ARS Custom Nails Tips & Training
Does the file damage nails?
NO it doesn't, but improper technique might. When the nail
and acrylic has been applied properly and smoothly, minimal
filing will be required, thus reducing the possibility of
filing errors. You must also learn to develop a common sense
approach to filing. For instance, if you've created a nail
that's lumpy and you file it aggressively with a very coarse
Bit, you're contributing to a shorter life span for the nail
because you are traumatizing it. If you build a smooth nail,
lightly shape and file it using a medium to fine Bit, you'll
end up with a well-shaped natural-looking nail. The goal of
any finishing technique is to do as little filing as possible.
Acrylics should be sculpted into the correct shape and then
refined. What ever method you choose, the idea is to do most
of your work with your application brush, not your filing
tools. There has been some controversy over whether the Electric
File can break down acrylic. Once again, using the File correctly
has proven this to be untrue. When the acrylic nail has been
applied correctly and requires minimal filing to shape it,
the Electric File has successfully performed many of the tasks
of the hand-held file on millions of sets of nails all over
the world.
What purpose do electric files serve?
Properly used, electric files can save time required for services
which will increase your income.
Using an electric file can also help prolong the working life
of a technician behind the nail table by reducing fatigue
and wear and tear on the wrist and arm.
Electric files can be used to:
Refine, shorten, shape, maintain the underside of the nail,
finish buff and shine natural and artificial nail enhancement
products.
AN INVESTED INDUSTRY
- Electric file manufacturers continuously invest time and
resources in research and development in order to improve
the tools available to the professional nail technician.
- By expanding the educational programs available to technicians
using electric files, the quality of work in salons will
improve.
- Properly using machines specifically designed for use
in nail services provides a higher level of safety to the
consumer.
- Through distribution in professional beauty suppliers,
nail technicians have greater access to a wider selection
of machines and professional products.
Are electric files safe? Absolutely!
Electric files are as safe as the technician using them. Electric
files do not cause damage; improperly trained technicians
do.
It is essential that nail technicians get proper training
before using an electric file on a client.
Many nail technicians take for granted that since their license
allows them to purchase electric files, they can figure out
how to use them on their own. This is not necessarily the
case.
Due to misuse of machines by poorly trained nail techs, electric
files, or drills, have gotten a negative reputation. In order
to overcome this negative image and regain consumer confidence,
proper education and training is required.
The AEFM offers as education program to schools and State
Boards, however, many are reluctant to change their education
program to incorporate Electric File Education.
As a nail tech you should educate your clients on Electric
Files and the benefits that both your client and you would
receive by using an electric file.
You are a professional, always use professional products
designed and manufactured for nail technicians. Support your
industry.
Cleaning and Sanitizing Bits:
This is probably the most ignored, yet most important
procedure when using an Electric File. The care you
take to keep your Bits sanitary should be at the same
level as your other professional implements.
Would you ever use a dirty and non-sanitized hand file
on a client? The same logic applies to your Electric
File Bits, which can be just as easily cleaned and sanitized
between customers. A dirty Bit harbors the same health
problems as a dirty hand file. Cleaning includes the
removal of acrylic dust and residue build up within
the grits or flute cuts on your Bits and must be cleaned
out periodically for the Bits to remain sharp. You can
use Medicool's wire brush to do this or soak the cutting
Bits in a cleaning solution to help dissolve this acrylic
material. Once your Diamond, Sapphire or Carbide Bits
have been thoroughly cleaned, submerge them completely
in disinfecting solution and leave them for the time
recommended to sanitize them.
Bits should be cleaned and disinfected between each
use. Store all bits in a clean, dry container until
you are ready to use them.
Cleaning and Disinfecting Bits
Metal Bits
After each use clean bits to remove debris from the
surface by either washing with a brush and soap and
water, or immersing in acetone for 5 to 10 minutes.
* Acetone is not a disinfectant, it is a solvent
used for cleaning
After cleaning, completely immerse bits in liquid disinfectant
that is approved for use by your state regulatory guidelines
for the time required on the label.
Silicone Bits
Remove portion of bit used on client by holding the
bit vertical on the surface of a course file. With the
machine on, press down until past the used portion.
(similar to sharpening a pencil)
Completely immerse bits in an approved disinfectant.
Sanding Bands or Sleeves
These are single-use disposable items and cannot be
saved or reused. After each initial use discard in a
waste receptacle.
Balancing, Hand Control and Correct Angle
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Properly handling and
balancing the Electric File
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BALANCING AND HAND CONTROL
Control, Balance, Pressure, and Speed all play important
roles in using the Electric File safely and correctly.
