Straight Edged

I can't say I am very straight edged, but my nails are a different story. There is nothing that bothers me more then a jagged side wall. What is that, you say?! Two examples...

middle finger

Aside from not looking very attractive, a jagged side wall (middle finger) has a weakened nail structure. I mean just think about it, missing nail pieces! Also, the sharp edges have a tendency to get caught on things. Both increase the probability of a nail tear. That does not bring me happiness. 

pointer finger

This happens a lot on my pointer fingers too.

Shark

How does all of the jaggedness come about? Recently, my fingers got caught up with a shark. Actually, for whatever reason, the nail structure is just a bit softer there; it happens sporadically.

But seriously, how awesome is the Discovery building!? I get to see this everyday!

What's my solution to prevent inevitable sadness? File the side walls. WHAT?! I know, I know.  I told you never to do that. Correction! I told you to do it a certain way. See here.

To summarize:

precious side wall

To preserve nail integrity it is best to keep as much of the side wall intact as possible.

avoid filing like this

Avoid holding and filing like pictured here. This gives too much access to the entire side wall. Too much filing of the entire side wall compromises the nail structure, making the nail more likely to tear.

tear on the pointer finger

Then this might happen...

:(

In this situation my jagged edge was so far down, I couldn't even file it. I do have a solution ... nail fix here.

file the side wall like this!

This is a much safer way to file the side wall.  

So, let's see the "after" photos!

middle finger

Ahh, so smooth!

pointer finger

Catastrophe avoided!

Blending ... not just for makeup.

I don't know what it is about round/oval nails on my hands that just seems off.  They seem to look elegant at some angles, while other times I'm just like, "what is going on here?"  I am constantly doing double takes perhaps because my brain is so accustomed to the squoval.  As a result, I filed my nails back into a more mentally acceptable shape for me, squoval.  I made a short video in the process.

How to file your nails into a Squoval from Round/Oval:

All you have to do is create a flat top and rounded edges.  Then, blend the two together to your desired level of squovalness.












The rest of the filing series can be found below:
X-Files Post and Video
Nail Shape and Balance Post
Taking Down Nail Length Post
Shaping the Free Edge - Square and Video
Shaping the Free Edge - Oval and Video
Shaping the Free Edge - Squoval and Video
Sealing the Nail Plate
Buffing out a peel

The polish in the video was ...

 China Glaze - Sugar High

At the end ...
China Glaze - High Maintenance


Do you have a mental inability to accept certain nail shapes? What nail shape does your brain favor?

Round Round Baby ...

You spin me right, round baby, right round.  Video time!  How to shape your nails into a round/oval from a square/squoval.

A few links first in case you missed the series:

X-Files Post and Video
Nail Shape and Balance Post
Taking Down Nail Length Post
Shaping the Free Edge - Square and Video
Shaping the Free Edge - Oval and Video
Shaping the Free Edge - Squoval and Video
Sealing the Nail Plate
Buffing out a peel


How to shape your nails into Round/Oval:




Before and After:

China Glaze - Ahoy!

Square Shape

Round Shape

I would say these are more round than oval.  Oval is more tapered at the tip.  To achieve a more oval shape continue to remove the corners. 

Don't be a square ...

Then again, why not?!  Go grab your favorite nail file for shaping and try it!  I have a long series on nail filing and shaping and am starting to do the video versions.  Here are the posts from the past:

X-Files Post and Video
Nail Shape and Balance Post
Taking Down Nail Length Post
Shaping the Free Edge - Square and Video
Shaping the Free Edge - Oval and Video
Shaping the Free Edge - Squoval and Video
Sealing the Nail Plate
Buffing out a peel

Video: How to file your nails into a square shape: 



My YouTube Channel


Hugs to Arlyn ... it's a start ;)

Buff this mother out

Ugh, got a peeling problem?  Let's nip it in the bud ... without sacrificing nail length.

