Here's Why You Should Start 'Sealing' Your Nails

Getting your nails done is always a treat to look forward to, especially after a long, busy week. Whether you're doing them yourself or visiting a professional nail salon, getting a manicure will leave you feeling like a glamor girl. However, tragedies have been known to occur in the form of broken nails caused by weakened nail edges. This usually happens because not everyone knows the proper way to file nails with traditional nail files like metal nail files or emery boards. Instead of filing them correctly in one direction only, they grate their nails back and forth, making them tattered and susceptible to breakage.

Fortunately, there is a technique called "sealing" that ensures nail edges stay closed and smooth, reducing their susceptibility to breakage and making them appear more presentable overall. Sealing your nails requires the use of a special tool, so set your emery boards aside and find out how you can prevent your nail edges from looking like a jagged cliffside.

Professional manicurists are sharing their nail care secrets and we couldn't be more grateful. According to leading nail and beauty expert, Leighton Denny, sealing is achieved with the help of a crystal nail file and is typically done during a "nail facial" which is different from a regular manicure. He told Refinery29 that the process is especially important for those of us who regularly experience "flaky, peeling nails." 

Crystal nail files are also known as glass files and they are smooth, unlike traditional emery boards or metal files, so you can file your nail in both directions with them. Their smooth property is what does the "sealing," securing together the protein layers of your nails and keeping your nail edges from becoming frayed. But why is sealing necessary? It all boils down to hedging off water. Denny explained that water infiltration into the nail damages it and dehydration is the main reason why nails get uneven edges and end up peeling. Sealing the nail edges would close it off to the water.

Crystal nail files aren't just for the natural nail gang. They can also be used on fake nails like gels and acrylics which makes them ideal for just about everyone.

Now that you're all the wiser on how to seal your nails, it's important to also know how to take care of your crystal nail file. Firstly, crystal files can and should be cleaned using soap and water. If you frequent nail salons, then you should make sure your nail tech uses a clean file all the time. In order to get rid of any nail particles, you can wipe off your nail file with your hand or a towel. Crystal nail files are durable because they are made of glass, but they can also break if not stored properly. Therefore, they should be kept in their protective case or covered with a sheathe.

If you care about your nail health, then you need to try out crystal nail files. They are an overall improvement from the conventional coarse nail file and they don't grow duller after each use in the same way that traditional files do. I think we can all agree that sealing your nails with crystal files is a game-changer.