Method for Reinforcing and Hardening Human Nails

It is well known that for various reasons the human nails, particularly women's nails, often exhibit a tendency to become brittle, to show surface uneveness, or to crack and split.

Various methods have been made available in an attempt to prevent and/or remedy these various nail imperfections. One known method involves the use of liquid compositions called "nail hardeners" which are topically applied to the nail and dry and harden to form a protective coating. Examples are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,381,294 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,260,701. Another nail hardening method is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,407,310 in which a layer of a suitable nail glue is applied to the nail and a granular material is deposited on the film of glue to form a textured protective surface.

Unfortunately while the above-described prior art methods and other known techniques do show nail hardening capabilities, they nevertheless do not provide the strength, structural integrity and durability yet flexibility that is achievable with the present invention.

In view of the foregoing, it is an objective of the present invention to provide a new method for preserving the finger nail and to prevent it from chipping, splitting and breaking.

Another objective is to provide a method for mending damaged nails.

A further objective is to provide a nail hardening method that gives a nail coating that has high strength and durability qualities, yet which is flexible.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a nail treating process which includes applying to the natural nail surface a patch comprising of a thin mat of natural cellulose fibers followed by saturation of the in-place patch with a cyanoacyrlate glue. The individual fibers are thereby bonded to one another and to the nail surface. Thus, the flexibility yet high strength and structural integrity inherent in a bonded fiber mat is provided in a novel and non-obvious way to form a protective nail coating.

To practice the method of the invention, the user prepares the finger nail by cleaning it and pushing the cuticle back with a manicure stick. From a thin mat of non-heat sealed random cellulose fibers, such as may be formed of hemp and other natural cellulose fibers, a piece is cut that generally conforms to the configuration of the nail. The fiber mat best suited to the invention has a thickness ranging from 0.040 mm to 0.050 mm, fiber diameters in the range of 10.7 microns to 26.7 microns and surface density from 1.10 mg/cm.sup.2 to 1.34 mg/cm.sup.2, preferably 1.22 mg/cm.sup.2. The patch is placed upon the nail surface and aligned therewith. A cyanoacrylate glue, preferrably ethyl alpha cyanoacrylate, is applied to the patch in sufficient quantity to cover it. The glue will permeate the fiber patch and also engage the nail surface and rapidly cure to create bonds of fiber-to-fiber and fiber-to-nail. The steps of applying fiber patch and glue is preferrably repeated three times.

The resulting coating is given an initial sanding with an intermediate grade of emery board. A fine grade emery paper, preferrably on a cushioned emery tool of conventional design in the cosmetic industry, is then used to provide a final smooth finish. A drop of mineral oil applied to the finished coating will then impart to it a natural appearance.