Here is a before shot of the peel. Click to enlarge.  You may not even be able to see this, but this is the best I could do in the evening.  I just couldn't wait till day time to fix it ... ya know how panic mode goes.

Here is a day time shot after buffing out the peel.  As you can see the peel is gone, but the buffing does create a weak area.  Polish will not adhere in this area as well and I will show proof of concept at the end.










Before the how to ...

First a disclaimer: 
Prevention is really key.  Your nails should not be peeling on a regular basis. If they are you need to evaluate either your health or your day to day nail activities.  Consider your moisture routine, filing techniques, do you use your nails as tools or inflict other physical trauma, and are you using the right treatment?

Before you run for the buffing block you should understand some people with very thin nails should just avoid it all together.  Buffing will only make your thin, weak nails worse.   Perhaps it would be best to take down the nail length instead.

As always, you need the right tools for the job. If you are NOT familiar with nail files and their corresponding grit strength you may want to check out ...
X-Files

A few other less relevant posts, but still helpful:
Taking down nail length
Shaping the free edge - Square
Shaping the free edge - Oval
Shaping the free edge - Squoval
Sealing the Nail Plate 

Now for the tutorial ... in video form! :D
Again ... buffing is not evil.  You just have to evaluate whether your nail is a good candidate and then be gentle.



http://www.youtube.com/user/loodieloodieloodie

Files used:
220/320 grit (blue)
400/600 grit (pink)
~320 yellow buffing block
~600/4000 grey/white

Proof of concept.  The buffed area has chipped first (and a very large chip at that !lol)

Revlon - Tropical Temptation

If you want to see more proof like this see my wear test for Sally Hansen Sweet Tulip

Skid Marks

Don't you hate it when you take off polish only to discover your polish has been working on an art project on your nail bed.  Here is what my polish has been working for the last couple of days ....

A masterpiece no doubt, but my nail beds are never this pink/red.  My nail beds are naturally pretty grey.  My mom is always asking me if I'm ill LOL.  Um, no mom sheeeesh.

I guess if I'm wearing darker colors no big deal, but eventually I need to straighten this business out, because every time I take off polish I frighten myself a little bit.

A few more pictures if your interested ...

 ....
 










Now what?  How do you deal with the stain-age?  I have a very standard way of dealing with these kinds of stains ...
Buff that Motha Out!!



First I need to preface buffing:
Buffing is NOT for everyone AND like all wonderful things, must be done in moderation.  Occasional buffing can be done on generally healthy nails.  I buff because I am a good candidate.  First, my nails are not super thin and are fairly healthy.  Second, I don't use a rough file nor do I use it manically.  Everything in moderation is okay (except high fructose corn syryp lol)!  Third, I have ridges that only buffing can eliminate.  Polish looks way better when I get rid of them.  In my personal experience, ridge fillers are not as good as light buffing.  Ridge filler instead gives me more problems than solutions (bubbling, crap dry time, extra steps with each mani, etc).  Lastly, I have found light buffing is more effective vs. other chemical treatments.

With that said, if you have thin problematic nails you can avoid buffing altogether.

What I do and use:
I love my buffing blocks and this is the baby I used to fix my stain-age problem.  The grit strength is about 400.

If you are interested in my Nail File Series, that can be found here.

Here is the before and after picture of the buffing and as you can see the pinky is no longer stained.

The technique:
Lightly run the block vertically from cuticle to tip.

What is your method of choice for skid marks? :P

Ready, Set, FILE! Sealing the nail plate

I am super excited! BlAAAHH. I just uploaded a You Tube video and the endorphins are still kicking, lol. I thought it would be a good idea to start doing videos some time ago in addition to the posts because sometimes pictures aren't enough. Anyway, my hope is that they will be a nice compliment to the written posts.  So, here is the first meaty video ....

There is another introductory video which you can watch, but don't let me bore you.

