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TIPS OF THE WEEK 
by Vicki Peters
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TIP OF THE WEEK #26
FILL LINES by Vicki Peters

One of our biggest challenges is getting those fill lines out when doing pink 
and white nails. We file and file, get frustrated and finally end up 
quitting after we see we have filed right into the natural nail and make a 
big hot spot, making it worse. Can you relate? I can because I did it myself 
for years. 

The only simple solution I have to offer here is if you're having trouble 
getting those lines out - plain and simple have not done enough filing. Now 
I am talking the average nail with the average amount of lifting. I am not 
talking about a set of nails that have yellowed, have major lifting or should 
have been filled three weeks ago. That is a new set in the making. I am 
talking about your average client with the average fill challenges. 

I know I file better on one side of the nail than the other and you probably 
do too. So looking at the nail as you file it I can get the left side of the 
nail down flush and have to work harder on the right side. So what I do is 
instead of filing the fill in area at the cuticle to a point (Like a upside 
down V) I file across the nail at the cuticle area from side to side instead. 
I hold the nail sideways so I am viewing it from the "profile" and I can see 
that I am not digging into the natural nail and I file from left sidewall to 
right sidewall, taking all the product off at the cuticle area down about 1/3 
of the nail. I can see that I am graduating the acrylic down to the natural 
nail for no lines.

This may seem silly that I am taking off more product than needed but it does 
two things here: 1. Get the lines out quickly and 2. Refreshes more of the 
product keeping the nail more stabilized in the long run. I find that I do 
less new sets because I kept the nails more refreshed in color and retention 
by doing more filing.

You also want to file the entire nail and take off 25% of the top surface. 
This also refreshes the nail and removes any discoloration. When I filled I 
usually pulled a bit of the pink at the cuticle area over the entire nail 
replacing that 25% with clean new pink acrylic, which also helps to keep the 
nails in a more stabilized shape. You can us clear for this as well not 
worring about pulling the pink over the white. 

Now if one of the lines eludes you - you have a few options here:
1. Most cushioned files are too fat to see what your doing, use a Flowery 
Silver Streak thin wood 180/180 board to get into tight spots. Or one 
similar. CNDS has some nice wood boards. 
2. Use a file that does not bend as you file with it - you will have more 
control over what your doing. EZ Flow has a great 150/150 cushioned that is 
sleek and can get into tight spots and will not bend. If your bending your 
files maybe try a higher grit - you may be pressing too hard trying to do 
something your file cannot do - so go up one grit and maybe you won't have to 
press so hard. 
3. Use your electric file instead of your file. Now many of you may be 
afraid of this and the key is to use a cone bit and keep the bit on the 
acrylic and off the natural nail. Use a cone that has a tapered rounded edge 
or the "V" bit from Kupa - yes it was named after me. It is a carbide cone 
with a flat cut off tip. Diamond cones are good too. I use the "V" bit on my 
cuticle areas after I have done my shaping. Aseptico and Medicool have some 
beautiful soft tipped cone bits you may want to try as well.
4. Use your dehydrator - like CNDS Nail Fresh, OPI's Bond Aid or a 
comparable product.
If you think you have not filed enough, a way to check is to dust the 
nail, apply the 
Dehydrator to the nail, quickly, as it is still wet it will give you a 
window to what the nail 
will look like when the acrylic is applied. You may have filed enough 
and don't know it 
and this is a sneak peek into the future to see if you got the line 
out or not. 
Don't be afraid to do this two or three times, just to make sure.
5. Don't let the dust fake you out. Sometimes we are trying to file the dust 
thinking it is a line - so clean it out with your dehydrator and see if it 
was only the dust.
6. Use NSI's Line Out. This is an incredible product and one of a kind. 
Follow the manufacturer's instructions and after cleansing the nails apply 
Line Out to the fill line. Now I can't express this loudly enough, this is 
not the answer to your lifting problems and it should not be used as a 
crutch. If you have lifting problems then you need to address your 
application procedures. NSI's Line out is for those hard to get places and 
should be used wisely. I have used it over a bad-lifting area and later 
down the line that same lifted area lifted again but now I had encased it 
with two fills and had to replace the whole nail eventually. I have used it 
when I had a difficult line to get out and it worked perfectly. So be wise 
when using this wonderful product. 

So the bottom line is file more, use your files and bits properly and go the 
extra mile and you will be pleased with your results. If you want the 
numbers to any of the manufacturers mentioned in the tip of the week - you 
can look them up in your Nailpro Gold Book. And when you look them up - go 
through the Gold Book again and see what a wonderful source guide it really 
is. Lots of hard work goes in there and I reference it at least once a day.

DISCLAIMER
Any products mentioned in the "Tip Of The Week by Vicki Peters" is not an 
endorsement of any kind.

Vicki Peters 
"When you stop learning your career ends and your job begins"
Visit my new web site: http://vickipeters.com 

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