Nail Care: Filing & Shaping

Hey guys! I hit 200 followers yesterday!! Thank you guys so much! ♥
Today I have the next post in my nail care series which will be about filing & shaping the nails.

I get a lot of questions about how I shape my nails, what type of file I use etc. I have done a video on my YouTube channel about my nail care routine, and in that video I went over how I file my nails but I didn't talk about the type of file I use and what types there are.

There are many types of nail files out there but many of them are not recommended for use on natural nails. And it's kind of deceptive because a lot of files you buy in manicure sets are actually not good for your nails! You can check out this post by Kayla Shevonne where she discusses the different types of files. She's a nail tech so she knows what she's talking about. :)

I personally use this soft cardboard file by OPI (pictured left) which I buy from David Jones for $3.95. It's a 240grit file which in Kayla Shevonne's post she says would only be used as a buffer but this definitely feels rougher than a buffer, I wouldn't want to use this on the surface of my nail!
It takes length down quickly and it doesn't cause my nails to split or peel, or anything like that either which I know some people are concerned about with these type of files. Though my nails have never peeled so keep that in mind. I find it to take down length quickly and harmlessly. :) I think this file will last me a while before I'll need another one, too, so that's good! :)

Many people prefer glass files, however. I've tried using glass nail files before but I don't think the ones I used were very good quality because they didn't work well for me at all. They wouldn't take down length and I really didn't find they did anything special for my nails. So make sure that you use a good quality one if you use a glass file. I've heard that Mont Bleu ones are great (pictured right).

To take down length you can also use nail clippers. Some people don't recommend this though because you put so much pressure on the nail when you use clippers and it can cause them to crack or peel. I wouldn't use them unless you're taking off a LOT of length and you don't want to sit there forever filing. But I'd say to clip off maybe half the length you want to take down, and then file the rest of the way.
When I use nail clippers, I personally use straight across clippers which helps with my square nail shape. I don't use them very often though because I file my nails once a week to keep them the length I like.

When you file, it's recommended to only go in one direction. To be honest, I usually do use a sawing motion and I have no damage to my nails because of that. But if your nails are not strong or they peel a lot or something like that, I would recommend only filing in one direction. Always go slowly when filing, though, don't try to rush it. :)
Most people also like to file their nails just before they take off their manicure because it's easier to see the shape of your nail when you have polish on rather than when they're bare, because when they're bare, you can get confused and your nail can end up wonky lol. I know that when my nails are bare and I'm filing, I always end up looking at the white part of them and trying to make that even instead of the whole nail and some end up wonky and weird looking.

I use a 7 sided nail buffer from Winstonia (pictured right) after filing. You can find buffers like this anywhere, though. (I just bought mine to add something else to my cart so I could qualify for free shipping on the site haha!) I only use side 5 and 6. I use the buffer to take away the slightly pointy and sharp edge that is left on my nail after filing to just smooth and seal the edges. I very rarely buff the whole surface of my nail because as you probably know, buffing essentially takes off a layer of your nail and over-buffing will definitely make your nails thinner and weaker.

The 3 most common nail shapes are square, squoval (squared oval) and oval/round. I personally like to have my nails short and square.
This post by loodie loodie loodie will help you to pick the best shape for yourself, and then if you follow the links at the bottom of her post, she'll show you just how to achieve each shape. :)

As I mentioned earlier, I have a video on my YouTube channel on my nail care routine & in this video I show you how I shape my nails. It's kind of an old video now though but I hope it helps anyway.

So I hope this post helps all of you who have asked me about my nail shape and how to achieve it. :)

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