spear hand

I am planning on performing a spear hand strike in my next board breaking competition. The last time I performed this break, my fingernails shattered, and I bled a whole lot lol. In this competition, taping the fingers is not an option, but I'm trying to figure out how to keep myself from...

Just wondering what and how Nukite uchi (spear hand strike) is used. I've been thinking it over and I can only see it being applied to the neck and belly area. Surely striking with the tips of your fingers is going to do more damage to you than the other person?