If you file your nails in an aggressive back-and-forth motion, this one’s for you. When I think back to my middle school days of sticky, fruit-scented lip gloss and crimped hair, I can’t help but have flashbacks of sawing across my nails with the cheapest nail file I could get my hands on (in my defense, it was leopard print!). Since then, I’ve not only learned how to file my nails correctly> but also invested in some newer, better nail files.
So, if your nail filing technique is more middle school than salon-level, we’re here to help. We chatted with Essie lead global educator Rita Remark and celebrity manicurist Angel Williams to give us the scoop on the right way to file your nails to avoid breakage.
“It's important to remember that a nail file is for shaping nails, not removing length, ” says Remark. So, if you’re someone who typically relies on a file to shorten your nails, the experts caution you to stop. “You should always trim first with clippers and use the file for detailing and shape, ” says Williams.
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To avoid over-filing, Remark suggests starting at the corners and keeping most of the work focused in that area. Be mindful that over-filing, especially on the sides, can weaken the nail and lead to breakage. Also, be sure to hold the file flat up against the nail when filing. If you angle it, you could thin the tip of your nail — another sure-fire way to cause breakage.
The sawing, back and forth motion is a huge no-no for shaping your nails. “You should file in one direction from the side of the nail to the center of the nail with short strokes, ” says Williams. “Then, alternate sides, and swipe fully across one or two time to finish the shape.”
You should only file your nails when they’re dry. Nails are weaker when they’re wet, which means they’re more susceptible to breakage.
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According to Remark, it’s important to choose the right type of file for your nail. “The rule of thumb for files is the higher the grit, the softer the file, ” says Williams. Files with a grit of 240 or higher are considered to be more abrasive. “More abrasive files are best for thicker dense nails, nail enhancements and toenails, ” says Remark.
“Grits that are 180 or lower are intended for enhancements (acrylics and gels), ” says Williams. And if you have very thin or weak nails, you want a finer file, like a glass file. We like this set of three glass nail files from Amazon.
Pro tip: “If you have a very dry or thick cuticle along the sides of your nail, it's very helpful to gently run a file along the calloused area, ” says Remark. “This promotes better moisture absorption and softens the skin without trimming.”Whether you are on a date, giving a presentation at work or typing on your keyboard, your nails always draw a lot of attention. So it pays to keep them healthy and neatly groomed. The first step to keeping them looking great is to clip and file them. If you have been vigorously filing your nails with an emery board (those sand paper-like nail files) in a back and forth motion, we suggest you stop!
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Never use a nail file to shorten the length of your nails. Only use the nail file to get your nails into desired shape and remove the uneven edges. Use a nail clipper to shorten and file to shape.
Do not use very rough and gritty emery boards (the sandpaper-like nail files). Instead, use a crystal nail file that is fine enough to file your nails without fraying the edges.
The direction you file your nail matters! Never saw in a back and forth motion. This will cause unnecessary breakage and leave your nails frayed. Always file in one direction. Start at the edges and file towards the centre.
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Hold the nail file flat and perpendicular against the edge of your nail. Remove any leftover hanging feathery filings by taking the file underneath the nail and gently filing them away to create a smoother edge. While filing the edge, hold the nail file parallel to the edge and do not file too close to the skin.
After you have filed the edges (the flat sides) and the top, gently file the edges so that they don’t remain too sharp and accidentally scratch you!
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HAIR LENGTH HAIR TYPE OCCASIONS SEASONAL HAIRCUTS AND STYLES HAIRCUTS BY FACE SHAPE HAIR TREATMENTS HAIR CONCERNS PRODUCTS HAIR STYLING TOOLS If you're not a fan of filing like me — I literally cringe when a nail technician at a salon whips a file out — or if you want your nails to stay as healthy as possible in general, take notes.
You already know you're not supposed to cut your cuticles, but here's another no-no, according to Madeline Poole, a pro nail artist and Sally Hansen's Global Color Ambassador: quickly filing your nails back and forth. "I usually liken sawing your nails back and forth to cutting your hair with a dull pair of scissors, " she said. "When you aggressively saw your nails with a file, it makes the tip frayed versus a clean cut." Poole went on to explain that you also have less control over the shape you're trying to create — oval, square, round, etc. — because your nail shaves down quicker when you file it down too fast. "All of this is a gateway for peeling and premature breakage, since the harsh trauma of filing causes weakness, " she adds.
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The right way to file your nails? Poole schooled me and said you get the smoothest, fray-free finish when you file from the side of your nail to the center in one direction, lifting the file away from the nail, and returning to the starting point where your skin and nail connect. Poole suggests doing this on repeat until you've achieve your desired shape.
"By using this technique, you get less of a ragged tip — plus, the fluid filing movement is less traumatic to your nail bed, " she adds. "Sometimes if the manicurist is too aggressive with the file, you can even see your nail move back and forth, like a loose tooth; this is exactly what you want to avoid."
Once you've achieved your desired shape, if you notice nail filings still attached to the tips — Poole refers to these bits as "feathers" — get rid of them by tucking the tip of the file under your nail and using a flicking motion to create a smoother edge.
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If you’ve already frayed the eff out of your nails, Poole said it's not too late for your tips to be nursed back to health. To right the wrong kind of filing, it's best to trim them again slightly and refile them for a smoother result. Then, "apply a nail oil that contains vitamin E on them to help hydrate the nail bed, " Poole adds. "This gives your nail more flexibility, which leads to less breakage." Try Sally Hansen Vitamin E Nail & Cuticle Oil.
Carly Cardellino was the beauty director at . If you follow her Instagram, then you know she'll try just about any beauty trend or treatment once (the pics of her purple hair are on IG to prove it). But her favorite part about being in beauty is finding the most effective products, and then sharing that intel with others—because who wants to spend money on stuff that doesn't work? No one, that's who. Her most recent discovery: De La Cruz Sulfur Ointment, which will change your blemish-clearing game! Hopefully through the beauty stories she writes—and the experiences she shares—you can see exactly why she's in this business.
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