My channel (if you're into that sorta thing):

http://www.youtube.com/user/loodieloodieloodie

Other posts of interest:
Nail files I prefer: X-Files
What shape is best for your fingers: Nail Shape and Balance
Taking down length: here
Square: here
Oval: here
Squoval: here

Thanks to Lena from The students guide to nail polish :)

Ready, Set, FILE! - Squoval

Here is another addition to the series discussing how to shape the nail free edge. I have previously covered, taking down length, square shape, oval shape, and the files I prefer to use (links below).

If you missed the other posts.
1. Become familiar with different nail shapes and what free edge nail shape suits your nail bed shape here.
2. You need the right nail file for the job. Here I discuss what I prefer and why.
3. Even if you are not interested in certain free edge nail shapes I recommend you peruse the following posts for general useful advice:
Taking down nail length
Square
Oval
Sealing the nail plate 

Personally, I prefer the squoval shape on my hands and nail bed so I am uber excited about going back to this shape :)

As always lets look at what I started with and the finished look of the nail.

Pardon the scratched up surface, the file slipped in this long night of filing from square to oval to squoval!

The before nail on the left is round/oval shaped, at least my best version of such since I have a pretty high C-curve on that particular nail.

The squoval has rounded corners and a semi-flat to flat top, depends on your preference I guess. 

So to go from one to the other you just need to make the top less oval/round like by filing straight across in one direction with your file of choice.  My file of choice is 320 for thick hard nails or a 400 file for thin weak nails.

If you are going from square to squoval, just round the corners, as pictured.

Start with the file at a 45 degree angle and file from corner to middle. By bringing the file perpendicular to the nail at the end of the sweep you can achieve a more flat top tip while keeping the corners rounded.

















Thus far this series of posts have showed how to file a healthy nail free edge into different shapes.  If your nails are problematic, peeling, cracking, chipping, etc you will need to be careful with the types of files you use to shape, i.e. the higher the grit (the more fine) the better in order to prevent further nail plate damage. I will however, do a proper post later.  

After you have shaped your nails free edge, you will want to seal it after taking off the polish.  This will be the next and final post in the series and can be found here.

What shape do you like best on your nails?

Ready, Set, FILE! - Oval

I must travel back underground for work to that special place where I break nails.  I showed the Collateral Damage from my last visit.  In terms of functionality, my nails are a bit long right now. This is a perfect time to show you more free edge shaping since I need to trim them slightly to prevent further catastrophe. Last time I did a post on shaping it was for a square shape, today it will be round/oval. If you are not sure what shape free edge is best for you check out my post on nail shape and balance. Nails Beautiqued has a similar post, but includes more shapes. There are some pretty options, but as she points out they weaken your nail plate since the require sidewall filing and I personally don't recommend them, especially if you want to avoid not only breaking your nails but also tears. However, if your life style allows it, by all means rock it!

My normal free edge nail shape is squoval and since the last shaping post I've been rocken the square. Unfortunately, it was making me feel like I had slight man hands.  You see, I have pretty large wide square palms and wide nail beds and fingers and I felt like the square nail shape was accentuating the butchiness. I must say, I was really looking forward to a change.

Lets start with some before and after shots. I have two fingers to show you.  First my pinkie.

My pinkie has a higher arching C-curve and as a result the free edge is much easier to shape into a square. However, in my opinion, it's also much harder to shape into an oval or round. The degree of the convex shape (more oval or less oval and round like) that you can obtain will depend on your natural C curve. This was really as oval as I could get it. Some could even argue that this is squoval like. What ev's.

This is my ring finger. This finger slightly flairs at the free edge because the C-curve is not as high, therefore whenever I try to shape the nail into the square shape it looks slightly softer than my pinkie, pictured above. It was much easier to shape into the oval shape.

Before we begin, I suggest getting familiar with some nail file lingo. You must use the right file for the job to prevent damaging the nail plate, preventing peels and maintain the overall health of the nail plate. That post can be found here. It describes my preference and suggestions as well as explanations for the files I use, grit strength, etc. Furthermore, the following posts are helpful for general filing, and tips:
Taking down length
Shaping into a square



Lets start.

