Nail Shaping Practice To avoid over-filing. The nail shape is what gives the initial appearance of a nail polish, nail art and nail art design. A good nail shape lends balance to the nail. Square, Oval and Almond nail shapes are very common and great for nail art. Nail Shaping can be a little deceiving for beginners. It seems so easy. But after a few minutes of filing, the nail is still off and the nail plate is thinner than desired. This usually means you’re filing too hard and back and forth.
The more you concentrate on slow and precise nail filing, the faster you will learn how to shape nails. Start with a nail file, and analyze your nail shape before attempting to change it. Look at your nail from different angles to visualize the free edge. Don’t file back and forth. Use the nail file to file from the nail tip towards the center of the nail. Light filing removes less nail and preserves the nail structure. File for two or three strokes, then stop to inspect the nail edge. This nail shaping technique will help prevent over-filing.
A common mistake when trying to shape nails is to force the nail to take on a new shape. The nail file is pressed too hard on the nail edge. When this happens, the nail is usually too thin and may slant in the wrong direction. The nail art correction is usually a short nail.
To correct the nail shape without changing the length too much, soften one side at a time. This nail shape technique will help you learn how to nail shape. Practice nail shaping for 15 minutes on nail shaping only, without nail polish. For the first few minutes, look at your nails from the front and side to determine nail balance. Then file one side of the nail free edge, and then the other side. As you nail file, remove the nail dust and inspect your nail edge.
The remaining minutes should be spent on perfecting the curve or straight edge so it looks balanced across all nails. With practice, your eyes will be trained to notice small nail imperfections that you normally wouldn’t see. And once you can see them, you’ll be able to correct them. A well shaped nail is the foundation of every nail polish application. Nail polish looks better on great nail shapes. Nail Art designs look better on great nail shapes.