Getting your nails done isn’t the only thing you need to know. Elevate your nail game and impress your friends with your newfound manicure expertise by mastering essential manicure jargon.
From understanding the nuances between gel and acrylic nails to perfecting the art of a flawless cuticle care routine, knowing these terms will ensure your nails are always salon-quality.
Whether you’re a DIY enthusiast or a regular at the nail salon, enhancing your nail polish know-how will keep your hands looking stylish and well-groomed.
Here are some manicure terms you can use to make your nails even more fabulous:
Cuticle
The cuticle is the thin, colorless layer of skin cells that sticks to the hard part of your nail. Your nail technician will remove this layer during the preparation stage. But don’t worry, it won’t damage your nails. Like skin, cuticle cracks, peels, and flakes. So, if anything, removing the cuticle will give your nails a cleaner look and help your manicure last longer!
Filing
Filing, usually done with a small, rough strip of metal or paper, shapes, smooths, and refines the edges of your fingernails. It turns natural nail shapes into stylish forms like almonds, stilettos, ballerinas (or coffins), squares, and ovals. A fine-grit file will get everything just right, ensuring your nails look sharp and smooth!
Free Edge
The free edge is the part of your nail that sticks out past your fingertip. When it comes to filing, this is the section your nail tech works on to shape your nails just the way you want. They’ll file it in one direction to keep things smooth and prevent any snagging.
Buffing
Buffing is what adds a little shine and polish to your nails after shaping. They are usually made of foam or fabric, and they come in different sizes and colors. When choosing a buffer, what you should think about is coarseness. Lower coarseness is better for shaping, while higher coarseness gives your nails that mirror-like finish. Either way, if you want your nails to shine and look extra smooth, buffing is the way to go!
Coat
Once your nails are groomed and dusted off, the nail coats enter. Not once, twice, but thrice! Four, five, even six if you want a really durable finish. You can explore your preferences along the way, but the basics include a base coat, a color coat, and a top coat. The base coat sets the stage for the color coat, which is where your style and personality shine. It’s usually applied in two thin layers for even coverage. Then, the top coat seals and adds gloss to complete the look.
Extension Tips
Extensions, or extension tips, are artificial nail tips glued to the edge of the natural length for more length and, as a result, more room for creativity. After adding the extensions, your nail technician will trim, file, blend, and buff them just like your natural nails, shaping them however you like. These are perfect if you’re dreaming of longer nails or a new flair for your nails.
Curing
In medical terms, ‘curing’ means healing an illness. When your nail technician talks about curing in manicures, it’s a bit different. In this context, ‘curing’ means hardening. So, when your nail technician uses UV or LED light during a manicure, they are ‘curing’ the gel polish. This process makes the polish set and become durable, helping the nail coats look great for a longer time!
Soak Off
From filing and buffing to coating and curing, a quality manicure involves several steps for nails on fleek. But what happens when the gel polish or acrylics start un-fleeking? That’s the perfect time for a soak off. Soak off is a gentle and effective method of removing nail enhancements without risking damage to your natural nails. It’s exactly what it sounds like: you or your nail technician soak your nails in a solution to soften and break down the gel or acrylics. This usually involves cotton balls or pads soaked in an acetone-based solution. When you feel tempted to peel them off, remember that soak-off is essential to keep your nails healthy and ready for their next slay!
And that’s the final coat! Now that you understand the basic concepts of manicure, you can delve deeper into the nuances and explore your own preferences. Carrying this knowledge, you can (somehow) level with your nail technician, choose the right treatments, and enjoy your manicures to the fullest.
If you ever regret a decision because of a lack of understanding, just remember: mastering these terms is just the beginning of a journey. Because the feeling is true: there are jargons because there is a whole world of nail art waiting for you to explore. So go ahead, buff up and dive in!
