Healthy and beautiful nails are an indicator of a neat person. Both women and men equally need to have a well-groomed appearance in order to correspond to the status of a respectable, business person. A manicure done according to all standards can help with this. But in this article we want to talk not about the whole process, but only about its part - polishing. This is a popular procedure performed by all manicure lovers. There are several ways to carry out this operation, which we will tell you about, and also show you a video that clearly reflects all the nuances of the work.

Polishing Features

In another way, polishing is called “sealing the nails”; this procedure is carried out using files of different abrasiveness, as well as various improvised means to achieve the best effect. We will talk about them in more detail below, noting the features of using each.

Many women who have never resorted to polishing are afraid of causing harm to the nail plate because of common myths about the dangers of such work. We will try to resolve this contradiction by selecting arguments from both supporters of polishing and its opponents.

Harmful or not?

The polishing procedure undoubtedly helps improve the appearance of the nails, making them smooth, eliminating various irregularities and stains from varnish. In addition, the use of various substances during polishing, such as wax, helps to nourish the nails with beneficial minerals. But such an effect can be achieved only if the rules of the procedure are followed correctly.

The fact is that polishing one way or another thins the nail plates due to its effect on the keratin (top) layer. Therefore, if you are the owner of thin nails, this procedure is contraindicated for you. This is associated with the risk of even greater thinning of the plates, fragility and slower natural growth. In addition, polishing should be done no more often than once every 1-2 months, so as not to injure the nail plate too much.

Nail preparation

When polishing, the process of preparing the nails is very important, ensuring the successful completion of the entire procedure. You need to remove the previous coating and adjust the shape with a nail file. You can give your hands a bath, like you would with an unedged manicure, to soften the cuticles and make them easier to remove. After this, remove the cuticle using a special product or scissors if you did a classic manicure. Do not forget that you need to start polishing with dry hands.

Polishing nails at home with a buff

Buff is a special file that is universally used for sanding any coating. They vary in degree of abrasiveness: from hard, intended for artificial nails, to soft, exclusively for polishing.

They need to act carefully, moving from the center to the side. Each side needs to be polished separately so that you don't have to saw from edge to edge. When working as a buff, do not put too much pressure on the nail plate; remove the top layer carefully, otherwise you may cut off the excess. After any polishing, it is recommended to apply a base coat, even if you do not intend to do any further manicure.

Polishing by machine

There are many companies in the market that provide special polishing device. As a rule, it operates on batteries and acts more gently than a buff, due to the slight circular movement of the nozzle.

Its use also requires certain skills. For example, you should not put too much pressure on the handle and move it over one place several times. This can contribute to damage to the nail surface.

Polishing nails at home with wax

This is one of the most popular products, as it not only creates a protective coating, but also deeply nourishes the nail. We recommend making a nail bath with sea salt and lemon juice, which will add shine to your nails. Instead, you can mix warmed apple cider vinegar with vegetable oil. This bath will help steam your nails and gently remove the cuticle.

After this, apply a little wax to the nail plate and begin to rub it in with a nail file, distributing it evenly over the entire length. This option is suitable even for those women who have weak, thin nails, because wax helps strengthen the nail plate.

After the procedure, you need to apply nourishing oil to your nails, which you can make yourself or purchase in a specialized store. If you decide to go the first route, take one teaspoon of almond oil and mix it with glycerin. You can add one purchase of any essential oil if you wish. This oil will soften your nails and give them a healthy, well-groomed look.

Video on the topic of the article

Not many people know that polishing stimulates blood circulation at the base of the plate, prevents the appearance of grooves and cracks, and gives the nails a well-groomed appearance. Without this procedure, a manicure is impossible, so it must be done correctly. The same applies to the frequency of polishing: girls with thin and brittle nails are not recommended to do it more than once a month; in all other cases, abrasives can be used once every 2 weeks. Let's look at the important aspects in order.

When to Polish

You need to understand that the procedure is useful only in moderation; grinding should not be abused. Nails need careful treatment if they have characteristic marks from removed varnish or other pigments absorbed into the layers of the plate. It is also worth taking time for those who abuse tobacco, as their nails become very yellow. Girls with dull nail plates lacking shine have an extremely difficult time, since they cannot do without polishing. The same situation is with ladies whose nails become covered with “waves,” cracks, and grooves.