The oval and round shapes have no corners, duuh pretty obvious, so our first step is to eliminate them.  Again, depending on your own C-curve, this maybe be tedious or a piece of cake. The safe way to do this is to file from corner to middle as shown in the picture. Avoid the sidewalls close to where the nail tip grows.  You can find some pictures and an explanation for why in this post. To avoid this sensitive area, hold the file at a 45° angle to start, then sweep to the middle.  At the end of that sweep you want to maintain the file at a slight angle. If the file starts to go horizontal to the nail tip it will create a flat nail tip and will look like a squoval. Do each side separately and try to maintain the round/oval shape.  I prefer to do this step with a 220/320 file since my nails are fairly hard and thick. Use a 400 file if your nails are soft or thin. If you prefer a glass file then use it. 

To further refine the round/oval shape, hold the file at a 45° angle again but this time get slightly under the nail free edge. This will further help to round free edge and get rid of any nail shavings. Use a 400/600 file to refine the shape.  The 600 grit file will also help seal the nail plate and prevent peeling or ripping the nail plate layers.

The 'nail shavings" I talked about in Ready, Set, FILE! - Square may also be prevalent here.   Here is how to get rid of them while maintaining the oval shape.

1. Place the nail on top of a file at a 45° to the file, as pictured.
2. File down in one direction.

Use 400/600 grit file for this.

Although these steps will help seal the nail plate, sealing is best done with the polish off and will be covered here. 

I realize this step is only useful if you have significant free edge to work with, otherwise just do the underneath sweep as pictured to the left, being careful not to injure the precious sidewall.

The 'ontop' nail shavings can be handled in the same way as in the square shape post.

The higher your C-curve the more changes you will see in profile. Here is an example. The top photo is sort of a squoval shape, while the bottom is oval/round. The tip is more blunt in the squoval and pointier in the oval/round.

Now you are ready to take off the polish and seal the plate further!You can find that post here.










The next post in this series: Squoval!

Ready, Set, FILE! - Square

This post will show how to file the nail free edge into a square shape. Obviously free edge is necessary, but the more the better because otherwise the nail corners maybe somewhat round.  However, if you keep at it you can eventually get sharp corners (that is if you want it).

Previously, I went over how to take down nail length and files, so you may want to visit those posts, there are some good tips. If you are not sure if square is right for you, the post on nail shape and balance may be helpful.

Nails with a high arching C-curve can easily achieve this nail shape and require the least amount of filing. If your C-curve is not as arched you may need more length or work on the side walls to achieve this look. I have to warn people, however, about messing with the side walls of their nail bed. I have found it is vital to nail strength so I discourage people from filing it, but if you must I have a few tips.





Before you begin you need a proper file.  I already posted on what I prefer and why so I suggest you check it out before you read on.  In general, a file with a grit strength of  320/400 will work for shaping.

Here is a before and after picture.

The before nail is some what squoval and we are going for a square nail shape.

I think this nail shape is the simplest for high arching C-curves because you only need to file straight across. Keep the file straight and steady in the horizontal direction (to the nail bed) until it is square enough to your liking.











I do have a few tips.

If you are filing in a horizontal direction, either sawing away with the proper grit file or in one direction, you will eventually end up with "nail shavings."

There may be shavings under the nail or on top as shown in the pictures.  We need to eliminate them to have both a clean look as well as to help seal the nail plate.

To get rid of the "on top" nail shavings:

1. Start the file flush with the nail bed
2. In one sweeping motion, of down and around, move the file 270° around the nail tip.

To get rid of the "under" nail shavings:



1. Place the nail at either a 45° angle OR 90° angle to the file.
2. File down in one direction.

Either will work depending on how square you want it. The 45° angle will give you a softer square look, i.e. rounder edges.


