All shapes are striking and unique, so it’s not necessarily about which form you choose—it’s whether you execute them correctly. Below, experts uncover how to file down seven of the most common nail shapes, plus how to tell which is best for your fingertips. She also says you never want to file vertically on the sides of the nails (where the nail touches the cuticle), as digging into those nailbeds can cause more problems down the line. “It’ll cause hangnails, but also the minute you file, it can cause [the nail] to collapse and break.” So when experts say to file down the “sides” of the nail, they really mean the corners—you never want to file down those vertical sides. Finally, you’ll want to file in one direction (rather than the quintessential back-and-forth motion), “so you’re not sawing your nail and causing the keratin layers to split and fray,” she says. With that, let’s dive in. With square nails, it can be tempting to file the sides vertically to sharpen the shape, but as Elle warns above, you never want to dig into those cuticles. If you are going to attempt a stiletto on your natural nail, “We recommend you start by trimming the edges of the nail with a nail clipper at a diagonal,” says Lin. Then file the sides to sharpen the tip of the nail, making sure to alternate between sides to make sure they’re even. “This nail shape is really for the brave!” If you’re attempting this shape on a natural nail, your nails also must be quite strong to begin with—since they’re filed down to such a small tip, Similar to stiletto, you’ll want to clip the sides of the nails diagonally to cut down on filing time. Then file as you would an oval shape, really focusing on smoothing those sides. “Make sure you’re not filing too much on one side and that the sides are even,” notes Lin. Perhaps this goes without saying, but most people’s cuticles don’t form a stiletto, coffin, or almond shape. While those shapes are bold and eye-catching, if you’re looking for a natural, elongated look you might want to stick to a round, square, oval, or squoval. “The strongest shape is one that’s realistic, where you’re not going to have a lot of breakage and upkeep,” says Elle.