Preparing nails for polishing

For the most part, polishing should be done along with the manicure procedure. However, self-grinding is also allowed if you have the appropriate training.

1. Remove the varnish coating from the surface of the plate using a liquid that does not contain acetone.
2. Take a glass file of medium abrasiveness and give your nails the desired shape. If you prefer a square, then make the corners smooth so as not to provoke delamination.
3. Next, you need to steam the skin to evenly remove the cuticle. To do this, make a bath: brew 50-60 g. geranium or rosemary in 1.5 liters of boiling water, leave the broth until it cools partially and dip your fingers in it for a quarter of an hour. When the time is up, dry your hands and move the cuticle to the base of the plate.
4. With your free hand, pull back the sides of the finger, remove the keratinized layers of skin with tweezers, try not to touch the healthy epidermis to avoid infection. Move from both sides to the middle of the cuticle (base of the nail). At the end of the manipulations, soak a cotton swab in hydrogen peroxide and wipe your nails and the skin around them.

Nail polishing technology at home

The procedure for treating nails with files of different abrasiveness allows you to smooth out cracks and scales with the help of large particles, and then add shine to your nails by polishing with an almost smooth base.

1. Buy a special buff for polishing. It is a three-dimensional file on which there are 4 plates of different abrasiveness (from greater to lesser).
2. Before polishing your nails, you also need to use a bath, but its composition will be different. Dilute 40 ml in warm water. liquid soap or shampoo, add a teaspoon of olive oil and 5 ml. any ether to your taste (they are all medicinal). Dip your fingers into the solution, hold them for 15-20 minutes, constantly massage the cuticle. After the expiration date, wipe your fingers dry, wait half an hour until the moisture is absorbed.
3. Take the buff, turn it over to the coarse abrasive side and run it across the nail from left to right several times. The coating should become partially matte; do not rub the plate too hard. Do the same manipulations with each finger, then move on to the next step.
4. Turn the buff over to the side with less abrasiveness, repeat the procedure, but this time move from bottom to top (from the free edge to the base of the nail). Gradually reduce the size of the file until you reach the smallest, almost glossy one.
5. Run a fine-grain nail file over the nail in a circular motion, carefully working the sides and upper cuticle area. When your nails begin to shine, lubricate the surface with a special polishing gel, rub it into the skin and the plate itself.
6. After applying the paste, wait at least 10 minutes, then sand the surface with a silicone-coated file. The procedure can be considered complete at the moment when, during the polishing process, the tool begins to slide over the nail without resistance.
7. At the end of the manipulations, treat the cuticle with a serum that slows down growth and dryness. Cover the nail plate with special oil and rub well. Lubricate your hands with cream and apply varnish if desired.

Prepare your nails thoroughly: give the plate the desired shape, steam your fingers and get rid of the cuticle. Proceed to polishing, do it first with a hard file, then with two medium ones, then add shine with soft particles and complete the procedure with a rubberized tool.

Video: polishing nails

Polishing is a complex treatment of nail plates, as a result of which they acquire a healthy color, smooth surface and soft shine. Polished nails hold better polish, but they look beautiful even without a coating. You can carry out the procedure in the salon or on your own.

Nail polishing: manicure at home

Polishing: features of the procedure

If your nails are ridged, uneven, yellowed or flaky, a regular manicure won't be enough. Delicate grinding and polishing will help bring the plates into order. The procedure can be carried out in different ways. For strong nails with uneven texture, files are most often used. Coarse-grained ones are intended for grinding; finer-grained ones are intended for final finishing. Choose durable professional tools, such as durable and practical polyethylene foam files with a plastic base. These tools can be disinfected in any solution; they do not break, bend or injure nails. Files with two working surfaces having different degrees of abrasiveness are very convenient; They can be used for both primary and final finishing of nails.

Polishing performs not only a decorative function. A correctly performed procedure stimulates plate growth and promotes proper blood circulation.

