Buff for nails
Most often during a manicure, we pay attention to the processing of the cuticle and coating, losing sight of the preparation of the nail itself. Therefore, today we will talk about what polishing is and how to use a nail buff.
What is nail polish?
Nail polishing is the treatment of nails with a buff or nail file, as a result of which the nail plates acquire a smooth surface, healthy color, and natural shine. After polishing, the nails look much better, and look beautiful even without further coating.
Think of your nails as a smooth, blank canvas that must first be primed before you can turn it into a work of art!
What is a nail buff?
A buff is a very useful and versatile manicure tool that will help smooth out all the bumps on the nail plates, give your nails a well-groomed look, an attractive shine, and even help your coating last longer.
A manicure buff can be sold in various forms, but the most popular option is a 4-sided buff for grinding and polishing nails or, as it is also called, a buff block. Each side of the block is coated with a different amount of grit. Some buffs are sold already with numbered sides, which makes the polishing process even easier, as you can immediately understand which side of the block you need to use at a certain stage of the manicure.
In today's article, we will focus on using such a four-sided manicure buff.
How to use a nail buff
As with any manicure - you need preliminary preparation.
- Make sure your nails are clean and dry.
- Use nail polish remover to remove any traces of the old finish.
- Trim your nails to the desired length with a good nail clipper or nail scissors.
Now you can start the main process.
Side 1 - Shaping
Use this side to give your nails the desired shape. Always file your nails in short, sharp strokes, and in one direction only. Randomly jerking the nail file back and forth can weaken the nail and provoke delamination and cracking.
Side 2 - Remove bumps
Use this side to smooth out all the roughness and bumps on the nail plates. Pay special attention to the ribs on the nails. If your nails are wavy, this can sometimes be a sign of other health problems.
Side 3 - Sanding
Sanding the nails is similar to the previous step, when we removed the bumps on the nails, but done a little more vigorously. While using the third, sanding side of the buff, all the little flaws that you might have missed are removed, and your nails become even smoother.
Side 4 - add glitter
To be honest, this is my favorite moment while polishing my nails. :) The nail plate acquires a natural well-groomed shine in just a few minutes. Swipe this side of the buff over your nails with light back and forth movements until you are satisfied with the result. However, do not press the buff too hard, so as not to cut off the excess.
How often should you polish your nails?
However, nail polishing is a mild, superficial abrasion, so it should not be done too often or too hard, as it can lead to thinning or weakening of the nails.
Once a month will be enough. But if your nails aren't rough, or if they're mostly gel polished and you don't care too much about the extra shine on your nails, you might want to do this less often.
You can buy a manicure buff at any professional cosmetics store, or on the Internet.