Learning to properly balance your hands as you work
will keep them steady and help you develop the proper
filing technique. Proper balancing requires that you
use your pinky or ring finger braced against your other
hand for balance as you work. This is often called a
"fulcrum finger." Using a fulcrum finger takes
much of the pressure off the hand that holds the handpiece
as you work, creating what's called "negative pressure"
(pressure on the hand holding the client's fingers).
This technique gives you more control over what you're
doing, and with practice, will increase the speed and
accuracy of your work. If you don't already do this
as you apply polish or acrylic, using a fulcrum finger
may seem awkward at first. Once you become comfortable
with the technique it becomes natural and you'll do
it without even thinking about it.
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Wrong Angle for shaping
an acrylic nail
Correct Angle for shaping
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THE CORRECT ANGLE
Just as with a hand-held file, you must know where
the Bit is making contact with the nail to know if you're
shaping the acrylic properly. Pay attention to where
the Bit is touching the nail by watching from the side
or profile view. Bits will file a nail differently depending
on the angle at which you hold them. For instance, the
front of a Barrel Bit can be used for working near the
cuticle area on acrylics; at the center for shaping
that same nail and on the bottom end of the barrel for
trimming the tip of that nail as well. Watching from
the side as you work will allow you to see exactly what
you're doing.
PROPER HAND PLACEMENT
Holding Client's Finger
1. Support the finger by placing your thumb and index
finger on each side of the finger near the cuticle.
2. Be sure that your hand is under the finger and that
both of your arms are braced on the table to avoid movement.
Holding the Hand Piece
1. Hold the hand piece as you would hold a pencil.
2. Keep parallel to the table as you file; move the
clients hand, not the front of the hand piece.
3. Balance your hands together as you would when applying
nail polish. The finger that braces your hands together
is referred to as the 'fulcrum finger'.
*In order to achieve proper filing technique, it is
extremely important that the hands are properly braced
for support. |
Applied Pressure, Heat & Correct Speed
APPLIED PRESSURE
Using the proper amount of downward pressure with your Electric
File and Bits is very important. There's a fine line between
too much and not enough. If you use too little pressure, the
nail will not be affected, but if you use too much pressure,
the nail can be damaged. You must also remember to periodically
lift the bit from the nail to prevent heat build up. The quickest
way for you to understand the proper pressure is to pay close
attention to the difference in force required for an area
that needs a great deal of filing and an area where little
needs to be done. You should observe this with every Bit you
try, because the pressure required will change with the tool
and area you are filling. Practice in this area is the key
to successful use of your electric file.
HEAT
The trick to eliminating heat buildup on the nails is to constantly
lift the Bit from the nail as you work, allowing air to cool
the nail. Sanding bands heat up the fastest, while Diamond
Bits usually stay the coolest. All Bits will burn if you leave
them on the nail long enough. Remember: you are creating heat
with your technique. If the client is uncomfortable, slow
the speed down, and lift the Bit off the nail more often.
To determine how much heat is building up, put your thumb
on the hand that is holding the clients nail and as you work
periodically feel the top of the nail. Because the nail is
hotter on top than underneath, you will be able to lift the
Bit before you client becomes uncomfortable.
CORRECT SPEED
This varies from machine to machine and you'll need to practice
what speeds feel best to you before using your machine on
a client. Adjust the speed depending on what technique you're
using. Generally speaking, use a lower speed for cuticle area;
a medium speed for backfills and refining the concave/convex
shape at the tips; and a faster speed on top for shaping.
Speeds in excess of 15,000 RPM are not necessary, and can
be potentially dangerous. Your client's safety and comfort
should always be your primary concern.
Pedicures
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Sapphire Disk
Sapphire Cone
Large Foot Cone
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When performing a pedicure don't forget to sanitize
your hands and the feet prior to starting. Sapphire
Bits only work when they come in contact with dead dry
skin and nail material and it is this feature that makes
them the safest of all the Bits. To shorten toenails,
hold the Sapphire Disk at a 90-degree angle using medium
RPM. High speeds tends to shred the edge of the nail.
For clients with thick toenails, the Sapphire Cone should
be used to file down and reshape the top surface. Remember
not to apply too much pressure and always use short
strokes, removing the bit from the nail often as you
work. You can use the Long Sapphire Bit to remove the
dead hardened skin on the sides of the nail. Once you
have filed and shaped the nails, use the Chamois Buffing
Bits to create a healthy shine.
For Clients with callused or hard and rough skin areas,
especially on the heel and ball of the foot, the large
Sapphire Foot Cone works wonders. Just remember to always
use Sapphire attachments on dry skin and nails.
The Medicool Pedicure video shows the complete pedicure
procedure.
