Minimizing Filing to Protect Nail Health

Over-filing is a common issue in nail salons, and additional damage can occur if coatings are improperly removed. I recommend that nail technicians limit filing on the nail plate as much as possible. If filing is necessary, use only a fine abrasive and apply minimal pressure, heavy pressure increases the risk of damage.

Choosing Nail Coating Systems That Protect Natural Nail Health

Many advanced nail coating systems now require minimal or no filing to achieve good adhesion. I suggest finding a system that doesn’t depend on excessive filing. If adhesion loss is an issue, it may indicate an underlying problem with the application or product, rather than the need for more filing.

Remember, nail coatings adhere better to a healthy, thick nail plate. Avoid over-thinning, and choose solutions that protect the natural thickness and health of the nail.

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Many are confused by “nail growth” claims.

The facts are, some of these claims are real and some are illegal. Why? There is a really big difference between “making” something grow and “helping” something to grow. All nail professionals, should clearly understand the difference.  For instance, if I put fertilizer on a plant, I “make” it grow faster.  If I put a fence around it to keep the rabbits from eating the plant, I “help” it to grow taller. There is a really big difference here. 

The first one changes or alters the way the plant would normally grow, while the second works by protecting the plant, so it can grow naturally.  It is illegal for cosmetics to claim that they MAKE the nail grow.  

Cosmetics are not allowed to change or alter the growth pattern or nails, hair or skin. Only drugs and foods can make these claims. Even so, cosmetics can “help” the nail plate to grow by making/keeping it in a stronger/tougher condition, which makes it more resistant to breakage. This is an important benefit that can allow the nail plate to survive daily rigors and to grow longer.

Watch for the term “helps grow longer” and avoid those who illegally claim to make the nail “grow faster”.  No cosmetic can claim to accelerate nail growth. If they do, that would make their product a misbranded drug. Words are important. A single word can make all the difference between a real benefit and a phony claim.

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Q. I want to be able to provide my clients with the most accurate information possible. I know our nail plates can absorb moisture via water and oil but do they absorb acetone and other chemicals through gel polish, acrylics or regular nail lacquers?

Understanding the Nail Plate’s Resistance

An unbroken nail plate is very difficult to penetrate, and that’s what I believe you are asking. Our skin and nails are a barrier between us and the outside word. Our nail beds are covered with this tough, highly impenetrable nail plate barrier that prevents penetration.

Other than nail oils and water, not much else will penetrate very far past the upper layers of the nail plate.

Smoker’s Stain: A Surface-Level Absorption

A good example would be a smoker’s stain on the nail plate. The tars and nicotine absorb into the nail plate, these can’t absorb very deeply, so instead they pool just under the upper surface of the nail plate to form a stain that becomes increasingly darker with additional exposure. The reason the stain becomes darker is because the nicotine (and tars) can’t penetrate any deeper, so they collect in one area.

The Evaporative Nature of Acetone and Its Effect on Penetration

Acetone is also very volatile and evaporates too quickly from the nail plate to penetrate very far.

Unlikeliness of Deep Penetration into the Nail Plate.

So, in short, it is unlikely that any significant amounts of the nail products you mentioned can absorb beyond the surface or upper layers of the nail plate.

Conclusion

The nail plate acts as a robust and formidable barrier, protecting our nail beds from absorbing most chemicals found in the products we use. With its tough and impenetrable nature, the unbroken nail plate prevents substances from reaching deeper layers. While certain elements like nicotine and tars from smoking may create surface stains, they cannot penetrate beyond the upper surface of the nail plate. Similarly, volatile substances like acetone evaporate too quickly to have significant absorption.

Apart from water and nail oils, the majority of ingredients in nail products are restricted to the upper layers of the nail plate, ensuring that they do not permeate further. Therefore, concerns regarding the absorption of harmful chemicals into the bloodstream through the nails are unfounded, as the nail plate’s protective properties prevent such deep penetration.

Overall, understanding the limitations of nail plate absorption provides reassurance about the safety of using nail products. Maintaining nail health and hygiene remains a vital aspect of personal care, and with the knowledge that the nail plate acts as a natural safeguard, we can confidently enjoy our favorite nail treatments without undue worry about chemical absorption.

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Question:

Can you expalin the downside risks of filing the side walls of the nail plate?

Answer:

When the side walls are filed, two important problems can occur.

When the nail plate width is reduced, the overall strength of the nail plate is also reduced and weakened. Not only that, the plate becomes overly flexible and will bend too easily. Bending back and forth will weaken the nail plate and can cause stress fractures to form near the sidewalls where the plate is flexing. Of course, this can lead to other problems such as a loss of adhesion of the nail coating and/or breaking nail plates.

This can cause the shape of the nail plate to curl more easily, either upward into a ski jump or ski hop nails, as they are often called, or they can bend sharply downward as they grow past the free edge. In these cases, the integrity of the nail plate has been compromised.

An even greater issue is the increased potential for allergic skin irritation or allergies of the side wall tissues since abraded skin is easier for substances to penetrate.  When this soft tissue is abraded by the file, it can cause the weakening of the skin defenses. Exposure of this abraded tissue to nail coating products is of great concern since prolonged or repeated exposure to this damaged area increases the risk of adverse skin reactions.

