Nail art helps make your nails look gorgeous. However, before you can get any art done on them, there is a lot of effort which actually goes into preparing the nails. One of the most important is the filing process. Your nails need to be accurately filed and cleaned by a nail technician with considerable experience so as not to damage your nails. You can also consider filing your nails yourself if you are good enough for the job of using a simple electric nail file or nail drill. Hand filing is also an option, but will not get you the professional look as when a nail drill with the correct bits can get.
A nail drill is basically an electric nail filer used for filing, shortening, buffing, cleaning and backfilling of nails. It saves the nail technician considerable time when compared to hand filing and also gets better results. Hard to clean and reach areas like the sidewalls and cuticles are easily taken care of by using the correct nail drill bit.
Nail drills are very useful for filing acrylic and gel nails as using a hand filer will be difficult to shape these artificial nails. If you are just beginning to use a drill, it is recommended to start with the sand bands. They are to be slipped over a mandrel and will give you good practice for cleaning of nail surface and for pedicures. The only drawback is these bands are for single use and cannot be disinfected.
Soft drill bits are good to use for the natural nail plate and are available in the barrel, bullet and cone varieties. For acrylic nails, drill bits are available in wide materials and range. Carbide bits are considered one of the best in the industry as they are high quality and the technician has to apply lesser pressure on the client nails. This in turn reduces friction and heat generated and prevents the nail from damage and burns. The large barrel golden carbide bits are good for shortening, refining C curves and surface work. Similarly the cone and tapered cone golden carbide bit is useful for cuticles and sidewalls work under the nails. The football golden carbide bit is to get under the curves of long curved nails. The inverted taper in carbide is useful for a new smile line. A diamond bit is used for a French fill.
You should always do your homework before you actually invest in a nail drill and nail drill bits. You should keep in mind your usage, whether you are a pro or beginner and the amount you are willing to spend on the drill. You can begin by investing in a basic nail drill bit set and then graduate to the higher levels as your confidence soars. A nail drill bit should also be replaced periodically to ensure you get the best results and should always be handled with care so as not to damage your nails or your clients.
Nail technicians usually invest in all of these drill bits or a drill bit kit to get the maximum results on the nails. They also ensure hygiene for their clients by sanitizing each bit before using it on the next client.
