Elevate Your Nail Game: Essential Tools For Professional Results
Having the proper tools is essential for achieving professional nail care results at home. With the right equipment, you can give yourself a salon-quality manicure and pedicure without spending a lot of money. This article will provide an overview of the key nail tools needed to elevate your at-home nail game.
Proper nail care is important for maintaining cleanliness and having attractive, healthy nails. Our fingernails protect the sensitive tips of our fingers and enable us to grasp small objects and perform fine motor tasks. Keeping our nails neatly groomed and free of dirt or damage is part of good hygiene. Additionally, for many people, having nicely shaped nails with a polished look is an important part of personal style and self-care.
While regular nail trimming and filing helps maintain nail health and appearance, investing in quality tools takes your nail care to the next level. Just like a professional hairstylist needs proper shears and styling tools, mastering advanced nail techniques requires specialized equipment. This guide will overview must-have items that let you perform salon-caliber manicures and pedicures in the comfort of your own home.
Nail Files
There are various types of nail files that serve different purposes for shaping and smoothing nails. The main types include:
Emery Boards
Emery boards are made of cardboard coated with emery, which is a natural abrasive. They come in fine and coarse grits. Fine grit emery boards (180 grit) are good for general filing and shaping of natural nails, while coarse grits (100 grit) work better for filing and shaping acrylics or gel nails 1.
Metal Nail Files
Metal nail files are made from stainless steel or nickel-plated steel. They last longer than emery boards and provide a very smooth finish on natural nails. However, they aren’t recommended for acrylics or gels which require coarser filing 2.
Glass Nail Files
Glass nail files are usually made from tempered glass. They provide the smoothest finish for natural nails and help prevent splits and cracks. The fine grit also makes them safe for people with thin or peeling nails. However, like metal files, they aren’t suitable for acrylics or gels 3.
When selecting a nail file, consider the condition of your nails and the type of manicure. For natural nails, a fine grit emery board, metal file or glass file will provide the best finish. For acrylics and gels, a coarse grit emery board is recommended to effectively shape the material.
Nail Clippers
Proper nail clippers are essential for a clean, professional manicure. The main types of nail clippers are slanted edge and straight edge. Slanted edge clippers are angled which allows you to get a nice, straight cut on your nails. The slant helps guide the nail into the blades evenly. Straight edge clippers lack the slanted blade so they can be more difficult to get an even, straight cut, especially for beginners. Slanted edge clippers are highly recommended for home manicures.
When using nail clippers, make sure to avoid clipping the skin around the nails as this can lead to infection and ingrown nails. Always clip in one motion, avoiding going back and forth which can cause splits and cracks in the nails. The clippers should be aligned to the natural shape of the nail, cutting straight across to avoid uneven edges. Nail clippers should be replaced regularly as dull blades will crush nails rather than slicing cleanly.
High quality nail clippers will stay sharp for longer and tend to be sturdier and more precise. Stainless steel or composite materials are best. Avoid cheap nail clippers as they tend to become dull quickly. Investing in a good pair of slanted edge clippers will make at-home manicures much easier and help you avoid damaging nails.[1]
With the right technique and quality nail clippers, you can achieve a professional-looking, clean cut every time. This allows your nails to grow out smoothly and shapely for your perfect manicure.
[1] https://www.tiktok.com/discover/nail-clipper-guide
Cuticle Removers
Removing cuticles is an important step in achieving professional nail results. There are a few safe and effective options for cuticle removal:
Cuticle remover creams – These creams use chemicals like lactic acid to help dissolve and loosen cuticles so they can be easily pushed back. Popular brands include Sally Hansen and Blue Cross.
Cuticle nippers – These are small nail clippers designed specifically for trimming excess cuticle tissue. They should be used carefully to avoid damage. Quality brands include Tweezerman and Bliss.
Cuticle pushers – Made of metal or wood, these gently push back the cuticle from the nail plate. Using a pusher ensures the cuticles aren’t ripped or torn.
It’s best to soak the nails first to soften cuticles. Then apply cuticle remover cream and let it work before gently pushing back cuticles with a tool. Trimming hanging tags of dead tissue is safe if done carefully. Removing living cuticle tissue can damage nails.
Nail Buffers
Nail buffers are essential tools for smoothing, shining, and preparing your nails for polish. Buffers come in a variety of grits and shapes to suit different needs:
Multi-grit buffers contain varying grits to shape, smooth, and shine all in one. Coarse buffing pads around 180 grit gently shape and contour the nails. Medium 240 grit pads smooth ridges and bumps. Fine 400+ grit pads create a glossy shine. Look for mult-grit buffers in block or cylindrical shapes for easy handling.
Shine-only buffers are extra-fine grits like 400, 600, or 800 designed just to polish the nails to a mirror-like shine. These come in conical or square shapes for precision buffing.
