How to File Your Nails Safely and Get Perfect Results

Choosing a Nail Shape

Thoroughly wash and dry your hands with soap and warm water. Before you get filing nails, cleanse your hands to get rid of any oil or debris that might interfere with the process. Wet your hands with warm water, then lather them in soap for at least 20 seconds. Spend an extra minute or so rubbing soap onto your nails (and underneath them) with the tips of your fingers. Then, dry your hands with a clean towel. Filing while your nails are still wet can make them more prone to breakage or rough edges, so make sure they’re totally dry before you continue.

Choose a soft-grit nail file. While there are several types of nail files you can choose, emery board files are both affordable and effective. Use a file with a softer grit of around 180-200 for the smoothest filing experience and to keep the edges of your nails from looking rough or scraggly. Only use coarse grits, around 80-100, with acrylic nails. These grits are too harsh for natural nails, and might result in damage. Also avoid metal files, which aren’t very gentle and are more difficult to control. On the other hand, glass or crystal files are very effective and can be easily cleaned in the dishwasher. While it’s not recommended, 200-grit or above sandpaper works in a pinch. For best results, wrap and tape it around a sturdy object, like a wooden block or a ruler.

Decide on your nail shape. There are many nail shapes to choose from, but some of the most popular and basic shapes are oval, square, and almond. Whichever shape you choose is totally up to you, so pick whichever speaks to you and go with it! You can always go with a different shape next time. Oval-shaped nails are a great shape for maintaining long nails, since your nails will be least likely to break off in this shape. Oval-shaped nails are symmetrically round at the tip and offer an elongated, feminine look. Square-shaped nails are a great statement look and work well with people who have both long or short nails, so choose this shape if you’re still growing your nails out. The square shape comes from filing the nail straight at the tip all the way across the nail. Squoval nails are somewhere between oval and square nails, with an elongated, slightly squared curve. These are perhaps the easiest to execute and look great on any hand, so go with these if you’re unsure. Almond-shaped nails are great for making your fingers look more slender. They feature a narrow curve at the end that resembles—you guessed it—an almond. Coffin nails have recently become more popular. These nails are long and narrow out toward the end, with a squared-off tip. They combine edge and elegance, and look absolutely striking with black polish. Stiletto nails narrow into a sharp point at the end, making for a sharp and distinct look. Much respect if you decide to go for these—just be careful not to hurt yourself after you’re finished.

Filing & Shaping Your Nails

Trim your nails to the general desired shape before you begin. Start by cutting your nails down into the basic shape you’re aiming for. For example, if you want the squoval shape, use nail trimmers to cut straight across the end of your nails, so you can round out the corners later. Do the same for square nails. If your nails are relatively short, however, skip this step so that you have more nail to work with. For round or oval nails, make 4-5 smaller cuts at the end of each nail to get the curved shape started. If you’re aiming for almond, coffin, or stiletto nails, cut down the sides of your nails more than the tip, so that they become narrow toward the ends.

Hold the file perpendicular to the edge of the nail. Start by holding the file so that the surface touches your nail straight-on. Use this angle as you get the basic shape of the nail worked out. Also, position your hands so that your fingers point toward you, rather than away, to help you better see your work. Then, if you’re filing rounded nails, gradually transition to holding the file so that it’s slightly tilted under your nail, so you can more easily achieve a curved edge. Try not to file at a tilted angle until the end of your session to avoid needlessly thinning out and weakening your nail. If your nails are already thin or bend easily, avoid filing at an angle at all.

File in single strokes along the grain of your nail. Many beginners tend to use a sawing motion when they file, but this can lead to tears or breakages. Instead, use smooth strokes in a single direction, filing down the length of the nail more often than up toward your fingers. As you finish the stroke, lift the file away from the nail, then go in for another, separate stroke. Remember that you’ll make hundreds of individual strokes in the process of filing and shaping your nails, so be conscious of your form, and keep at it!

File most shapes from the edges toward the center. For rounded or pointed shapes, start by filing the outside edges of your nail, and work your way toward the center. This allows for a smooth and gradual curve. Then, for a coffin nail, file perpendicular at the very tip to create that squared end. For squared nails, though, start filing perpendicular to the tip until you have a flat end, then only file the outside edges slightly to smooth them out. As you work on rounded shapes, alternate filing either side of the nail to ensure a smooth and symmetrical curve. For example, file 10 strokes on one side, and 10 strokes on the other. For stiletto nails, focus only on filing the sides of the nail into straight lines that meet at the end. Then, file down the very tip to make it slightly blunt, so you don’t accidentally cause injuries.

Finish your first nail, then use it as a model for the others. Once you’ve gotten the first nail into the shape you like, go to the next nail and follow the same process, continuing on to each nail until all are complete. As you do, compare each nail to the first, and view them from multiple angles to make sure you’re on track. While you work, use your file to flick away any shavings that have built up underneath the nail, or use your nail to do the same for shavings that build up on the file. Keeping a tidy tool helps get the best results! Also, don’t file your nail past the tip of your finger, which may cause injury to your finger or damage to the nail.

Finishing & Maintaining

Buff your nails to give them a smooth finish. Buffing your nails smooths out the ridges and gives natural nails a shiny gloss. To buff your nails, hold a buffing block parallel to the top of your nail and, just like when you were filing, pull it across the top of the nail in unidirectional strokes. Only use 6-8 strokes per nail to avoid thinning or weakening them.

Apply cuticle oil to moisturize the skin on your nails. Cuticle oil helps keep your cuticles—the skin that overlaps your nails—healthy and clean. Keeping your cuticles moisturized also helps prevent hangnails. Apply a drop of cuticle oil to each nail, wait 1-2 minutes for it to absorb into your nail and skin, then dab off the excess with a paper towel. Keep cuticle oil and moisturizer next to the soap at your sink as a reminder to apply it every few days.

Apply nail polish and file your nails every couple of weeks. Now you’re ready to paint your nails however you like. Just remember to remove the polish every week or so, then file your bare nails every couple of weeks to keep them in shape. Avoid filing your nails more than once a week, which can weaken or damage them. It’s important to let them grow a bit!