Manicure for wide nails: manicure trends, choosing a nail shape, new items for the season, rules for applying varnish, tips and tricks

April 5, 2019
Nail care
Denis Dmitriev

Only a woman who does not lose sight of the smallest details can create a truly attractive and feminine image. One of these “little things” can be called proper nail care and regular updating of manicure. By nature, some ladies have wider nail plates than others. In this case, it is recommended to choose a good manicure for wide nails, which will not only hide structural flaws, but also turn them into advantages.

How to choose a manicure

The selection of manicure depends primarily on the shape, color and length of the nails. Based on these parameters, the master selects suitable nail design options and coordinates them with the client. In recent years, fashion trends give preference to natural beauty, which means that extended nail plates are no longer relevant.

Wide nails are not as inferior in appearance to long and narrow nails as they might seem at first glance. The positive aspects of such a structure should also be considered. For example, any specialist will say that it is best to work with this form. Many girls consider wide and short nails a real problem, but an experienced master can easily solve it by offering several win-win design options.

Always remove excess cuticles

A large, wide nail plate, especially on petite women, can look a little rough. But this factor will be even more noticeable if a woman does not have a hygienic manicure and the cuticle is keratinized; hangnails are visible even to the naked eye.

For example, on a short nail plate, an overgrown cuticle can “eat up” part of the length, making the nail even wider. By removing excess skin, you will free up, albeit a small, but still part of the length of the nail and it will seem a little longer.

And hands with a hygienic manicure always look neat.

Tips and tricks

Professional stylists have compiled a list of the most common features of manicure design on short wide nails. Among the useful tips you should pay attention to the following:

A square plate shape is the worst option for such nails.
Large drawings spoil the visual perception; it is better to prefer neat, elegant paintings and patterns.
The effect of narrowing the plate can be achieved by using dark shades of varnish.
Round nails will look more advantageous than other types.
It is best to grow the plate a little so that it is not too short.
An effective way to visually narrow a wide nail is to place the design in its central part, and not along the edges.
Shifting or removing the cuticle will help create the illusion of lengthening the plate.
It is best to leave the side parts of the nail untouched and not involve them in the design plan.

Little tricks for wide nails

Wide nails can be veiled to bring their shape as close to an oval as possible:

gently move and carefully remove the cuticle;
Use a nail file to give your nails an oval cut;
use dark-colored varnish without painting the sides of the nail;
emphasize the middle of the nail plate, diverting attention from the sides;
Do not under any circumstances give the nail a square shape.

All these little tricks will give an excellent result - your hands will be beautiful and your manicure will be gorgeous.

Basic rules and design features

The development of modern nail art creates a lot of options for decorating wide nails for every taste. In addition, there is much more room for imagination when creating a manicure for wide nails than for narrow ones. However, certain techniques should still be avoided so that the plate does not become visually wider.

Care should be taken when choosing prints. It is permissible to focus attention on only one nail. If a small floral pattern decorates all ten plates, the print will turn from a stylish decoration into a crude craft by an inept designer.
You should always avoid using any horizontal lines, because they visually cut the nail, which, of course, makes it wider.
Dark shades of varnish successfully hide excessive width and insufficient length, while bright acid colors simultaneously expose all the shortcomings of the natural forms of the plates and demonstrate the immature teenage tastes of their owner.

How to choose a nail shape

How to shape your nails at home

Specialist cosmetologists know how to successfully choose the shape of nails for the perfect manicure. They are guided by several main points:

finger type;
condition of the nail plate;
usual way of life.

Also, one of the main rules of choice states that the tip of the treated nail plate should mirror the shape of the cuticle. If you follow this recommendation, it is impossible to make a mistake with the selection. However, you can always try new things and experiment.

The cuticle itself near each nail plate is of different types:

oval;
triangle;
square.

The first option allows for almost all nail shapes, but for such women it is better to stick to rounded ones; oval ones are also suitable. If the cuticle resembles a square, it is advisable to design the nails the same way; all others will spoil the image. For “triangles,” the right choice would be “claws” with pointed or triangular tips.

What type of manicure to do also depends on the type of fingers:

thick;
thin;
long;
short.

On each type, different options for filing nails will look different, visually thickening or thinning your fingers. The main principle is proportionality: the length of the nail cannot be less than its width (at its widest point). To comply with this, the sides of the nail plate are processed with a file, and the cuticle itself is moved to the edge. These manipulations will give additional length to the nail.

