3 Tips For Maintaining Your Nail Shape Between Manicures

Many of us have regular standing appointments at our favorite nail salon, and whether you have natural nails or are an acrylic girlie, it's important to maintain the look of your digits. Our hands are one of the most-used parts of our bodies, and with all the typing and texting we do these days, our nails unfortunately take a hit. Nails getting chipped or even losing their shape as they grow out is common, and we can't always make a last-minute appointment with our technicians.

Like our hair, our nails require regular upkeep, and if you haven't done so in a while, you may be lost on how to properly file them, especially if you desire a certain shape. For example, if your nails are long or tapered, they're more prone to breaking, but as long as you have the right tools and know how to use them to your advantage, you can make your nails look presentable until your next manicure sesh.

Emery boards are the most popular tools for filing nails, as they're low-cost and readily available at almost every store. However, you may be surprised to learn that glass or crystal nail files are actually better for your nail health. Made of tempered glass, these tools have a finer surface, unlike the sandpaper-like quality of emery boards, which can be unnecessarily abrasive. Manicurist Rachel Joseph told InStyle, "If you or your client have damaged, brittle nails and you're trying to work on getting the nails back to good shape, I recommend using a glass file to be more gentle on the nails."

While glass files are preferable for natural nails, they aren't always optimal if you have acrylic or gel nails. In these cases, you'll want the coarser texture of an emery board to fix chips or reshape your nails in between salon visits. You can still use a glass file as a secondary step to smooth out the edges, so it's definitely a good idea to have both options on hand. We particularly like this Three-Pack Glass File Set by Xipoo, which comes a colorful case, making it super convenient to keep handy in your bag.

For oval and almond nails, start by filing the sides first at a slight angle to taper them out, and then round out the tip. Square shapes are classic and can be worn short or long. File the sides so that they're straight and even and then go over the tip using a vertical back-and-forth motion.

Those with coffin nails will want to first file the sides to make them straight with a gradual taper and then finish it off by filing the tips straight. With stiletto nails, you'll want to file only the sides to create a super sharp tip. Keep in mind that these two shapes are only possible with long nails, so you may have to start with maintaining a square or oval silhouette and let it grow out gradually.

Acrylic and gel manicures are a bit trickier to maintain than natural nails, as they're thicker and therefor need a coarser file. Nail technicians often use an electric handheld tool called an e-file to do this, but the majority of us don't have that at home. This is where an emery board comes in, as you may need varying levels of grit to shape your nails. According to Byrdie, nail files are numbered depending on their coarseness and get finer as the numbers go up. If you're shaping fake nails, you'll want a file numbered no higher than 180. We suggest this set sold on Amazon that has 100 grit on one side and 180 on the other.

Just like with natural nails, file your nails to your desired shape using the coarsest part of the file first. Then, go over it with the finer side to get rid of any jagged or rough edges. To finish, thoroughly smooth your nails out by using a glass file or a buffer. If you're hankering for a completely different shape, we suggest waiting until your next appointment, as you'll need special tools to either cut the acrylics or remove the gel polish. But, until then, check out these 6 maximalist nail designs for your next manicure.