Hello everyone!

Today I write this post because I want to talk about the magic wand of all nail technicians: File

This is one of the most important tools in this work and it is necessary to know its properties in order to fully exploit its potential.

What’s this

The file is essentially a tool composed of abrasive paper, which serves to file the various products used in the Nails world such as gels, acrylics, acrigel, gel polish etc.

Grain

Usually they have two faces, which have different grain. The grain represents the major or minor abrasiveness.

The grain is represented by numbers.

The most abrasive file is the one with 80 grain, and looking at it on the surface you will clearly see that it is irregular and scratches a lot.

In contrast, the least abrasive is 240, and looking at it will look smoother.

Use

Obviously different abrasives have been created to cover different roles.

80/100/120/150

These are the most abrasive files. Usually only 80/100 are used.

They are used to shorten nails and remove reconstructions, thus eliminating color and lowering the structure. You have to be very careful because you don’t have to file on the nail plate. You risk damaging it.

180/200/240

These are the least abrasive ones. Used with 180 attention can be used to matte the natural nail even if I advice to use a 240 , so you don’t run the risk of damaging your nails.

They serve to finish the structure and above all they are used after more abrasive files to eliminate the ruts left by the first one.

Buffer

Buffers are those softer files, usually in the shape of a brick. These also have the grain, but compared to the files they will always be less abrasive.

They are usually used for mattifying nails or removing ruts. I do not recommend using this to matte the nail because of their softer texture. It won’t allow you to reach the smallest nail points. They are less accurate than files that allow you to decide where and how to file.

Obviously after some time of use, the files will always become less abrasive and we will have to throw them away. This depends on both the use we make of it , and on the quality of the files.

Maintenance

Files should be strictly personal tools . Let me explain better.

For each client we serve, we should use new files , as a matter of security.

For example, Fungus nest in dust , especially in that of files. If we use a file that we do not know is infected on a healthy client, we will most likely transmit the mycosis . Or unintentionally we cut a client that we don’t know have infected blood, and then we cause a wound on another healthy client who risks infection.

I don’t want to scare you by saying that. I know that making nails seems a simple thing, without any risk, but this depends on the training and skills of an operator. It is also necessary to calculate all these things, at the level of hygiene to get a good and professional job.

So you are wondering what is the solution to all this?

One could be to throw away the files for each client but you too understand that it would be a too big investment.

Simply keep the files in a bag aside for each customer, so they will only use those for the particular person . Or you can still buy washable files . These can be soaked in the Peracetic acid, a sterilizing liquid.

Tip

After purchasing a new file, rub the edges against another file, so as to soften them and not risk cutting the skin.

Electric Nail File

Files are importantl object but in the long run doing everything with them could be very tiring but above all it takes a lot of time. And this is where the electric file comes into play. I won’t go into it much in this article but I want you to understand the differences.

The electric file is a tool that works with electricity and has a body to insert various tips, which have different tasks . Turning it on, it will start to rotate more or less quickly . After that you can start working. This file is much faster and more practical but you have to know how to use it because otherwise you risk much more causing damage to the nail plate . Often files and the electric one are used together . With the electric file you do the majority of the work and faster , with the file you can work on details and you have more control.

The post is finished, I hope I have clearly explained everything there is to know about files. Obviously if you have questions go ahead and like this post if you like it share it and I like it.

See you soon !!

SOFIA