The shape of the hand also affects the correct choice. So, for full hands, an elongated manicure with nails with an oval or almond-shaped tip, for example, an oval, is more suitable. You should absolutely not use a square.

A square manicure on full hands spoils the appearance

Additional Information. If your cuticles have a square shape with plump brushes, you can try increasing the length of the ends, which will disguise the angularity.

For small “children’s” hands, a good option is oval nail plates, which will help the fingers and palms visually lengthen.

Correct shape of nails

If the choice of varnish and nail decorations can be entrusted to fashion trends, then the correct shape of the nails is determined individually. In addition to the length and plumpness of the fingers and hand in general, the bend of the cuticle and lifestyle, the ideal type of manicure also depends on the thickness of the nail. So, the correct shape for strong and dense plates will be a square, for thin and fragile ones - an oval and “almond”.

For wide nails, round edges are ideal, but don't make them too long. On short nails, a square or round ending looks harmonious; it is better not to do “almond” or “stiletto”.

Ideal shape for wide nails

The square look of the nails, obtained by perpendicular filing of the sharp corners of the plate, is best chosen by ladies with long and thin fingers; the optimal length is less than average.

Fashionable pointed tips can be suitable for graceful girls with thin hands and elongated fingers. At the same time, for those with full fingers, such a manicure will highlight imperfections and disrupt harmony.

The answer to the question of how to choose the shape of your nails is also determined by your preferred clothing style and lifestyle. For example, for a small and delicate girl who prefers light dresses, sharp and angular nails are not suitable at all; they will look very vulgar.

Note! Whatever shape is chosen, the main rule of an ideal manicure is that the length of the nails should be the same on all fingers.

All nails must be the same length

Which nail shape lengthens your fingers?

The main task of manicure for short and full fingers is to visually enlarge them and smooth out excess width and roughness. A thick finger will appear longer with an oval or round tip, as they lengthen the nail bed somewhat and also add a feminine touch to the handles. The best choice for everyday manicure is a narrow French manicure.

The length can be set above average, this will only be a plus. Duck and ball nails, which will make your fingers very small and short, are strictly prohibited.

Nail shape for long thin fingers

If nature has blessed a woman with beautiful hands, any type of manicure will suit them. A long and thin finger will look harmonious with both an oval and a square nail; “almond” is also suitable.

Almond-shaped nails look great on long, thin fingers.

Advice. Those with very long or very thin fingers should be careful with the length and sharpness of the tips so that the brushes do not become like stilettos.

How to choose the shape of nails for extensions

If natural data does not coincide with the mental description of the ideal manicure, the nail extension procedure comes to the rescue. Modern design techniques allow the use of various schemes that will suit any client’s wishes. Modeling preparations make it possible to experiment and select the most suitable shapes of marigolds.

As a rule, nails are extended to an increased length, taking into account what the “native” nail plate can withstand. The most popular, especially among young girls, are the extended manicure “ballerina” (since the tip of the nail resembles pointe shoes), as well as the very original “petal” shape.

The ballerina shape is suitable for extended nails

Lance-shaped and very pointed marigolds are also trendy, but they are not suitable for everyone.

Optimal types of manicure and prints

Some design styles can look even better on wide and short nails than on narrow and long nails that are more attractive, from the point of view of most women. For example, any design created using the dots technique looks great. The famous French manicure sometimes looks better on wide nails. Nail design for any shape with the development of modern technologies began to actively use various graphic prints, transferring images of almost any complexity onto plates.

Vertical lines of any color, abstract designs and diamond-shaped figures look advantageous on this type of nails. Rhinestones and large-sized pearls, a combination of shine and shine, and three-dimensional modeling also complement the overall picture well. A well-chosen type of manicure or a beautiful, elegant print will not only create a stylish image on any type of plate, but will also shift the attention of those contemplating from the width of the nails to the original design and design.