If your nails are brittle and dull, you can do without polishing, limiting yourself to polishing using a buffer block. It acts very gently, allowing you to achieve results in just 30 seconds. After polishing, the nails acquire a pleasant pink color and a dazzling shine.

Peeling nails do not tolerate dry polishing well. It is better to treat them with a soft bar, after applying medicated oil or wax to the plate. During the polishing process, the wax will be absorbed and your nails will look healthier and stronger.

Another popular option is polishing using a manicure machine. Use special polishing attachments; they will return your nails to a beautiful color and healthy shine in 10–20 seconds. You can also polish your toenails with the machine; the procedure will take a little longer. You can learn hardware manicure and pedicure using video lessons.

Manicurists do not recommend polishing more than 1-2 times a month.

Classic polishing: salon method at home

For the procedure you will need:

• maceration preparation, bubble bath or essential oils
• hot manicure lotion
• buffer or double polishing file
• soft terry towel
• cuticle remover liquid
• orange wood sticks
• nail polish remover
• nail wax or polish
• cuticle oil
• hand balm or cream
• suede cloth

Before starting the procedure, remove the nail polish. Give the plates the desired shape using a file or nippers. Prepare a hand bath by adding a special preparation for maceration or a little bath foam with a couple of drops of essential oil to warm water. Sweet orange or tea tree oil has a beneficial effect on nails. Soak your fingers in the water for 5-7 minutes, then pat dry with a soft towel.

Weak nails and dry skin can be tidied up with hot lotion based on mineral oils and glycerin. Heat the drug in a water bath, pour it into a bath and put your hands in it for 7 minutes. Then dry your fingers thoroughly, massage in the remaining lotion and proceed with further processing.

Free the nail plate from the overgrown cuticle. Apply fruit acid liquid onto it, wait 30-60 seconds, and then remove dead skin with wooden sticks. Push the cuticle towards the base of the nail. After this, treat your nails with a coarse file, removing the top stratum corneum. Act quickly: sawing too long will injure and weaken the plates. Make smooth movements from the base of the nail to the tip, this will avoid delamination.

All changes in the appearance of the nail plate can be divided into significant and minor. Minor changes include color changes and slight unevenness of the nail plate. To eliminate some defects, you can resort to polishing your nails. We will consider significant changes as separations, grooves, fragility or excessive softness of the nails, but this is discussed in the article treatment and strengthening of natural nails.

What is nail polishing and how is it done correctly? Polishing nails is a kind of “smoothing” of the nail plate until it shines using special files. Polishing your nails gives your nails an attractive appearance and stimulates blood circulation at the base of your nails, activating their growth. This procedure, removing yellowness and unevenness, visually makes the nail healthy.

Polishing nails includes several stages.

1. Soft sanding: allows you to remove released moisture from the surface of the nail plate. This action accelerates the production and renewal of a new insulating layer, and also removes yellowing and slight unevenness. Grinding is performed against the growth of the nail, which allows you to lift the keratin scales and clean the surface more thoroughly.

2. Primary polishing of the nail: allows you to smooth out keratin flakes and remove micro-scratches left after grinding. Primary polishing of the nail is performed in the opposite direction - in the direction of nail growth.

3. Secondary polishing of the nail: gives the nail a rich gloss and a beautiful, healthy color.

Nail polishing can be done either “dry” - without the use of auxiliary products, or with the use of special polishing creams or oils. Oils used for polishing nails must be natural and contain vitamins and microelements, since this type of nail polishing is used to restore depleted nails after extensions or to fortify nails. Nail polishing cream contains nutrients necessary for the nail, improving its structure and accelerating growth.

Need to know that Nail polishing should be done no more than 1-2 times a month and only on the regrown part of the nail plate, otherwise this can lead to its thinning. The polishing procedure is a kind of massage of the nail plate and cuticle zone (the visible part of the matrix - the growth zone of the nail), which stimulates blood circulation and, accordingly, the flow of blood and all nutrients to the matrix, activating metabolic processes.

All girls know that in order to create a beautiful and high-quality manicure, you need to prepare your nails. First you need to remove the cuticles around the nail, give the desired shape, polish and apply the polish itself. And it is the polishing process that will determine the final manicure, how it will lie and how long it will last.