Clients pay nail professionals to beautify their nails, but not at the expense of the nail or skin health. Pay close attention to this issue and be sure you aren’t overfilling the sidewalls or the top surface of the nail plate.

Over filing is one of the biggest challenges facing the nail industry and a major reason why many potential clients avoid nail salon services.

When it comes to filing “Less is Best”  

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Query:

I was told that the bonds holding together the nail plate run longitudinally to help stop lengthwise splits and this meant that it was better to “remove shine” in direction of nail growth or these bonds could be broken. But you said before that the direction of nail filing doesn’t matter. Can you explain?

Answer:

The image below shows how keratin fibrils inside the nail cells all lay in one direction across the width of the nail plate. This prevents cracking down the length of the nail plate.

The arrangement of keratin fibrils causes the nail plate to crack across its width. How? These fibrils act like speed bumps to slow down the spread of cracks that would split the plate. Instead, they cause these cracks to change directions and to run between the keratin fibrils, not across them. This arrangement does influence how cracks spread, but this has little to do with filing the surface of the nail plate. The filing doesn’t cause cracks in the nail plate, it just abrades away the surface of the nail plate. Each nail cell is connected to other nail cells from many different directions, including from above and below. I have personally conducted studies on various directions of filing that did not show that a specific direction caused additional nail damage.

 In short, I know of no reason why the nail plate should only be filed in the direction of growth. It is far more important to use a light touch and avoid abrasives lower than 180 grit on the natural nail, 240 grit is best for natural nails, in my own opinion.

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Question:

Is calcium good for the natural nail?

Answer:

I don’t know of any evidence that demonstrates that oral ingestion of calcium does anything positive for nails, at all!

Nail plates do contain a very small amount of calcium, but that’s likely deposited there by the water we wash our hands with.

Calcium is found only on the surface of the nail plate, not in deeper layers, which further supports that the calcium comes from hand washing. To my knowledge, the nail plate doesn’t need calcium and doesn’t benefit from it at all.

Of course, should any convincing evidence become available to support this myth, I’m happy to review and reconsider. However, until then I would not recommend calcium supplements since they don’t appear to benefit the nail. The same is true for topical application of calcium; this can’t help the nail plate either.

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Question:

I have a question about metal cuticle pushers. I would like to know how dangerous it is to use a metal pusher vs a rubber pusher with cuticle remover. I’m really slow with a rubber pusher and cuticle remover since I am as thorough as possible. I want good adhesion, but I am concerned about how much damage pushers could cause. Is it OK to use a metal pusher if you’re super careful and gentle or should they be avoided entirely?

Answer:

Implements used to remove dead cuticle tissue from the nail plate can be made from metal, rubber, or wood. Any of these can be used without creating damage and any of these can create damage when used too aggressively. So, each of them should be used with care and caution. I don’t think “pushers” is the right name.  They should not be used for pushing the proximal nail fold, which is the proper name for the living tissue at the base of the nail plate. This living skin is part of a protective seal that prevents infections of the matrix and surrounding tissues. 

You are correct to be concerned about damaging the lunula area where the nail plate is the thinnest and softest. I also agree that it is important to remove all of this dead tissue in order to ensure good adhesion. As long, of course, as the proper precautions are used. Any type of cuticle remover can be used safely when properly applied. However, one downside to the removers with an alkaline pH is that they can be difficult to remove completely from the skin. When not completely removed, residues can irritate and even severely damage living tissue. 

Another approach is to use a high-quality nail oil to soften this thin layer so that it can be gently removed. Of course, any residuals of these oils must be cleaned from the nail plate. Otherwise, the removers themselves can block the adhesion of nail coatings.

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Question:

I understand that acetone and other prep products dehydrate the nail plate only temporarily and that nail oils counteract the effect quite well. Does nail polish or UV gel polish dehydrate the nail at all?

Answer:

Acetone only dehydrates the surface of the nail plate, and these nail coatings do the exact opposite for the natural nail, they hydrate. Every nail coating from nail polish to UV gels will temporarily block the passage of water at the upper surface of the nail plate, causing higher levels of moisture to build up underneath the coating. This increases the water content of the nail plate from typical 15% water up to 25% water when coated with an enhancement or natural nail overlay. 

Nail oils work in a similar fashion. These oils contain NO water, so they cannot add moisture to the nail plate. Instead, the oils slow down the passage of water moving from the nail bed upward to the surface of the nail plate, which increases the nail plate moisture content. The same thing occurs when anything covers the nail plate, including artificial nails of all types. 

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Question:

Does filing the sides of the natural nail really weaken the free edge? I’ve been given this myth as a reason for using the square shape too many times, so I had to ask!

Answer:

This is a myth. It doesn’t make any sense that filing the sides of the natural nail would weaken the free edge.

However, I have to say that square-shaped nails are more likely to break than those that are rounded. What causes this? A rounded free edge doesn’t have a corner that can break off. A square nail has two corners that can break or chip. The square corners increase the potential that the nail will be snagged on something and break off. Also, an oval shape is inherently more resistant to certain types of breakage. That’s why Romans invented the arch, to support their bridges. Arches more evenly distribute the weight, as well as other forces such as sudden impact. The force of impact would be better distributed by a rounded shape than one that was square. Keep in mind that the lower arch of the nail must also be kept intact for strength, not sacrificed for the shape when choosing a non-square option.

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