Although these steps will help seal the nail plate, sealing is best done with the polish off and will be covered in another post.  

Another way to soften the square shape is to take a finer grit file (320 or 400) and file from the corner to the center of the nail bed as shown in the pictures.  You can see the nail looks slightly more round on the right.  Now we are getting into the realm of squoval, and that will be another post.









Now a few words (and pictures) about filing the side walls of your nails beds.

If you are going to file the side walls, do not do it like this. Filing this way can injure the cuticle, skin and weaken the nail walls where a good bit of strength lies.

Here is a picture of one my nails. I used to have trouble with splitting and breaking right at the edge. The more I would file the side the more breaks I would get. The nail would crack before I could grow it very far from the free edge. Keeping that side wall intact (along with other things I will link here soon) eliminated that problem.

So is there a "safe" way to file the side wall? 

If you must file, to even something out, make sure the file only hits the free edge and lies at least at a 45° angle to the nail side wall. Be very gentle and light handed. Use a high grit of at least 400 to be as gentle as possible. (Ignore that I have a 320 file pictured, its for demonstration purposes only.)














Video version of the square shape can be found here.



If you have any questions or comments please let me know.
Now I have to grow my nails a bit so I can show you Oval and then file back to Squoval!

Other posts about filing:
Files
Nail Shape and Balance
Taking down Nail Length
Oval Post and Video Post (to be linked)
Squoval
Sealing the nail plate

Ready, Set, FILE! Taking down length

So far, I have told you a brick wall is not a proper filing implement and filing after you have pruned yourself in the bathtub is also a bad idea.  I want to do a series of posts for successful filing of "normal healthy nails."  This is the first of that set.  This post will specifically cover how to take down nail length, specific nail shapes are covered here, while sealing the nail plate is covered here.

What do I consider a "normal healthy nail?"  It's when you DON'T have flaking, peeling, or tearing.  How to handle/file an occasional peel is covered in this post.  How to handle breaks or tears, especially on the side of the nail wall are covered in this post. 

There are several ways to take down nail length.  If you have significant growth (>1cm) I would recommend nice sharp clippers: otherwise, follow the steps below.

1.  It is best to start filing nails when they are in a normal dry state WITH polish on.  If you just took a shower/bath, did the dishes, or soaked your nails from a regular mani (which I don't recommend, more on that in this post*link*), apply moisturizer and let them dry thoroughly.  Leaving polish on your nails while filing will prevent and protect the nail from shredding or ripping due to over zealous filing (see #2).  Additionally, if you are wearing a dark color your nail shape is much more visible, thus easier to shape.  However, some filing will also be done after polish removal, particularly to seal the nail plate.

If you already took polish off or it's been off, apply some moisturizer anyway, its good for you!

2. Since this post is concentrating on taking down nail length, we first need to choose the correct file for the job.  See the older post on types of files, grit and uses.  Determine whether your nail is thick or thin.  Thick nails can use a 220 grit file, while thin nails are a bit more fragile and should start with a 300 grit file or higher.  Perhaps a crystal nail file would work for thin nails, but as I said previously, I am not that big of a fan.

Nail filing should, for the most part, be done in one direction and not in a sawing motion.  The exception is using a higher grit file (400+).  Grit this high is safe and will not tear the nail even if you are sawing away.   I can't comment too confidently on glass nail files, but from what I have read they seem to be safe.

Since you are not refining the nail shape, only keep a nail shape in mind.  Then file in one direction until your achieve length is achieved.  Or you can choose a higher grit nail file and saw away!  Maybe a video would be helpful.  If enough people express interest I will add one.

Now that you have taken down the length we can refine the shape!
Square
Rount/Oval
Squoval

Not sure what the right shape is for you fingers.  See this post!

Nail shape and balance

What's the best nail shape for your finger?  Believe it or not there are rules.  No one says you have to follow them, but they are a good guideline for what is visually appealing.

 How awesome do these look?

