How to Buff Fingernails

Buffing your nails reduces the ridges on your nail beds that can cause cracking and breaking. It also helps your fingernails to look as shiny as if you have a clear coat of nail polish on, which makes your hands look brighter, younger and more attractive. You can get this treatment at a salon, but you will save a lot of money for yourself if you are willing to spend the time to learn to buff your nails at home in your spare time. You can buff while you watch TV, or while you do anything else that doesn't require your hands.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Nail buffing block

1. Note the different colored sides of the buffing block. They have anywhere from one (a filing block) to four (a full professional buffing block) different colors. These colors are to help distinguish the different uses for each side. Read the directions on the package to find out which side you use first. You will need a buffing block with at least two sides.

2. File your nails with the coarsest side. Do this by placing the filing side under your nails and filing up. This prevents snags. If your block does not have a filing side, skip to Step 3.

3. Buff your nails with the coarsest buffing side. This scrapes away stains and minimizes ridges in your nails. This step is skipped if your block has only two sides.

4. Buff with the finer side to remove smaller ridges and evenly score your nails clean.

5. Polish your nails with the last side. This should leave them shining and pretty as if you just got a manicure.

6. Add cuticle oil to your fingernail beds to keep them shining and to take care of the skin around your cuticles. You can use other kinds of oil like mineral oil, emu oil or even olive oil for the same effect.

7. Moisturize your hands with a nice hand lotion to get the best effect and the full at-home spa treatment.

Tips & Warnings

• You may want to push your cuticles back before you buff your fingernails.