Overzealous buffing will thin out your nails. Then using the smooth side, buff them to a high shine. You can maintain shine by using the smooth side of the buffer on clean, dry nails.
Once you've finished buffing your nails, use the polish side. This will have a finer grit to remove any missed imperfections and make your nails even smoother. Polish your nails with four to six of the same X strokes you used in the buffing step.
Having a smooth surface on your nails may give the polish more opportunity to lift. Having a buffed nail gives your nail bed texture and grit and something for the polish to adhere to. Be careful not to over buff. Your nails are very thin and delicate and filing the natural nail too much may cause damage.
Nail buffing will help get rid of dead surface skin and will smoothen the rough edges on your nails. Once you follow the process, you will see that your nails are smooth and shiny almost immediately! Since the surface of your nails are smooth, nail buffing also makes nail polish adhere better.
Buffing off the ridges also gives a smoother surface for the polish to adhere to. Actually buffing leaves such an attractive sheen to the nails, that you might skip the polishing step. After all, buffed nails cannot chip. Buffing encourages the nails to grow thanks to the improved circulation.
The roughest side of the buffer helps smoothen your nails, while the smoothest part helps give them a shine. You can buff your nails once a month to make them look extra shiny and healthy.
To properly adhere any product to the nail, the oils have to be removed from the nail plate. To do this thoroughly, a fine buffer should be used to break up the blocks of oil so that a nail cleanser can dissolve and remove them. By skipping this step, the product will not adhere properly and you will have lifting.
The 100/180 grit is also recommended for buffing the nail prior to using Gel Polish.
No. Just put down a thin base coat. That will smooth out your nails for a perfect color application.
You can buff your nails; just keep it to once a month. Both experts caution against harsh buffing and say it can cause your nail plate to thin. Try using a four-way nail file to smooth away ridges, file in one direction only, and don't use too much force so you don't cause trauma to the nail and nail bed.
To help even out the surface of the nail, Remark recommends using a buffing block to smooth away ridges. “Just make sure not to over-buff, especially if your ridges are deep,” she says. “This can really thin out the nail plate.” You can buff your nails before you polish them to ensure a smoother manicure.
Apply cuticle oil.
To give your nails added shine, as well as moisture, apply cuticle oil after you finish buffing them. Apply the oil on the skin that borders each nail. After you have applied oil to each nail, use your fingers to massage the oil into your cuticles.
When it comes to color application, it's best to apply nail polish down the center of the nail, to avoid flooding your cuticle. Then work your way down the sides of the nail, and be sure to cap the free edge as a final step. Apply 2 coats of color application, and allow each coat to dry in between.
Fine files (240-600 grit) are best for removing small bumps, ridges or discolorations and for shaping the free edge of natural nails. Ultra fine files (600-2400 grit) are used for buffing and shining all types of nails. Files come in a variety of materials including padded cushion files, glass, mylar and ceramic.
If you want a regular nail polish look that lasts a little longer and don't mind damaging your original manicure, you can buff the gel. Creating this rough texture will give your polish more surface area to adhere to.
Dull gels can be caused by a few different problems. The most common have to do with curing, file grit, and oil residue on the nail. If gel is not cured for the entire recommended time, it can appear dull. Always follow the manufacturer's suggested time.
Cons of Buffing Your Nails
Buffing enhances the natural shine of your nails. You risk over-buffing and damaging your nails. Buffing smooths nail beds, removing ridges. If you use a buffer with a very abrasive grit, you can damage your nails.
Buffing is used prior to the application of gel nail polish to help the polish adhere better to the nail. For best adhesion results after buffing, the nail technician should remove any excess buffing oil before polishing.
Avoid Buffing Your Nails If:
You have brittle nails. Your nails are chipped. Buffing should only be done after you have shaped your nails neatly with your nail clipper and nail file.
The shine can last for up to a week, but it really depends on how rough you are on your hands.
If after removing your toenail polish, you see these white chalky patches then in most cases it is a condition called keratin granulation. These occur from constant polish wearing. This is not a fungus but can look much like it and can trigger a fungus so it is important to treat it.