How To Shape Coffin Nails On Natural Nails

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If you’re wondering how to shape coffin nails, this tutorial will show you an easy and fun tutorial! Coffin nail shapes are newer to the roster of common nail shapes but rose in popularity quickly.

And for good reason! The unique shape of the coffin nail is universally flattering as it visually slims the nail and lengthens the fingers for an elegant overall look.

How To Shape Coffin Nails Step By Step

Coffin nails get their name from their unique shape that resembles, well, a coffin. The angular shape is not difficult to create. Imagine a diagonal line from the nailbed edge to the center of your nail tip.

File in a straight line along this diagonal on each side. Keep the edge of the nail straight, rather than rounded, and keep your angles even on both sides. You can look at your nail from the underside to check for symmetry and straightness.

Then file the tip, again taking care to create straight angles, perfectly parallel with the base of your nail. Always keep the nail file flat and straight. The key to coffin nails is straight lines.

You can also gently file the corners with a fine grit nail file, but don’t round them out too much, or your coffin nail will turn into a ballerina tip.

How To File Coffin Nails

When working with natural nails, it’s important to file them in quick strokes in a single direction to prevent splitting the nail. This means that if you started going from left to right, you continue only going from left to right (or vice versa). Do not go with the file back and forth! Unlike artificial nails, natural nails are fragile so you should take special care when filing them into coffin shape or any other shape.

Are there any disadvantages to the coffin nail shape?

Due to their sharp corners, coffin nails are more likely to catch and snag skin, clothes, and other fabric. To help prevent snags, coat the corners of your nail tips when applying the top coat, avoid wearing and handling sheer and delicate fabrics, and use your finger pads and knuckles rather than your fingertips.

The long length and sharp corners of classic coffin nails make them challenging to achieve on natural nails, which may be a disadvantage to some. Simply opting for acrylic nails will give you the strength needed for long coffin nails.

Is the coffin nail shape the same as the ballerina nail shape?

These terms are often used interchangeably. Even though they are similar, ballerina and coffin nail shapes are not the same thing! Below is the scoop on the real difference between ballerina and coffin nails.

Ballerina vs coffin nails

Both ballerina and coffin nails are elongated and taper to the tip. However, the main difference is that ballerina nails are softer and more rounded, while coffin nail shapes have straight edges.

Ballerina shape: rounded edges

versus

Coffin shape: straight edges

The rounded edge vs the straight edge at the tip is the crucial difference between coffin and ballerina-shaped nails.

Is the coffin nail shape the same as the square nail shape?

Coffin nails are similar to square shape nails, as they both share straight edges. The difference between square and coffin nails is that coffin nails are significantly tapered toward the tip while square nails remain straight edges throughout.

Coffin nails are dependent on their iconic tapered edge, meaning they look best on long nails, so you have the space to create a tapered edge. They can also work on medium-length nails, but short nails just don’t have the capacity to create the coffin shape.

What’s Great About Coffin Nails?

Coffin nails have exploded in popularity in the last few years due to being the go-to choice for many prominent celebrities and performers. Their long shape and surface area create a large canvas to showcase unique nail art.