I finally quit biting my nails after an entire lifetime of daily nibbling. They’re starting to look pretty nice compared to how they’ve always looked, but I have no idea how to file them or what shape they should resemble. I read that nails are always supposed to be longer than they are wide, and I think I have pretty wide nail beds. I also have fat fingers, and a bit of a toe-thumb thing going on. So I suppose I should grow them out longer? What shape of nail would look best on my hand? Squares, ovals, squovals, I don’t get this whole mess at all.
At that length, you can’t really shape the nail beyond rounding off the very tip corners, so it’s a bit of a moot question. Square/oval/whatever is really only a consideration when you get a bit past the tip of the finger, and even then your shaping options are still fairly limited until you hit a certain point.
As a general thing, filing should always be done from the outside to the center–sawing back and forth fucks up the nail edge in some way that I don’t quite recall the details of. Never attempt to file a nail that’s in or right against the quick, as you risk getting various nastiness in there and giving yourself an infection.
Thanks, CCL! How long should I be aiming for? I actually trimmed them down last night because the tips were starting to interfere with typing. But my nails are weak and very bendy because I’ve mistreated them so long. Maybe it wouldn’t be so irritating to have them longer if they weren’t so flexible.
However long works for you. I know that seems like a non-answer, but it really is one of those wildly variable things depending on nail health, personal preference, and typical activities. My own personal nails never get long enough to get trimmed back, because they break long before they get long enough for me to have trouble with normal activities. About a quarter-inch past the finger tip is my aesthetic preference, although I do admit to a certain fascination with the ones long enough to put truly elaborate nail art on.
My nails are that same shape, where they’re wider at the end than the base. I can’t do the square ends that a lot of people have because they’d look like ice scrapers. I have to round them, and I can’t grow them very long because they start twisting.
I personally just cut my nails the same shape as my nail bed, which varies from nail to nail - much curvier on my pointer fingers than on my ring fingers, for instance. But they all look fine and practically the same anyway. I don’t file them at all unless they get a snag along the edge later. Pretty rare. Oh, and I never cut them closer than 1/16 of an inch unless I have to in order to get rid of a developing rip. I usually let them grow to a bit past 1/8 of an inch before I start realizing they should be cut soon.
I do, for some reason, rub freshly cut nails against my jean leg (side to side motion) for a few seconds to “take the edge off”. I like to believe it gets rid of any stray miniscule nail fibers as an explanation, but my logical side assumes this is just a placebo effect. After all, when reading books I often absentmindedly do the same thing to the book pages to feel the paper grain for no good reason.
Rachellelogram Well done! I was a chronic nailbiter for years. I still sometimes have a nibble, but never down to the ugly stage. I think it’s important to have a file, small scissors and one of those scoopy things around as much as possible, those hangnails and little snags of flesh can start you off again really easily.
I tend to want to feel the ends of my fingers so I’ll keep them pretty short but neat. Put a clear hardener on them to help with the softness. I file them slightly rounded and make sure to file in the edges - that’s where the snaggy bits lurk.
Basically you just keep growing them until it’s irritating to have them any longer. I find it’s easier to shape them with varnish on them so you’re not distracted by trying to match them with the shape of the finger. Shape them to match each other.
I too have a bit of a toe thumb thing going on. But only on one thumb. It has been a source of family mirth for years.
I have found that the longer it is, the sillier it looks. I find that for most of my nails, 2cm beyond my finger tip is a lovely length, that doesn’t interfere with typing. But my toe thumb nail stays short.
Another former nail-biter checking in! Congratulations. I finally quit biting my nails in my late 30’s and just in the last couple of years (so, early 40’s) have pretty much stopped with the cuticles.
I went a couple of times to the cheapy nail salon in the strip mall by my house. I asked for a basic manicure and watched really carefully what they did. Now I just try to imitate that.
As far as weak/bendy nails, I cannot recommend OPI Nail Envy enough. Even if you used inexpensive nail polish, spring for the Nail Envy, it really works.
They’re starting to look pretty nice compared to how they’ve always looked, but I have no idea how to file them or what shape they should resemble. I read that nails are always supposed to be longer than they are wide, and I think I have pretty wide nail beds. I also have fat fingers, and a bit of a toe-thumb thing going on. 
So I suppose I should grow them out longer? What shape of nail would look best on my hand? Squares, ovals, squovals, I don’t get this whole mess at all.
