Nail files, buffers, and polishers are required in almost all nail sculpting and nail decorating tasks, so it’s evidently a must to stack up all the essential equipment you need to shorten and shape natural nails, to prepare the nail surface for gel polishes, acrylics, or gel, to file the smile line, to shape and refine the nail surface, or to buff the nails for a lustrous shine.
What do the “grit numbers” of nail files, buffers, and polishers mean?
Grit numbers show how coarse a nail file, buffer, or polisher is. Grit numbers are determined according to the amount of grit the given tool contains per square inch. What this means is that nail files, buffers, and polishers with high grit numbers are coarse, while products with low grit numbers are gentle. The below table demonstrates the most widely-accepted categorization of nail files, while also determining the tasks each file type is designed for.
| File Type | Grit Number | Use |
| Extra coarse files | 60 - 80 | Filing gel and acrylic nails, reducing length or surface height |
| Coarse files | 100 - 150 | Shaping gel and acrylic nails, reducing length |
| Medium files | 150 - 240 | Shaping, preparing, smoothing all types of nails |
| Fine files | 240 - 400 | Surface work on natural and artificial nails, shaping the free edge (natural nails) |
| Extra fine files | 400 - 900 | Preparing the nail surface for shining and buffing |
| Ultra-fine buffers | 900 - 12,000 | Smoothing / buffing natural and artificial nails |
Xtreme Files – Xtreme performance and consistency
Thanks to the pioneering grain adhesion technology developed by Crystal Nails’ innovative engineers, Xtreme Nail Files deliver exceptional strength and durability. Xtreme Files are available in four variations, with the core colors indicating how coarse the given file is: 180/180 (Green), 150/150 (Blue), 100/180 (Red), 100/100 (Pink). File surfaces and file cores are also sold separately, allowing you to customize your nail files in a myriad of ways!
Zebra Files – As soft as the fur of a zebra
Zebra Files are made of zebra fur-soft, super fine Japanese paper, making these professional nail files perfect for a variety of smoothing tasks. Just like Xtreme Files, Zebra Files are also available in four grit combinations: 180/180 (Green), 150/150 (Blue), 100/180 (Red), 80/100 (Purple).
