TIP OF THE WEEK #37 Rings of Fire
By Vicki Peters 

WHAT ARE RINGS OF FIRE?

Rings of fire is my term for the red ridges that are made in the natural nail plate from incorrect electric file use or heavy filing at the cuticle area. They are permanent and damaging to the nail plate. They are pink because they are sore and you have to let them grow out ­ they will not heal themselves. Understand that you can cause rings of file by aggressive filing as well.

WHAT CAUSES THEM?

The most common cause is the incorrect use of the electric file.

I prefer to use a cone bit at the cuticle but some use a barrel bit. It is the barrel bit that can cause the rings of fire and this is why. Using a barrel at the cuticle to file down the acrylic while holding it at an angle will dig the edge of the barrel right into the natural nail causing a ring of file, which is a file mark that turns pink on the natural nail plate. I am not saying don't use a barrel at the cuticle because there are many who do and do it safely. If you're going to use a barrel or any kind of bit at the cuticle to file down the acrylic please use it flat to the nail, not at an angle. One reason a cone is safer and more effective as far as I am concerned.

At the discount salons they use sanding bands to file the surface of the acrylic smooth (among other things like filing the natural nail for prepping ­ ouch!) as well as the cuticle area. They are pretty consistent at making rings of fire because the sanding band is bigger in the circumference and they can't see the cuticle area like you would if you were using a small barrel or cone bit. The paper of the sanding bands tends to get hotter than metal bits, which contributes the rings of fire.

HOT SPOTS

Hot spots are smaller red file marks on the natural nail. I know I make them when I try to file down an area at the cuticle, with a file not a bit, that appears to be lifting and I just can't get at it. As a result I keep filing until I realize that I am filing right into the natural nail, never alleviating the lifted area. When this happens I usually pick up my electric file and use a cone bit and get it beveled down right away without making a hot spot. I think it is all about the angle the file and using a different tool like a cone bit that gives me that angle I need. I end up taking a bit more off while beveling which insures the lift is gone. Another little trick is to cleanse the nail from the dust ­ sometimes there is dust there we think is lifting. You can also use NSI's Line out which is perfect for these tiny lifts you can get at.

MY FAVORITE BIT FOR CUTICLE WORK

The "V" (aka Vicki bit) originally produced by Kupa and now made by most electric file manufacturers, is a small carbide cone with a flat top. (It comes in gold an the new gray/silver style that is very sharp because it does not have a finish on it) They actually cut the top edge off to make it flat like a barrel would be. This bit gives me the angle of the cone with the flatness of the barrel to get in close at the cuticle area. It is small and tapered so you can see where your working and can bevel the entire cuticle area down when held flat to the nail as you go around and smooth the cuticle area perfectly. I have found that I don't make any rings of fire with this bit and it accomplishes what I need it to do.

If you don' like the "V" bit any cone or tapered bit with a soft edge will do.

REALLY BAD RINGS OF FIRE

We have all had that client that has been to the discount salon and is sporting some serious red rings of fire on all her nails. So what do you do? Well the golden rule of doing nails is: if it is red, infected, oozing or sore don't touch them. However if you were to remove these nails to heal you're making the situation worse. I would either soak off the discount salon nails if the client can stand it, and reapply a new set or I would just fill them in, being really careful the cuticle area of course. More than likely I would just fill them in. However do it with education and with out slamming the discount salon she has been going to. Explain that your services are not painful and how she got the rings of fire. Tell her your going to be real careful around her cuticles and that the long term is when they have completely gown out and are healthy you may want to put a nice set of pink and white nails on her. In the meantime polish her to cover up those rings of fire.

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