Selection of patterns and designs for wide nails

It is convenient to paint on a wide and large nail plate, since the area of the nail allows your imagination to run wild. But the design should make the nail appear narrower, so the following options should be avoided:

Horizontal stripes Even narrow horizontal stripes will make the nail visually wider and focus attention on it. Wide and rough stripes will steal length and make your nails look shorter than they actually are.
Large drawing A drawing over the entire area of the nail plate will attract attention and will not hide the width. Especially if the drawing is made with thick lines and contrasts in color with the background coating.
French manicure on short nails If the nails are wide and short, then the classic French manicure will steal the length, and visually the nails will look very wide. This is especially noticeable when the line of white varnish is drawn too wide, or a dark shade is used instead of white.
Edging around the perimeter of the nail and reverse French On long and narrow nails, edging the nail with a dark color and a pattern inside look beautiful. But this design is not suitable for wide nails, as this design emphasizes the width and length of the nail. Also, a reverse French pattern does not look good on wide nails; this pattern will directly indicate the width, although it will not make the nails visually wider.
Nail design with bouillons or rhinestones over the entire area. Such a design will not only focus attention on the width of the nail, but will also make it thick, massive and tasteless.
Mirror rubbing A bright shiny rubbing over the entire area of the nail plate will visually make the nail even wider. Just like dark shades of varnish, it is undesirable in the design of short nails.

A correctly chosen design on your nails can visually lengthen them and make them narrower. If you do your manicure yourself, you can choose very simple design techniques. The basic rule for visually lengthening nails is to focus on the middle of the nail, without drawing attention to the side areas. The following designs lengthen nails:

Vertical stripe A simple and universal pattern; the strip can be one wide or several narrow. Stripes can be of different colors or the same color. This design “stretches out” the nail, making them look narrow and graceful.
Vertical rectangle, triangle Geometric shapes look beautiful and stylish as designs on nails. A vertical rectangle and a triangle, pointing down, can lengthen the nail.
A strip of patterns in the center of the nail. A pattern drawn only in the middle of the nail along the entire length looks beautiful and visually makes it narrower. You can draw stripes on the vertical sides of the pattern, as if framing it in a frame, but only on both sides.
Pattern on the side or diagonally Patterns of thin lines can also visually hide the width of the nail. It is better to place the pattern in half or diagonally, after dividing the nail into 2 parts vertically. Thin lines in the pattern will look good on the entire surface of the nail, if the color of the pattern is not too contrasting with the background color.
Dots and kamifubuki With the help of dots you can easily create a beautiful design on your nails and visually reduce the width. With a large dots you need to apply a design vertically in the center of the nail. On the sides of large circles of medium-sized dotsom, the same circles are drawn; the closer to the sides, the smaller the circles. The same simple design can be made using colored or plain kamifubuki. The design can be placed only on one half of the nail, this will also hide the width.
Free edge corner A stylish and simple design that is easy to make yourself and visually reduce the width of the nail. On both edges of the nail (vertically), you can paint the corners with dark varnish; it is better to choose nude shades for the main background of the coating. You can also make the same drawing, but changing the colors of the background and the drawing in places.
A pattern of small flowers. A simple design, if you place it vertically in the center of the nail, along the edge or diagonally, it will visually narrow the nail. A sakura branch with small flowers drawn diagonally will look beautiful and elegant.
Vertical gradient (ombre) Using this technique, you can visually reduce the width of the nail; for this you need to apply a dark shade of varnish in the center, and a lighter shade on the sides. This way the emphasis will be on the middle of the nail.

In order to make a beautiful manicure at home, hide the width of the nail and visually lengthen it, you need little: a thin brush, dots, dark and light varnishes, design materials. Simple and easy techniques will help even beginners create an elegant and stylish manicure.

Color palette and varnish application

Primary colors should definitely be dark, but it is also acceptable to use light shades for accent or blocking purposes. All color solutions for applying manicure to wide nails can be divided into several groups:

Single-color coating with accentuation of one plate. Four nails on each hand are painted with a single-color polish, for example, pink. The fifth plate should be decorated with some kind of print or pattern like a pointed star.
Painting nails with varnishes of different colors. You shouldn’t be too zealous, just select a couple of fingers on each hand and paint the rest with the same varnish. For example, a soft pink varnish on one plate can go well with white and blue (blue and purple, pink and gray) varnish on another.
Red polish always visually makes the nail plate longer than it actually is. One of the fingers can be highlighted by decorating the nail with rhinestones, as well as white and pink monograms.

Manicure for short nails

It is a mistake to say that short plates do not look as beautiful as long ones. Of course, not every design suits them. But if you choose the right colors and decorative elements, you will get an excellent manicure that will attract attention to well-groomed hands.