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Breaks and Cracks
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Kupa
Carbide Cone
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Hold the Bit horizontal or flush with the crack and
gentle burrow through the acrylic on either side of
the crack. Keep your eye on your work. A large Carbide
Barrel Bit will work very quickly in removing the acrylic
from around the crack, whereas a Cone-shaped Diamond
Bit will take longer. You only want to remove enough
material to make your repair and move on the shaping. |
Shaping
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Diamond Small Barrel
Kupa
Carbide Large Barrel
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When shaping you will need to first determine how much
material needs to be removed. You may need to use more
than one Bit to complete your shaping based on this
assessment. You may want to graduate from a coarser
to a finer grit at one side of the nail, holding the
Bit flat to the nail and shape the sides and tip of
the nail first. Then work the Bit from left to right
at a 20-degree angle on the top of the nail from near
the cuticle on out to the tip. Don't forget to lift
the Bit off the nail plate regularly as you work. The
parameter of the nails will still need to be hand filed,
but you can finish the edges with a Fine Diamond Barrel
Bit, then a snow block buffer. |
Cuticle Area
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Diamond Football
Diamond Cone
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At a 20-degree angle, start at the groove wall on the
right side of the nail and gently work around the cuticle
area as you watch the Bit from the side. Be careful
not the touch the Bit to the exposed natural nail at
the cuticle area. Blend the acrylic the acrylic so it
graduates flush into the natural nail. |
Filing The Sides:
Begin by shaping the sides and tip from the top view with
a hand-held file. Then, hold the nail so you can view it from
the profile and file with the Barrel Bit held horizontally
to the side of the extended nail until the desired shape is
achieved. Be careful that you don't press the top of the Bit
against the client's skin. Finish with a snow block buffer.
Shortening:
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Kupa Carbide Large Barrel
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Holding the Bit vertically (a 90-degree angle) against
the tip of the nail, start from the left side and work
your way to the right. If you use a Carbide Bit the
product may peel away and stick to the corner of the
tip you finish. Remove this piece of shaved acrylic
with your fingers. |
Defining the C Curve:
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Sanding Band
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For fine tuning underneath the edge of the tip as you look
down the Barrel of the nail, Most nail technicians like to
use a fine or medium grit sanding band. They prefer a sanding
band for this task because it's a little wider and can usually
sand the entire underside of the tip with one swipe, refining
the concave and convex curves of the tip so they match. Hold
the nail, looking straight down the barrel of the nail, and
place the bit right up against the underside edge so the bit
touches every part of the edge to define the C-curve. |
Cleaning Underneath The Nail
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Diamond Cone
Cleaning
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This is a matter of preference and any of these Bits
can work for you. For cleaning the ledges or shelves
out from underneath the nails there are Tapered Kupa Carbide
and Diamond Bits available. However, many Nail Technicians
still prefer the Barrel shapes, including the mandrel
with Sanding Band. Be careful not to touch the hyponychium
or the fingertip with the cutting edges of the bit as
you work. You may want to turn over the client's hand
so you can gain a better view of the underside of the
nail.
The My Beautiful Nails Battery machine is a great machine
for cleaning under the nail, if you only require a file
for this purpose and do not use an Electric File on
the top of the nail. It comes with a Diamond Cone, the
primary bit used for cleaning under the nail. |
Backfills
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Backfill Bit
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The shorter Backfill Bits are designed to cut out only
the area of the white tip that has grown out, and the
longer Backfill Bits are for even larger area. The front
edge of either a Kupa Carbide Backfill bit, a Kupa Carbide Barrel,
or a Diamond Barrel will all work well when doing a
Backfill. Using the Bit at a 45-degree angle, cut a
new smile line above the old one. Remember that a white
acrylic dulls in color as it ages. The new white tip
power is whiter in color and will make a strip of lighter
white if you do not remove the entire white tip when
doing your backfill. After cutting a new smile line
with the Backfill Bit, use a regular-size Barrel Bit
from side to side to remove the remaining white tip
product. You should take off 75% or more of the entire
white tip so you can completely replace it evenly with
fresh, new product. Because the Backfill Bit is so well
suited to Electric File, here are the steps to a Backfill
in detail:
- Prep the nails for a fill as usual.
- Using the Backfill Bit at a 45-degree angle, start
at the right side of the nail and take small cuts
to define a new smile line until you reach the left
side. Hold the Electric Filing machine securely without
too much pressure on the nail. Be sure not to leave
the Bit on the nail too long, and make sure you're
not cutting too deep. You can always go back over
the area if your cut isn't deep enough. Cut all ten
of the smile lines and then change to a larger Barrel
Bit.
