Nail Shapes
ASK ANA
Ok Ana, do you have any tips for how to file different nail shapes? I used to do the oval shape but have switched to a much prefered squoval. But am having a tough time getting the shape just right and they lean more to the oval shape more than I’d like. ~Katie Rae
ANSWER
Katie Rae, this is such a great question and getting the right nail shape is a challenge for A LOT of people. Don’t feel bad. It just takes a little bit of practice.
I had trouble getting my nail shapes right until a couple of years ago. A lot of people think I have perfect nails. This is so far from the truth as you’ll see in the pictures below.
Most of us have wonky natural nail shapes, especially as they get longer. Excellent filing can hide a multitude of sins. It’s important to file them correctly.
Mirror, Mirror…
TIP: Your nail tips will look best if they mirror the proximal fold of your eponychium (cuticle line). Most people think their proximal fold is their cuticle, but that is incorrect.
The proximal fold is the tight band of skin at the base of your nail. This is a very important guardian seal to keep germs and bacteria out of your nail matrix.
Even though I will be talking about the proximal fold in this article, I will refer to it as the cuticle line.
If you have squarer cuticle lines you will look great with square or squoval.
If you have very rounded cuticle lines, you will look best with very round tips.
As you will see in the following photos, I have squarer cuticle lines. I prefer the squoval shape.
Take a Good Look
1. Take a look at your nails and look at the gentle U shape of your cuticle lines.
Now imagine that there is a line going through the bottom portion of the U horizontally as in finger C in photo #1.
When you file your tips, you’re going to start by filing the free edge of the nail parallel to your cuticle lines. This is just a general guide to get started.
In photo #1 you can see how crooked my cuticle lines are.
Ready, Set, Go…
2. Using a 240 grit or finer nail file, file the tip of your nail straight across. Try to keep your tips parallel to your cuticle line.
I find it helpful to put the hand I’m filing on my thigh just above my knee for stability. Of course, this gets nail shavings all over my jeans, but that’s what the washing machine is for, right?
Filing Direction?
There are a lot of bloggers who claim that you should only file in one direction.
Whether your favorite file has a paper center or made of crystal, it’s ok to use your favorite filing method.
On The Flip Side
3. Once you have all nails with “flat tops,” flip your hand over like in image #2.
Spread your fingers so they are all pointing straight up. If I put my fingers together, the index and pinkie finger tips get pulled toward the center.
Now look at the tops of your fingertips and the top line you just filed on your nail. I use an imaginary line as in finger C in photo #2.
Are your tips parallel or is one side higher than the other? They should be parallel. Fix any that are uneven.
This is your FINAL STRAIGHT LINE.
Trust the Flip Side
4. If step 3 affects the parallel lines on one of your fingers when you flip your hand back over then you most likely have a crooked cuticle line. It may feel weird, but stick with the line you just created with your hand flipped over.
I have some very crooked cuticle lines so this was tough for me. If you want SQUARE, stop here.
Rounded Curves Are In
5. To get SQUOVAL, file off the sharp corners of each nail and slightly curve the top edge of your nail.
And I mean slightly!
Just take a little off the sides to soften the line so it’s not ruler straight.
Finishing School
6. Using a 400 or higher grit nail file, smooth the free edge of each nail. Hold the file perpendicular to the tip and lightly sand from the top to the underside. Now you’re ready for a manicure.
Smoothing The Free Edge
Sometimes you will still have nail shavings attached to your tips.
I love sanding sticks to take care of the shavings when creating different nail shapes.
They don’t last very long, but they’re fairly inexpensive.
What Kind of File Do I Use?
I only use cardboard nail files when I want to take down a lot of length quickly. Either that, or I cut them before filing.
I like to use a crystal nail file on my nails for finishing work. Because crystal nail files are about a 600 grit (they’re really fine). I have two sizes of crystal files A small, travel-size file in my purse and a full-size file at my nail table.
This ultra fine grit gives you much smoother tips when you’re filing. Smoother tips mean less fraying. Less fraying means less peeling, tearing, and breaking.
Here’s the final result.
In Conclusion
Filing different nail shapes can be challenging and takes practice.
I find that using higher grit files are more forgiving because they don’t file too much too fast. You have a lot more control.
Remember, while you are practicing, it’s ok if it takes you 20 minutes or more to file your nails. You’ll get better over time and you’ll file quicker.
hello please tell me the solution actually I love long nails but I have problem with my 1 finger nail when Its grow Long it’s turn to down please tell me how can I recover it 🙁 please reply I m Waiting
Hi Maida,
It would really help me if you would send me some photos of your nails to Ana (@) NailCareHQ (dot) com
Please send one with a top view of your hand, with your fingers bent like you’re cupping a ball in your palm. I need the other one to be straight on the ends of your fingertips so I can see the curve of your nails. ~Ana
Hi!
