With so many nail files out there, it can be very daunting to choose the right file for your nails. So, here is a quick guide on the different types of nail files you’ll find and what else to consider when making your choice:

Metal nail files:
This is probably the oldest and most known type of nail file. They are (as the name suggests) made of metal and usually have a lower grit.

Pros: They are long lasting and easy to clean.

Cons: This type of nail file often weaken the nail, which causes splintering and chipping of the nail edges.

Emery boards:
These files are widely used in nail salons and at home. You often find them as a double-sided nail file with two grits – a lower grit for filling down nails and a higher grit to smooth down edges.

Pros: The basic emery board is one of the easiest nail files to find in stores, and also very affordable.

Cons: It cannot be cleaned or sterilized properly as the base of the file is cardboard.

Glass nail files:
These files are slightly more expensive and are usually only found at salons or at professional stockists of nail products.

Pros: This is the best file to use when smoothing your freshly filed nails as they will smooth the edge of a nail and “seal” it so that there will be no splintering or chipping. Glass nail files are easy to clean and sterilize, so they are very hygienic.

Cons: They break easily, so take care not to drop yours.

Buffing block:
A buffing block usually has four different grits ranging between a low grit to file nails, and an extremely high grit to polish your nails.

Pros: They provide a selection of grits, allowing you to file down, remove ridges, as well as smooth and polish your nails, all in one convenient block.

Cons: Because the buffing block is rather bulky, some may find it a bit more difficult to use.

The shape:
Files come in many different shapes and sizes. For natural nails, a simple straight one is often best. Other shapes are mostly for working with artificial nails. For example, bended ones are excellent for filing and those with square edges can reach every place on the nail plate. But the shape and size of the file you use is mainly a personal preference.

Padded or not padded:
This again is mainly a personal choice, but if you are prone to being a little heavy handed with your filing and buffing, a padded file will help to soften the impact on your nails.

The Grit:
The surface of a nail file is referred to as its grit and this tells us how coarse or how fine the file is. The smaller the grit number is, the coarser a nail file will be and vice versa. The grit of nail files is really important when choosing a file to use on your natural nail.

• 80-100 grit – sharp and very rough, with bigger pieces of grit, and would be used for removing outer gel or acrylic overlays. Never use this on your natural nails!
• 180 grit – medium sharp and medium rough; used for preparing nail plate before applying gel or acryl and for shaping artificial nails.
• 240 grit – not so sharp and rough; used for final filing of artificial nails. This grit can be used for filing natural nails.
• Higher grit numbers like 800 or even as high as 4000 are used to buff and shine the natural or acrylic nails.

I would suggest an “all rounder” 240/180 grit double-sided file. 180 to shape harder nails and toes nails and the 240 side to shape natural nails and smooth out any rough edges.

Final Thoughts: When choosing your nail file, make sure it’s not too rough, so that you do not damage your nails and cuticles. When in doubt, it’s always better to err on the side of caution and go with a higher grit or smoother file.

Article by: Mariaan Enslin