- Using the larger Barrel Bit, remove 75% of the white
top product from the nails. Do this as you view the
nails from the side. As you become proficient at this
you can actually drill all the way down and expose
the natural nail plate without damaging it. If you
remove all the acrylic and expose the natural nail
on the fill edge, you will have to re-prime the exposed
natural nail area, otherwise it isn't necessary to
prime the exposed acrylic.
- Remove the dust from the nails, dehydrate and apply
primer if necessary.
- Apply the white tip powder to all 10 nails and let
it set completely before applying the pink product.
This does two things: First, it keeps the white tip
powder from mixing with the pink powder, dulling the
color, second, you can't drag the pink acrylic through
the white and dull the smile line if the white power
is already dry.
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Fills and Maintenance Fills
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| This nail needs a Maintenance
Fill. Follow your sanitizing and prepping steps. Use the
Prep/Shape file to blend acrylic flush and prep the natural
nail. |
Use a professional nail drill
like Medicool's Nail Pro 2000. Make a trench over the
grown-out natural nail free edge. Follow your state regulations
for use of nail drills or electric files. |
On the exposed natural nail
only, use one coat of Bond and two to three light coasts
of Primer. Let dry naturally to chalky white. Apply Acrylic
on last coast of Primer while it is still wet. |
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| Place a ball of Ultra White
at the free edge and create a new smile line. |
Apply a small ball of Pink
at the cuticle and another at the stress area for reinforcement.
You may also want to use a small ball of Ultra Pink to
brighten existing pink product. |
With this maintenance technique,
nails are beautiful pink and white once again. |
Buffing
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Buffing the nail
with Chamois Buffer
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Use this Bit only on clean nails, after you've removed
all cuticle oils by having the client wash her hands
with soap and a nylon brush. using this Bit without
washing off the cuticle oils will ruin the shine you
have already achieved. The Chamois Buffing Bits can
not be sanitized and should be used on clean and dry
nails. Start off by using a small amount of a traditional
buffing cream on the Chamois Buffing Bit, just as you
would with a hand-held chamois buffer. Do all ten nails
with this one bit. Then switch over to a clean, Chamois
Bit for a second pass. Use medium to high speed on this
second round of buffing for an even higher shine. |
Troubleshooting
RINGS OF FIRE
These are red indentations in the natural nail made by careless
use of the Electric Filing Machine. Each one usually represents
a fill, meaning there could be rings all the way down the
nail plate. This is caused by the incorrect use of a Barrel
Bit at the cuticle area. The top edge of the Bit digs into
the natural nail as it files down the acrylic because it is
being held at the wrong angle. The remedy for Rings of Fire
is to use the electric file bit at the proper angle.
HEAT
Friction is the main cause of heat, and pressure is the cause
of friction. As you use the Electric File you must constantly
lift the Bit up off the nail as you work so that air can cool
the nail. Sanding bands heat up the quickest, so you must
be very careful when using then on top of the nail.
NOT ENOUGH SHINE
If you feel your nails aren't shiny enough after using the
buffing cream and Buffing Bit, you need to start filing all
over again. Start by going back over the nails with the Extra
Fine Diamond Barrel Bit and then back through the buffing
techniques. When you're filing you must always be aware that
you will obtain the best finish when you "graduate"
your Bits and Files. You need to go from Coarse or Medium,
to Fine or Extra-Fine grits, in this order. At each step you
must take a good look at your work to be sure you've buffed
out all your file marks before proceeding on to the next Bit
or File. It's also a good idea to finish up by using the soft
side of a white buffer block to give your work that personal
touch.
THE CARBIDE FILE GRABS AND PULLS
When this happens, the Carbide Bit grabs onto the acrylic
and can wrap around the nail, hitting the skin. You need to
prevent this, because it can accidentally cut your client.
Always remain alert when using your Electric File. Be aware
of your working speed, as well as the pressure you are applying.
Attention to detail will keep you in charge of your Electric
Drill at all times and prevent the drill from jumping and
vibrating off the nail.
PRACTICE, PRACTICE, AND PRACTICE!
Always test new products and tools on yourself first. This
way you know how they work and you won't make the early mistakes
on your clients. Until you're comfortable using the Electric
Filing machine on yourself, the best way to gain practice
is to glue a tip onto the end of a dowel. Apply acrylic to
the tip and practice filing it using the machine. A dowel
is easy to hold because it's about the same size as a real
finger. When you first begin to use the Electric Filing Machine
during services, start out slowly by using it to clean up
underneath acrylic nails. Learning how to control the machine
will help you gain confidence and put your clients at ease.
Practice on another Nail technician in your salon or ask a
friends if she'll be your practice model for a free fill.
(Courtesy of Medicool Inc)
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