Why and how to polish

First of all, you need to know that polishing nails is carried out not only for their beautiful appearance, but also for health, since in the process of creating a glossy appearance, blood begins to circulate better, which in turn leads to their growth. That is why, in order for your nails to have a beautiful and healthy appearance, they must be polished. However, quite often you should not resort to rubbing your nails until they shine as they can become fragile. It is enough to carry out this process no more than 1-2 times a month.

The grinding process consists of several stages:

1. Surface grinding (soft). It helps remove the moisture that they produce from the nails and speed up the process of renewing their layer. Also, using soft sanding, you can remove the unsightly yellow color of your nails and make them more even.
2. Primary polishing. It removes small scratches and evens out the keratin layer.
3. Secondary polishing. This procedure makes your nails more glossy and gives them a beautiful color.

Polishing at home

It is not necessary to visit a salon to give your nails a healthy and beautiful look. Polishing can be done at home; for this you only need to have a special nail polisher (with an abrasiveness of 300 grit or more). It is also better to purchase a special polish and cream that are applied to the nails after the procedure. This is very important, since after the rubbing process they need restoration and vitamins necessary for their health and beauty.

DIY process:

1. Prepare the bath. To do this, take a small amount of not hot water and add a few tablespoons of lemon juice or regular salt to it;
2. Place your hands in the solution and let it steam;
3. Prepare your nails. Remove any remnants of the previous manicure and cut to the desired length;
4. Using an orange stick, carefully remove the cuticle;
5. Using the buff, start polishing. Direct it in one direction from the very end of the nail to its center.
6. Do the same with all fingers;
7. I use a fine spray on a nail file to polish my nails until they become shiny.
8. Apply nourishing or restorative cream.

Don’t be upset if you don’t have a special nail file at hand for polishing your nails. Many girls don’t know how to polish their nails without a file, but it’s quite easy and simple. You need to take a suitable piece of fabric, but it must be suede, and apply a little starch on it and the nail file replacement is ready.

Wax as a polishing agent

Polishing can also be done using wax, especially for those girls who have naturally weak nail plates that are prone to peeling. It helps saturate them with essential vitamins, making them strong and healthy. In order to polish the stratum corneum of the finger with wax, you should prepare a polishing file that has a rubber surface and wax. Next, follow these steps:

1. Apply wax and rub it into the horny plate and the skin adjacent to it.
2. Using a buff, treat your fingers until they begin to slip.
3. Moisten the treated fingers with cream or oil.

Nail polisher

To create a beautiful manicure, many women use a special polisher. There are several types of such tools:

• . It consists of 3-4 surfaces, each of which has a different degree of roughness.
• Disk for . Disks made in the form of a small circle, on the surface of which there is sand intended for polishing the place where the nail begins.
• Set 3 in 1. It consists of a special buffer, a sandpaper surface and the polisher itself.

Why use a polisher

The polisher has a big advantage. Only thanks to him can you put the nail plate in order, namely:

• Remove jagged edges and make them smoother.
• Smooth out any uneven surfaces and ensure easy application of the varnish.
• Remove various stains.
• Make your nails more shiny, beautiful and attractive.
• Improves blood circulation, thereby stimulating the growth of nail plates.

As a rule, after the polishing procedure has been carried out, the nails acquire a mirror shine that is simply impossible not to pay attention to. But when carrying out this procedure, you should observe moderation, otherwise it can make your nails thin and brittle. Polishing is an important process in nail care, and only with its help will they become not only beautiful but also healthy.

Precautionary measures

When rubbing the nail plates yourself at home, you should familiarize yourself with all the available contraindications. First of all, this applies to girls who by nature have a thin exfoliating stratum corneum. Of course, this does not mean that they should completely forget about nail care and abandon such a necessary procedure as polishing. No. Just before you start polishing, you should carefully examine your nails and bring them to the desired state, or, more simply put, take a course of radiation. And you shouldn’t be afraid of this either. Currently, the buyer has a variety of special nail care products to choose from that do an excellent job of their purpose. It’s even better to use such products together with special vitamin complexes that will not only help heal your nails but will also keep them beautiful and healthy.