This article was awesome! I’ve never read about anyone having crooked eponychiums before as I do. No one understood what I meant when I tried to describe it. I’ve even asked if there are templates anywhere online that I could print and attach to my nails to be able to get them looking good *embarrassed*. Now, I’m going to continue browsing your site!
Hi Frida,
I’m so happy you found this article useful! Thanks for stopping by! ~Ana
Hello maam,
It’s too gud writing to u, I’d like an expert opinion from ur side. kindly help me choose correct nail shape. The free edge of my nails begins to curve if I lengthen them. is there any solution? I love long nails, but they start giving awkward look 🙁
Kindly address my issue.
Obliged.
Dear Saba,
Usually the best nail shape is the mirror image of your cuticle line. For some people this is more square, some squoval, and some round. Without a photo, it’s tough for me to address the curving of your nails. You’re welcome to email me a photo at Ana @ NailCareHQ (dot) com and I will be able to give you better advice. ~Ana
I am little bit confused to this article. I’ll try most of times to my nails square shape but can’t do.plz help me out.
Debasmita,
It’s hard for me to help you without knowing what you’re doing. I will add doing a video to my to-do list. Hopefully that will make it easier to understand. ~Ana
Hi Ana,
Thank you so much for this article! It’s really helped me shape my nails well. However, I’m still having problems with my corners breaking off and have been wondering if I should change to a round shape. My eponychiums are more round, so it makes sense. But I noticed that in another article, you said never file away the corners. Is there a happy medium? Thanks for your help!
Cristie,
That’s fantastic! I wonder if you’re referring to the guest post article by Kayla Shevonne. For me personally, if I don’t file my corners off, I scratch myself and my family members. Also since I have such a strong c-curve, my corners break easily. To help prevent this, I also file my side edges. Many people say to not do this as it will weaken the nail plate. I find my nails to be more fragile if I don’t file the sides. It’s best if you try a shape and see how it works for you. If you feel like a particular shape is causing more tears or more breaks, then try something different. Hope that helps! ~Ana
I really want to file my nails in the squoval shape, but I have short nails. What do I do?
You’ll want to grow them longer first.
Amazing article! My nails have always been short, but since I married my husband, they grow like weeds. I think it’s cause I’m so happy 😉 and I had no idea how to shape them! My hands are happier now!! Thanks again!!
The color of our nail plate is determined by genetics and our diet.
Concerning your toenails, I am not a doctor, so I’m not allowed to make a diagnosis. The symptoms you are describing definitely warrant a visit to a podiatrist.
My index finger and the one next to it bend in towards the rest of my other two fingers. So the manicurist always files it in the wrong way instead of filing it in the direction of the way the finger curves. Furthermore I round the tips of my nails because it looks natural and straight across filing makes the fingers look stumpy and square. I also hate to see nails filed straight across because it’s not natural looking and nails don’t grow straight across. Most things on the body have curves not squared or boxy looking. I hate when the manicurist tries to correct the natural curve of my fingers and nails by filing them wrong. The result of wrong filing makes my fingers look deformed.
Hello Ana, great site! I have no c-curve on my middle fingers and they grow a bit wide at the free edge- like duck feet nails kind of. People have suggested I file the sides to make them slimmer to match the rest. Is that going to make my nails weaker? Thanks!
Hannah, I don’t think it will. You’re already used to flatter, weaker nails. I have very tight, curved nails and filing the sides help relieves some of the tension. We are all able to do some cosmetic filing so that our nails can look the way we want from the top view. That’s the view that most people see anyway.
Great tips! I work with animals and often find it difficult to find and maintain a strong shape. The squoval is perfect for me and I’ve adopted the new way of filing and slowly noticing a difference!
Hello
I want to grow my nails 3 inches long but I don’t understand which shape will suit it. Can you help?
Sally, If your nails grow to 3 inches long, it won’t really matter what shape you file them. Because the size and shape of your nail matrix will determine how much they curve down and twist.
Thank you so very much for this. I recently started to pay attention and look after my nails. And the filing has baffled me for a while. I always turned my hands and filed according to the flip side. I am stoked to know I’ve been doing it right all the time! Even when I thought I was weird.
Hi Ana, my nails are stiff and they grow fast. But when I shampoo my hair, my nails just crack. What should I do?
Hi Divya, our nails absorb 3 times their weight in water and become overly flexible and weak. They are very fragile until they dry out for about an hour. You might want to check out my article about water absorption and the damage it causes.
hi,ana my nails look long from top but small on flip side
Also they domt grow very fast.Please help.
Hello! Could you please send me a picture? Info@MyBlissKiss.com
Thanks!
Adrienne
Assistant to Ana
Hey Ana
Just found your website and it is the best thing ever! I’ve been searching for ages on tips for how to file nails and which shape is best and this is a life saver! Can’t wait to explore the site further! In your opinion which nail type is easier to maintain and breaks the least? I have tried going for a sharp square but find the sides keep breaking off easily but I love the shape!
Thanks in advance
Remy x
My nails ar all wonky. I hope filing this way will help. Thank you for being so informative. This is so helpful.