bed, apply nail glue, place the artificial nail, and viola (sp?), done! The thumbnail usually lasts two weeks with no problem. I can get at least a month's wear out of the rest. I use a file under the nail followed up by very fine sand paper (600 grit or finer). I follow the contour of the fingers while filing and leave a slight raise (bias) on the left side of the nail. Nail lenth is never longer than 1/8". This works for me, but different strokes for different folks. You'll have to experiment and find what works best for you. Here's a nifty trick! Get some 20 lb. test line (fishing line), strech it out, tie it off, put the sand paper on it, and play as if you were playing your guitar. This way, you won't get nail residue on your guitar, and it helps to set your nails for the way you personally attck the strings.

Have fun

Ted

P.S. If/when your own nails are in good condition, by all means follow Pepe's advice- GARLIC!!!!!

[BigMac5]

But really, I'd rather form the remaining nail to the most advantageous How, exactly, did the carnage to the nails occur? Remember how, and DON'T DO THAT AGAIN!

It was work related, so I can't really avoid it. I guess I was just a little frustrated. I'll just suck it up. My nails are actually in good shape, but I guess alittle garlic could not hurt.