Nail Files, the many types of

Good nails files are absolutely essential for a great nail care supply. Nail files are used to slowly grind away at the hard nail material for shortening, shaping and buffing purposes. Since they are intended to slowly grind away, they are only used for shortening the nails in small increments. It would be more logical to use a nail cutter or nipper to shorten the nails a considerable amount.

Nail files differ in many different ways. First of all, they come in different grits. They can also differ in the materials used to make their supporting structure and in the material used to make them abrasive. Tthere are many different combinations. Knowing what certain nail files are best for will help a great deal when choosing the right one.

Grit

The grit of a file refers to the roughness of the file, or more precisely it is a measure of the number of abrasive grains contained within each square inch of nail files. Of course, I’m certain this is an approximate number and not an actual count!

The smaller the grit, the fewer number of grains in one square inch and thus the larger the grains. So files with smaller grits are coarser due to a small number of large particles. The larger the grit, the greater number of grains contained in one square inch and thus the smaller the grains. Therefore, files with large grit number are finer due to a large number of tiny particles.

Low grit, coarse files (60 – 150) are used on artificial acrylic and gel nails that are denser than natural nails. Using such a coarse file to shorten or shape natural nails may result in tearing. Higher grit files (240 and up) are used on natural nails.

Some grit uses

Specifically, the 60 – 80 range (extra coarse) is used for reducing the length of very long artificial acrylic and gel nails. The 100 – 150 range (coarse) can be used to shorten not-so-long gels and acrylics and for shaping them.

The 150 – 240 range of grits (medium) are used for heavy duty and light duty shaping of the free edge on acrylics and gels. They can also be used for etching of the natural nail surface for various application procedures.

The range of 240 – 400 (fine) is used for filing on wraps and for finish filing on gel and acrylic nails. It is also used for the filing of natural nails.

The 499 - 900 range (extra fine) is used on natural nails for filing down ridges and finish filing. The super fine (buffer) range (900 – 12000) or micro abrasive range is typically used for buffing, shining and smoothing purposes because of the very small particles.

Some nail files are combination files having different grits on different sides. A very good file to include in your arsenal would be a combination file of 100/180. This is a very handy nail file to have!

Materials

As stated before nail files can also differ in the materials used to make them. This essentially determines the quality of a file, although craftsmanship plays a vital role as well. Three aspects determine the material quality of files. The core material primarily dictates how flexible the file will be. The backing material is what the abrasive material will be affixed to and ultimately determines the sanitization aspect of the file and last but not least, the material used to make the abrasive grains, which also plays a role in the ability to sanitize.

Some core materials that are used often are foam, plastic and wood. Foam is used to make more cushiony files and blocks for buffing. Keep in mind that firm closed cell foam does not absorb liquids as opposed to spongy open cell foam and thus is more readily sanitized.

Plastic is usually a good mix between firm and flexible. Sometimes to produce firm yet cushiony files, layers of plastic are placed between layers of foam to reduce feedback vibrations given off by the abrasives grinding away at the nail surface. It can be a very irritating feeling!

Wood was used when files were first invented but it is very rigid! The plus side is that wood is very inexpensive. Wood files are still available today.

Backing Material

Many materials have been used as backing materials over the years. Paper was the first, but has a limitation in that it is not water proof, thus it’s neither washable nor capable of being sanitized and sterilized effectively. Sometimes when used on files, paper is dipped in an oil based, water resistant resin. This enables manufacturers to use inexpensive paper as a backing material and yet the file can still be washed and dipped in sanitizing liquids for short intervals.

Cloth has also been used and is very flexible, and of course can be washed. Cloth though is very expensive but can last a very long time! Foam is also being used increasingly as a backing material in nail files. Foam is inexpensive, washable and sanitizable. Many great files are made using foam backings.

Mylar, the silvery material used in making party balloons, is used a great deal as well. The advantages of Mylar are that it is durable and capable of being soaked in sanitizing liquids time and time again. Mylar can also last a lifetime and just makes for superior files!

Abrasives

This is the portion of the file that actually does the work. Generally over time, all files will lose abrasives that are attached to them due to use. Believe it or not though, one of the first and most inexpensive abrasives used on nail files is actually a gem stone.  Garnet was one of the first abrasives used on wooden files when they were first produced. It is still used today on wooden files because of its inexpensive and durable nature.

The black files that are so common are made by using an abrasive called Silicon Carbide. This abrasive is made synthetically and is very hard with sharp edges. Be very careful with these files as they are known to cut readily and badly! Sometimes the Silicon Carbide is coated with Zinc Sterate to help lubricate and to give a smoother filing experience. The zinc sterate also makes the files less prone to cutting skin. It also helps stop filing dust from clogging up the jagged edges of the silicon carbide and lessening the filing capabilities of the file. Ensure these files are washable before you purchase them.

A less sharp material used in making nail files is aluminum oxide. Aluminum oxide is the primary substance in Emery, a very hard rock used to make abrasive powder. Other ingredients such as rutile and magnetite are also found mixed together in emery. Emery is probably the most popular and well known abrasive used in nail files. Who hasn’t heard of an emery board before?

This material won’t cut skin as fast as the silicon carbide and can also be readily dyed different colors. Sometimes aluminum oxide is compressed with porcelain into a kind of filing stone. This inexpensive combination lasts a very long time and works well on natural nails.

A more expensive kind of nail file that practically lasts forever is the glass nail file. These pretty much never go dull and some can be sterilized using UV light, sanitization liquids and even heat! Some of these files are prone to breakage though so try not to drop them. A new variation of the glass nail file is the crystal nail file. These files are very similar to glass nail files with the exception being they are harder to break.

Probably the most readily available nail files are metal files. These files can last a long time but can sometimes splinter nails due to their surfaces not being smooth enough. Metal files can also rust and get dull after a while. It is for this reason stainless steel is a popular choice metal for nail files because it is inexpensive, corrosion resistant and somewhat easy to sanitize. The metal etching used to make the abrasive sides of metal files is a great hiding place for germs though. Sanitization is very important when using any non disposable file, be sure to sterilize and sanitize after each use!

Keep in mind that not all files are of the same quality, some, even though they are made from expensive materials, may be inexpensively made thus producing an inferior product. It is best to read up on brands online or even ask store clerks or friends in the know about which brand is best to buy. When filing, be sure to file in one direction from the edge to the middle to prevent tearing.

Always try to purchase a file that can be sterilized and sanitized easily. Be sure as well to find one that is the proper grit for your nails. The ones that are not capable of being sanitized such as nail files that have a paper backing material, be sure to only use once and discard. Even if you are only using these on yourself, in between usage, bacteria can have time to build to high levels and if you have any broken skin or cut yourself with the file, harmful bacteria can get inside your body. So if you can’t clean it and sterilize it, toss it after use!

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