Better Nailcare Practices - Nail Filing

Nail filing seems like a fairly straight forward practice, right?  Many of us think that that very little or no harm can be done to our nails through filing.  Many of us think that filing is simply a way of achieving the desired nail shape.  Many of us believe that filing helps us to shorten the length of our nails.  Well, with today's blog post I hope to pass on some filing tips to you , that you may already be aware of (I know most fellow bloggers will be!) and ones that will aid in your efforts in having healthy, strong nails.

At the beginning of my "longer nail adventure" I thought that I could achieve longer-looking nails by filing down the sides of them as far as possible.  What I didn't realize was that by doing so I was diminishing the essential "steel beams", necessary in providing strength to the nails.  You see, the sides of our nails can be compared to "steel beams" of a building, which are responsible for maintaining the foundation and strength of this structure.  Tip # 1:  Never, never file down the sides of your nails.  Added bonus: if you avoid doing this, your nail beds will eventually get longer too.   Take a good look at my before shot (the one shown here) and my after shot (shown a bit later in this post).

Tip # 2:  Always choose a nail file that is extremely gentle.  Have you ever experienced those loose white, frayed bits at the ends of your nails after filing with a conventional file?  I certainly have, and I know many other women who have experienced it as well.  The problem is that conventional files grab, rip and tear the "nail fibres", thereby weakening and compromising the nail's structure in the process. 

A nail file should be designed to SEAL the ends of the nails, not to cause weakening and/or damage to the nail structure.  One should always turn to clean nail clippers to shorten the nail and afterwards file the rough edges.  The Contour Nail File by ASK Cosmetics is ideal due to its ultra-fine filing surfaces on three sides:  along the long edges for sealing the ends of the nails, on the tip of the file to gently file away any burrs under the ends of the nails and it also has its third filing surface on its underside in order to be able to file over the top of the nail end.  Its ergonomic shape is so revolutionary - we can say "there is NOTHING else like it on the market today".

This picture was taken prior to this customer's use of T.I.P.S. Nail Conditioner back in August 2011.  However, you can clearly see the straight sides of this woman's nails and she also has long, good-looking nail beds.  Tip # 3:  By maintaining a straight nail tip (or end of nail) you will add even more strength to your nails.  This particular nail shape became trendy a few years back, but was the best thing that could ever have happened to nail fashion since this straight-edge nail shape provides nails with the most strength possible. 

This shot displays my own nails.  I love the vibrant, healthy look of them.  My nail beds have become longer and the strength of my nails has improved immensely by NOT filing down the sides.  In addition, I never buff them as this takes off the top, most protective layer of your nail structure.  Another harmful practice that should be avoided!  Because my fingers are very slim I find my nails look better with a more rounded end as opposed to a straight edge tip, even though I know it would definitely give my nails added strength - it is something to try perhaps in 2012!

Thanks for reading this.  Comments are more than welcome.

Coming soon - swatching and pretty little evening bags for New Years Eve bashes!