How to know where to cut your nail forms
By Katie Barnes | 25 October 2022 | Expert Advice, Feature
No two clients’ nails are alike, and no two nails on the same client are alike. They will grow at different angles and have different free edge shapes. Therefore, when fitting a nail form, it is essential to tailor it to fit each nail seamlessly.
If a nail form isn’t fitted properly, then issues will arrive from product leakage, touching the skin and ultimately product breakdown.
Adjusting your nail forms doesn’t have to be as daunting as it seems.
There are two points on a nail form which need to be cut to fit snuggly.
- The free edge, to ensure there are no gaps at the join between the natural free edge and the nail form.
- At the sides of the free edge, to ensure the form can be closed securely and create a c-curve.
Knowing where to make these cuts can be tricky, and much of it is a guessing game. Simply using a white gel pen to mark where these cuts need to be made eliminates the guess work and saves you time while supporting accuracy.
Firstly, the free edge must be tailored.
- Place the form into position towards the free edge.
- Draw around the free edge using the white gel pen.
- This gives you the template to cut out.
- Used curved scissors to cut out this template. Used curved scissors for curved cuts.
- Place the form back in position.
- The gaps should be closed.
For a very short nail or a nail biter, it may be necessary to make a few cuts as the cut must be deeper. Make sure to also fit the form back in the same position that you made the cuts, otherwise new gaps will appear.
Secondly, relief cuts must be made.
- Use the natural nail free edge corner points as a guide.
- Mark these on the skin to know how far to come down. If the nail is missing a corner point, the cut needs to be further down.
- Make a small mark on the nail form to know where to cut.
- Cut a 1-inch straight cut at a 45-degree angle.
The reason I suggest a white gel pen is because it will not mark and stain the nail form or enhancement and it will not dent the nail form like a biro would.
By making these marks to know where to adjust your nail forms, it will save you time and offer more precision by eliminating the guess work.
Love Katie B x