What are the main nail shapes?

Square, squoval, round, oval, almond, stiletto and coffin. Square, squoval, round and oval work on natural nails. Almond, stiletto and coffin need length and are usually done as extensions.

Which nail shape is the strongest?

Round, because it has no corner to catch on anything. Squoval is close behind and keeps a flat edge. Stiletto is the weakest, since the whole length narrows to a point.

Which nail shape makes fingers look longer?

Oval and almond, because tapering the sides narrows the visible nail and draws the eye along the finger rather than across it.

Can I change nail shape at every appointment?

Going shorter or squarer can be done on the spot. Going from square to almond needs length to file into, so it usually takes one or two visits of growing out first.

Nail shapes, side by side

Seven shapes, drawn at the same width and the same nail bed so the only thing changing is the outline. Under each one: what it wears like, who it suits, and the catch nobody mentions until your nail has already snapped.

If you already know the name of the one you want, say it when you book and your tech will file to it. If you do not, point at the picture.

The seven shapes

Square

Straight sides, a flat free edge, corners left sharp.

Suits: Long nail beds, and anyone who types all day and wants nothing catching.

Watch for: The corners are the weak point. On natural nails they catch and tear before the rest of the nail is ready to be cut back.

Squoval

Square sides with the corners rounded off.

Suits: Almost everyone. It is the shape most people mean when they ask for square.

Watch for: The compromise shape: it keeps the flat edge and loses the corner that snaps.

Round

Sides follow the finger, the free edge is a continuous curve.

Suits: Short nails, wide nail beds, and hands that work.

Watch for: The most durable of the natural shapes, because there is no corner anywhere to catch.

Oval

An egg curve, a little longer than round, sides filed in slightly.

Suits: Shorter fingers. The narrowing does the same job as a pointed toe on a shoe.

Watch for: Filing the sides in takes width off the nail bed, so it is not the shape for nails that are already narrow.

Almond

Tapered sides rising to a soft point.

Suits: The shape most asked for on extensions, and the one most flattering in photographs.

Watch for: Needs length to read as almond. On a short natural nail it becomes an oval with sharp corners.

Stiletto

A long taper to a sharp point.

Suits: An occasion. Photographs beautifully and is not built for a keyboard.

Watch for: All the strength sits in the middle. Dropped on a hard edge it snaps at the point, which is why it is an extension shape rather than a natural one.

Coffin

Tapered sides like an almond with the point cut flat. Also called ballerina.

Suits: Long extensions, and anyone who wants length without a point.

Watch for: The flat tip gives back some of the strength a stiletto gives away, which is why it wears better day to day.

Length changes the shape

The same file makes a different shape at a different length. Almond on a short nail is just an oval with corners, which is why a tech will sometimes ask you to grow them out first.

Natural: At or just past the fingertip.; Nothing to get used to. Works with every shape here except stiletto.
Short: Two or three millimetres past the fingertip.; The length most home visits end at. You can still pick up a coin.
Medium: About half a centimetre past.; Where almond and coffin start to look like themselves. Typing takes a day to relearn.
Long: A centimetre or more.; An extension length. Buttons, contact lenses and zips all want a different technique.

How to ask for the one you want

Name the shape and the length separately. "Short squoval" and "medium almond" both tell a tech everything she needs; "not too long" does not, and you will get her idea of not too long rather than yours.

Bring a picture if you have one. Every tech reads a photograph faster than a description, and the shapes above are drawn precisely so you can point at one.

Say what your hands do all day. Someone at a keyboard and someone in a kitchen get sent home with different shapes even when they asked for the same one.

Book a home visit See extension shapes Colors for morena skin

Questions people ask

What are the main nail shapes?: Square, squoval, round, oval, almond, stiletto and coffin. Square, squoval, round and oval work on natural nails. Almond, stiletto and coffin need length and are usually done as extensions.
Which nail shape is the strongest?: Round, because it has no corner to catch on anything. Squoval is close behind and keeps a flat edge. Stiletto is the weakest, since the whole length narrows to a point.
Which nail shape makes fingers look longer?: Oval and almond, because tapering the sides narrows the visible nail and draws the eye along the finger rather than across it.
Can I change nail shape at every appointment?: Going shorter or squarer can be done on the spot. Going from square to almond needs length to file into, so it usually takes one or two visits of growing out first.

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