Nails Filing Tips

Filing a nail is not a tough task. It just needs the right type of tools to do it effectively and efficiently. Here is note of the type of tools needed for nail filing and the techniques involved.

Tools

Firstly for filing nails, a soft pliable file is required. It could be a two-sided file with soft, cushioned center or flexible wooden one. The most important aspect of the filer is that it should be fine grain one. A metal one would have coarse grains and would give impression that it would do the job faster but they tear apart the natural nail. They are meant for artificial nails only.

The filer should be replaced often as fine grain files wear down easily and using a worn out one would cause nail breakage,

Techniques

Angle: The filer should be always held at 45 degrees angle to the bottom side of the nail tip and almost against the fingertip. If it’s held perpendicular or angled over the top of the nail, it would wear down the top portion of the nail. Top layer is the hardest and protects the weaker layers underneath it from peeling off.

Length: Nails should be filed only when they are one quarter inch from the nail bed or the pink part of the nail. This point where the white part joins with the pink part is called the “Stress Point”. If the nails are shorter than the one quarter of inch from stress point will weaken then and longer than this will cause breakage.

If the nails are long then they must be first clipped with clippers till they get to one quarter of an inch from stress point. The nails should be clipped from either sides and not from the center. If clipped from the middle it would flatten it and tear the nail bed.

The ideal shape for nail is short and rounded oval or a square shape. These shapes reduce the chance of breakage.  The oval or square shape leaves the sensitive side areas aside and protects the nails against tears or splits.

Care should be taken not to file too much as it can weaken the nail and lead to breakage. Once the desired length is reached, only a few strokes should be used to get the right shape. Filer should be always moved from the corner to the center and not across or side to side. It should be done gently.

Above all, the most important point to note is that wet nails should be never filed. The nails should be clean dry and free of polish to avoid splits.