Here's A Quick Way To File Nail Shape

The "trick" with filing shape is how you hold your file (angle) and what perspectives you look at to check the shape. For rounded nails: Hold the file flatter as you file underneath (bevel) the free edge (180 degrees is perfectly flat under the nail). For square: Hold it straight on (perpendicular) to the free edge. The "flatter" your file, the rounder the nail (Straight on, dead square is a 0 degree -i.e.: none! - tilt of the file!).

Practice this shaping technique by varying the angle on the file to produce different shapes of nails. Whatever angle you hold the file at in relation to the nail as you shape, just be sure it's the SAME angle on all 10 nails. This will also help to keep the shape the SAME on both sides of the nail (left and right) and watch out for "drag" on the side you are handed.

You will tend to file heavier on one side than the other, causing lopsided nails. Check this by looking at (and re-filing as needed) the nails from another angle (such as hold the hand up in front of you to see it, see "views" explanation below). Make a habit of checking the nail from 7 different vantagepoints when checking the shaping (identical of course) and the contouring (think almonds here!)

The 7 usual views of the nail to consider are:

1. Our usual filing view (overall picture),
2. Left side lateral (landscape contouring and arches),
3. Right side (landscape contouring and arches),
4. Down the barrel ("C" Curve),
5. Held up in front of you forwards (shaping and proportionality),
6. Backwards view or the backside of the hand and nails (evenness and proportionality),
7. Clients view, turn the hand around to see what they see from their perspective (overall picture again!).

Consistent and constant use of these 7 steps can eventually train your eye to see "most" common and obvious flaws from just one or two angles instead of needing to see all 7 (Unless you are in a competition of course, then of course you always check them all!).

Clarification on a few of the angles

• Held up in front of you forwards (shaping and proportionality), Hand is held with knuckles facing you (the tech) and palm facing client, fingers pointed skyward.
• Backwards view or the backside of the hand and nails (evenness and proportionality). This is the reverse of #5. Palm toward tech, knuckle side to client, fingers still pointing skyward (clients elbow resting on table).
• Clients view: turn the hand around to see what they see from their perspective (overall picture again!). This is similar to #5 except it's like looking down the barrel of the nails from the cuticle end, not the FE end. Palm is toward table, knuckle side up, nails pointing toward client, client elbow and wrist turned around toward tech. This is the lying down or flat view of #5 (while 5 is the standing up or vertical view.)

You may find different shaping and contouring "errors" from each different perspective and it will help train your eye to see the overall picture better. Through the years it is good to go back and check yourself from time to time to check for a regular pattern such as left handed drag causing lopsided nails in shaping. Beware: some views may contradict one another though, you will find from time to time, since natural nails grown out under an enhancement overlay (as in many fills down the road) are never perfect (like one side dips down on a FE), so you must pick and choose then what angles to compromise on to give the best overall effect and maintain strength! (Making a nail match-up perfectly from one view will give a thick nail look from another view in this scenario).