Cuticle pushers have a fine grit buffer on one side to gently buff away dead cuticle skin and soften the nail edge. The pusher side gently nudges cuticles back.
Buffing blocks offer a wide surface for controlled, even buffing across the entire nail. Use lighter pressure and avoid over-buffing to prevent nail damage. Syska makes quality, easy-to-handle buffer blocks.
Knowing the different buffer functions and shapes helps select the right tools for a professional manicureevery time.
Nail Brushes
Nail brushes are essential for cleaning underneath and around the nails. Using a nail brush with warm soapy water allows you to gently scrub away dirt, debris, and bacteria that can build up in the nail folds and cuticles. It is important to pay close attention to hygiene when working with clients to prevent the spread of infection. Nail professionals should disinfect their nail brushes between each client by soaking the bristles in an EPA-registered disinfectant or a 70% isopropyl alcohol solution for 10 minutes as recommended by the CDC (1). Many nail brushes also allow you to remove the head to enable thorough disinfecting. Using a clean, disinfected nail brush on each client is vital for sanitation and helping to elevate your professional nail services.
(1) https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/hygiene/tools/nail_salons.html
Cuticle Oil
Cuticle oil is an essential tool for healthy nails and cuticles. It is typically made from natural oils like jojoba, vitamin E, and essential oils. Using cuticle oil provides many benefits such as:
Hydrating the nail bed – The oils penetrate the nail plate and condition the nail bed, keeping it flexible and preventing brittle nails.
Softening cuticles – The emollients in cuticle oil moisturize and soften dry, cracked cuticles.
Promoting nail growth – Vitamin E and other nutrients can help stimulate healthy nail growth.
Preventing hangnails – Regular application keeps cuticles soft and less likely to tear or split.
Reducing cuticle overgrowth -Massaging in cuticle oil can help gently push back and control cuticles.
Enhancing shine – Oils give nails a glossy, healthy-looking finish.
Cuticle oil should be massaged into the nail beds and cuticles 1-2 times per day. For best results, apply after showering when cuticles are softened by water. Gently push back cuticles with a tool before applying oil. Nails can also be soaked in oil for more intensive treatment. Allow oil to fully absorb before applying nail polish. Using cuticle oil consistently will lead to beautiful, strong nails. Healthline recommends products with vitamin E, and sweet almond, jojoba or coconut oil for cuticle health.
Nail Cream
Nail creams provide deep hydration for dry, brittle nails and cuticles. The main benefit of using a nail cream is to counteract the drying effects of frequent hand washing, exposure to chemicals in cleaning products, and other factors that deplete moisture from the nails and surrounding skin (source). Nail creams are formulated with emollient ingredients like shea butter, olive oil, and vitamin E to soften the cuticles and condition the nail plate. This helps prevent painful hangnails, dry cuticles, and peeling.
Regular application of a hydrating nail cream can restore flexibility and strength to weak, cracked nails. Ingredients like keratin, biotin, and calcium promote healthy new nail growth. Over time, nails become less prone to splitting and chipping. Using a nail cream provides benefits beyond just cosmetic improvement in the appearance of nails. Keeping nails and cuticles moisturized can prevent infections that may enter through cracks in dry, irritated skin.
Nail creams complement professional manicures by extending the effects. After an intensive hand treatment at a salon, continuing to hydrate nails daily with a salon-quality cream can help nails stay strong and smooth longer (source). For best results, massage the cream into nails and cuticles thoroughly so it can penetrate and condition these areas optimally.
Conclusion
In summary, the essential tools covered for achieving professional nail results include nail files, nail clippers, cuticle removers, nail buffers, nail brushes, cuticle oil, and nail cream. Using quality tools and taking proper care of your nails and cuticles is crucial for maintaining healthy, beautiful nails. Files smooth rough edges on nails and shape them. Clippers neatly trim nails. Cuticle removers gently push back and hydrate cuticles. Buffers shine and even out nail surfaces. Brushes clean under nails. Cuticle oil nourishes dry, cracked cuticles. Nail cream conditions nails and cuticles. Investing in professional grade tools helps create salon quality manicures at home. Pampering your nails with the right tools will keep them looking their best.
References
Data on nail care product sales comes from The Nail Market Statistical Review 2022 by Nails Magazine. Statistics on the prevalence of nail conditions like brittle nails are from The International Journal of Dermatology study “The prevalence of nail abnormalities in a cohort of adult men and women” (2022). Research on the benefits of using cuticle oil is from Sally Beauty’s report “How Cuticle Oil Improves Nail Health” (2020). The recommendations for proper nail file grit come from celebrity nail stylist Tom Bachik in an interview with Allure (2021).
