Most Common Mistakes People Make With Nail Tools
When it comes to nail care, using the correct nail tools is essential for maintaining health and preventing damage. From overcutting cuticles to incorrect nail trimming, common mistakes can lead to weak and brittle nails. Understanding these potential errors will help you perfect your nail care routine and transform your nails.
Follow this comprehensive guide to discover all the do’s and don’ts of perfecting your manicure technique.
What nail tools do you need to maintain healthy nails?
Maintaining healthy nails requires more than just good hygiene. Getting the right nutrients is also really important, as well as using the appropriate nail tools and ensuring these tools are used safely and correctly. Let’s delve into the essential tools you need to have in your nail care kit:
Nail clippers: An essential tool used for safely trimming down your nails.
Nail File: Used to file down and shape your nails. This will also help to prevent your nails from breaking.
Cuticle Nipper: This nail tool carefully trims cuticles. This is safe when to cut them down and will ensure that your nails are easier to paint and less likely to chip.
Cuticle Pusher: Pushing back your cuticles regularly will keep them healthy and will prevent them from cracking.
Nail buffer: Using this tool will create a smoother surface for nail polish to adhere to.
Cuticle Oil: Using cuticle oil is beneficial to the overall health of the nail and the skin around it, this can also help to stimulate growth of the nail.
Base and top coat: Using a base and top coat has a number of benefits including discouraging your nails from chipping, preventing discolouration and keeping your nail polish intact.
What are some common mistakes people make when maintaining their nail tools?
Neglecting tool hygiene: Cleaning your nail tools is often a step that can be overlooked, this is crucial to prevent any bacteria build up and infections from forming.
Incorrect nail trimming: Incorrectly trimming your nails can cause several effects that can be damaging to your nails. Poor trimming techniques can cause pain and discomfort, ingrowing nails can also lead to infection. Not only can it cause these issues but this will also affect the overall appearance. The best time to cut your nails is right after having a shower or bath. Ensure you are using the correct tool depending on what you’re trying to achieve.
Sharing nail tools: You should never share your nail tools with anyone else. This can easily lead to infections in your nails or in the surrounding skin. If you are ever using someone else’s nail clippers, then you should sanitise these first to prevent any risk of infection.
Overcutting cuticles: Cutting your cuticles incorrectly can increase risk of infection of the skin around the nail. A safer option to gently push your cuticles back is to use a cuticle crystal stick. This will reduce the risk of discomfort or damage to your nails.
Over filing and buffing nails: Aggressive filing can weaken the nail and lead to breakage. Buffing your nails should be done carefully as this could also cause inadvertent damage to the skin surrounding the nails, so it is important you take extra care when doing this.
Neglecting regular maintenance: Not regularly replacing your nail tools when needed could lead to potential damage. It is important to replace tools every 6-12 months to ensure they remain sharp and effective.
Tips for using nail tools correctly
If you want to maintain healthy nails whilst preventing damage and infections, it is important to use your nail tools correctly. Using nail tools correctly can also help to perfect your nail routine, just by making some important adjustments. Follow these tips to avoid making any mistakes when using your nail tools.
- Clean tools before and after use: Always clean your nail tools before and after each use by using boiling water and rubbing alcohol on them. This will prevent the spread of any bacteria. This is especially for nail clippers, tweezers and scissors.
- Choose Good Quality Nail Tools: Invest in good quality nail tools, made of durable stainless steel.
- Use nail care equipment correctly: Using the correct nail tools and using them properly will prevent any accidents from happening. Some tools are very sharp and could easily cause injury if not used properly.
- Choose the right size tools: When clipping your nails, use smaller ones for clipping your fingernails and a larger one for your toenails.
- Using the right nail file grit: Use a lower grit for shortening your nails and a higher one for both shaping and smoothing .
- File nails in one direction: Direction is key. You should never use a back and forth motion to file your nails, you should stay in one direction to prevent your nail from splitting and tearing.
It is important to know exactly what you are doing when it comes to nail care. Using the correct tools and following a routine can help prevent mistakes. At Soinvogue, we have a variety of nail tools and treatments to help fix nail problems. Our nail treatments include a variety of oils and vitamins to promote healthier nails. Explore our range at Nail HQ and build your nail care kit now.