E-File Tool: What nail clients need to know
You’re at your next nail appointment and the nail tech picks up a tool and the whirring begins. Little flakes of acrylic are coming off your nails and you’re thinking it’s just part of the normal nail prep at any salon. Your nail technician is using an e-file tool.
Let’s rewind a few years back. Did you know that back in the late 1990s and early 2000s nail salons had actual Black and Decker dremel tools hanging from hooks at each station? They would use those dremel tools in the same way e-files are used now. I don’t think I have to say this, but I want to put it on record just in case; if your nail salon is still using dremel tools it’s time to find a new salon. Now, you will hear a nail tech use the words e-file and drill interchangeably so if you have any doubt at all, ask!
WHAT IS AN E-FILE?
As a nail tech, I’m really glad that e-files replaced those old Black and Decker disasters with a specialized tool for nails. An e-file is used to file and shape the edges of your nails and cuticles. It has controls that allow the nail tech to adjust the speed and torque that is being used on your nails. It looks like a thick pen and your nail tech will have interchangeable e-file bits (just like a regular construction tool drill has bits) to use for different applications.
THE DANGERS OF AN E-FILE
Just like any master technician tool, an e-file is something that your nail tech needs to be trained to use. This takes years of practice to perfect and there are a lot of nail techs that are self-taught and don’t follow best practices. For a nail tech, it decreases the amount of time that each nail appointment takes. An electric file is a lot quicker than a hand file. However, understanding how to evaluate a client’s nails, the use of the drill, which e-file bit is best used for what, and then properly using the tool itself is vital to a great client experience because there is danger in your nail tech moving too quickly and being too hurried at your nail appointment.
Have you heard of the “ring of fire?”
The ring of fire is a red semicircle that shows up on your nail. Often near the cuticle. It means your nail tech had a heavy hand while filing and they removed too much of your nail and got too close to the nailbed. It makes your nail very thin, can be incredibly painful, and it’s considered severe damage. If this happens to you please allow your nails to grow out and heal by using strengthener and cuticle oil on them for about 8 weeks. Until then your nail won’t properly hold product on it and applying then removing acrylic or gel can cause further damage.
It’s not just an e-file that can cause this. Any buffing sanding or filing can cause the ring of fire. That’s why it’s so important to make sure your nail tech has been properly trained. I can’t stress this enough. As the client, you SHOULD be asking about your nail tech’s training!
That is my e-file soapbox. Hopefully, you feel better prepared for your next nail appointment to inquire about that whirring tool your nail tech picks up and now you know what to watch for!
As always, if you’re in the Portland, Ore. metro area I invite you to book with me at BellaHands.com
