By Nerisha Penrose and Sam Peters
Getting your nails done can be a relaxing experience, like the thrill of thumbing through a carousel of the best nail colors, soaking your hands in a warm solution for prep, and watching the final look come together under the UV lamp. Then, suddenly, there’s the not-so-relaxing part—the moment when it’s time for your tech to smooth out any kinks and roughness with a nail drill. The buzzing melody of the tool fills the salon, and then comes the scraping ring of the nail drill bit again your nail bed, smoothing any rough parts. You think you’re done, but then the nail professional flips to yet another sized drill bit—wince, repeat, done.
Are nail drills necessary? A nail drill to a technician is what a hammer is to a sculptor—it’s essential to creating a beautiful, smooth canvas for nail art to shine. Instead of manually filing or buffing your nails smooth with a handheld nail file, this handy gadget can do it all in less time. “A nail drill is an electric tool used in manicures and pedicures to shape, file, and smooth both natural and artificial nails. It’s a powerful tool that can remove gel, acrylics, calluses, and dip powder nails. Some areas of an electric file can help with cuticle work by removing excess skin or smoothing around the nail bed, while narrower bits of the tool can be used to clean underneath the nails, removing dirt and debris,” explains April Arabella, a London-based licensed nail art specialist and expert at Cherry Bomb Nails. They’re not all scary, though. Since the tools have a plethora of drill bits in varying sizes, it “allows technicians to adjust the setting based on the type of nail and what they are hoping to achieve.”
Those who frequent nail salons understand how essential the tool is to ensuring your manicure looks flawless and polished. The tool works the same way for DIY nail lovers who prefer an at-home treatment in lieu of a salon visit, but finding quality and durable nail drills to achieve salon-level results is easier said than done. That’s why we’ve done the hard work for you by finding the best nail drill models and kits suitable for at-home use.
