Tools
56
Up close and personal
Tania Biddle of award-winning salon, Plush Nails & Beauty, gets to grips with the different types of nail files and their specific applications nderstanding the various nail files and buffs available in the market is a vital aspect to achieving a perfectly defined application. Nail files and buffs are used at different times during a nail service, such as when doing nail plate preparation, refining and smoothing gel or acrylic layers, shaping the overall application to achieve a perfect finish, and to perform product removal. These tools are also important retail items that can be sold to the client at the end of the treatment. It is essential that the technician educates the client properly on how to use a file or buff correctly, to ensure that the
client does not cause damage to her natural nail.
True grit Let’s talk grit, something that is often not understood correctly
When using a nail file or a buff, make sure to work in one direction only in a controlled motion.
fundamental information that we often miss or don’t know the meaning of. If a nail file is 220/220, it means that both sides of the file or buff are of the same grit, whereas if the nail file is 100/180, it has two different abrasive materials, one on each side. Grit is measured by the number and size of grains of the abrasive material per square inch. The higher the grit, the finer the file or buff. The lower grit files, such as a 100 grit, are rough files.
Files vs buffs and results in the technician choosing the incorrect nail file. Each nail file is represented with a number on it, such as 100/180 or 220/220. This is
Files and buffs have different functions. • Files are used for shaping. This includes the shaping of the free edge according to the