Unless you're from Jersey, visually these probably seem a bit off.




This is my post talking about different nail shapes and how to best balance your finger past the free edge based on your nail bed shape.

There are 3 main nail bed shapes.  Look at your nail bed from cuticle to tip.  Forget anything past the free edge because you can manipulate that shape with a file.  Your nail plate is probably either rounded, square or triangular.  Below is a graphic I made of proper nail shapes past the free edge based on your nail bed shape.

As a warning, this graphic is very text book and I have listed other options that, in my opinion, will work very well.  Unfortunately, the triangle nail shape is the most limited.  If anyone has any suggestions please comment.










Here are links to a series of posts showing how you can manipulate the free edge into different shapes.
Taking down length
Square
Oval
Squoval

X-Files

Files, Files, Files, all kinds of files.
This is my opinion on the good, the bad and the ugly.





In this post I am not going to go into the specifics of how to file (i.e. proper nail shape, how to file square, oval, squoval), but rather what file is right for you and your needs at the moment.

Here is my gamut of nail files. 

I will go through most and what I use them for.













First lets look at a file made by the devil:

If you own this type of file please throw it out the window right now.  This file is as useful as filing your nails with a brick wall.  Really, I tried it once in great desperation.  It does nothing but tear your nail plate and accentuate any peeling that you may or may not have presently.

PLEASE DON'T USE!












Nail buffers:

There are many kinds of buffers, but most have either 4 sides of the same grit or 3-4 sides of varying grit. These types of files are one of my favorite.  They are great for shaping,  getting rid of staining and peeling, and sealing the nail plate (with the right grit of course). 

I only use these sparingly when I have major staining issues.  All things are good in moderation, buffing is no exception.

Depending on the desired nail shape, these may not be your best option.  See next set of files.













Lets Talk Grit:

Nail files are categorized by their grit (how rough or smooth the grain is).  Many of them are labeled with their grit strength.  I have seen nail files vary from 100 to 4000+.  The smaller the number the rougher the edge.  In general the more rough the grit, the more damage it will do to the nail plate.  Nail salons use 100 grit to file down and shape acrylics.  You do not want to use anything that rough on natural nails; like the metal nail file above (or a brick wall) it will tear up the nail plate and make peeling worse.

I have found the magic grit strengths for natural nails are 220, 240, 300, 320, 400, 600 and 4000.

Thicker nails can use 220 for filing down large portions of nail, while thinner more weak nails should file down with 300, 320, and 400 grit.  A grit of 600 can be used to seal any nail and prevent peeling.  A very high grit, like 4000, is used to get a very shinny finish.  My only disclaimer is: there is a proper way to file (especially with files of rougher grit, i.e. lower number), so just because you found a nice file does not mean you will not cause damage to the nail plate. (is that a double negative, I hope you get the point)  File how to will be another post.

With that said, lets look at a few good options:

My personal favorites:

I love the files that have the grit written on them.  I have these all over my house, bag, work, etc.

I love that I can choose a fine or rough grit.  I file down my nails with 220/240, shape with 300/320 and seal with 400/600.  I love these files for the control they give to the filer.

I just discovered sponge boards a few months ago.  They are awesome.  They have some give to them. They will bend, but will not leave a bent mark like the ones above can.

Neither of these types of files last forever, but that's just fine for me.


Crystal Nail Files:
I prefer the files discussed above to crystal (glass) nail files. 

I just don't get the hoopla about these.  I bought these about a year ago and just can't get into them.  First, they only have one grit available (at least from my experience).  The grit is fine enough that it will not damage nails, and perhaps that is why everyone loves them, but I can't properly file anything down with these.  Granted, I did not buy a fancy brand name, but still I expected more.  I can do some shaping with these, but I don't think they are best for "sealing" as everyone claims.  I think the 400/600 grit files from above do a much better job at sealing the nail plate to prevent peeling.

More on "how to" in a future post.