It is a mistake to say that short plates do not look as beautiful as long ones. If you choose the right colors and decorative elements, you will get an excellent manicure that will attract attention to well-groomed hands.

The masters reveal to us the secrets of flawless design of a short nail plate:

Use minimalist designs that highlight one or two nails on your hand.

Use minimalist designs that highlight one or two nails on your hand.

A combination of two colors on one nail, which are strictly separated by a vertical stripe.
Gradient , starting with a light shade in the cuticle area and smoothly transitioning to a dark shade at the tip.

Gradient starting with a light shade in the cuticle area and smoothly transitioning to a dark shade at the tip

Marble manicure is characterized by nobility and grace.

Marble manicure is characterized by nobility and grace

diagonal French nail

French diagonal is distinguished by an unusual shape of a smile, which looks impressive and unusual on a wide nail.

The design created using Dots looks original. It can be done only on half of the nail, leaving the base transparent.
Floral, leopard and graphic prints remain in fashion in 2022 . Use this in your manicure. To avoid overkill and the image does not ripple, choose small pattern elements.

Floral, leopard and graphic prints remain in fashion in 2017. To avoid overkill and the image does not ripple, choose small elements of patterns

To visually lengthen the nail, choose vertical multi-colored lines.
Today, the image of geometric shapes on nails is relevant. A diamond shape is suitable for a short plate. A triangle and a square will visually expand the nail even more. Circles are only allowed in small sizes in the form of dots.

Today, the image of geometric shapes on nails is relevant.

Negative space manicure looks great on short wide nails . It leaves part of the nail untouched, which visually makes it longer.

The negative space manicure looks great on short, wide nails.
The listed ideas for manicure confirm that even a wide nail plate can be decorated in an original way.

Advice! Avoid horizontal designs. Fashionable lines can visually trim the nail and make it even shorter, plus widen the plate even more. Such lines are appropriate only when performing a French or moon manicure.

Avoid horizontal designs

Secrets from stylists

Sometimes the following little trick is used to visually lengthen it: the master paints with dark varnish only the central part along the entire length of the plate, but does not touch the edges at all. Interestingly, you can dilute the excessive width of the nail in a completely reverse way, when the varnish is applied only to the edges, and the central part remains completely untouched or painted in a different contrasting shade.

All experienced professionals in the salon have this and other useful knowledge about manicure techniques for wide nails. For every girl there will certainly be several dozen of the most suitable options for the design and design of the plates, from which all that remains is to choose the one you like.

New products of the season in manicure

As mentioned above, naturalness and femininity of images have taken key positions both in manicure and in the beauty industry as a whole. This means that nail extensions on wide nails are out of fashion. Cat's claws have become a thing of the past; this season, the oval shape of the plates, which are as close to natural as possible, is in demand, which is ideal for wide nails.

Other fashion trends in the world of manicure dictate the following principles:

Graphic nail art perfectly corrects the shape of the nails, and the originality of the execution is limited only by the imagination and skill of the performer.
Ombre or gradient manicure, which comes from hair coloring techniques, is now no less relevant for nail plates.
A classic and colorful French manicure will never go out of date and will look great on short nails.
The use of matte gel polish is at the peak of popularity; it looks fresh, not too banal and boring. Goes well with glossy finishes.

Extensions for wide nails

To make wide nails look neat, it is recommended to wear them with a long free edge, but not all manicures are predisposed to growing in length, which is why girls often resort to extensions.

Extensions are an effective procedure for eliminating wide nail beds, but be careful when doing it so that the work looks organic and natural.

Extensions can be done using forms or tips, depending on your convenience. And acrylic gel is used as a basis for extending the plate due to its increased strength and wear resistance. However, keep in mind that frequent use of acrylic in manicure gradually thins the surface.

However, wide-based extensions have several features that should be taken into account:

A wide nail is an excellent basis for fixing artificial turf. The work will remain in the same condition for a long time;
When performing extensions, make sure that the shape of the plate is perfectly even, since the tips bent down will only spoil the condition of the nails;
The extension will look natural if the length of the free edge does not exceed the size of the nail. Standard wide nails are quite short, so it is not recommended to make the work too long;
Gel polish leaking to the side rollers is the main enemy of corrective extensions, since they will only highlight the width of the nail bed, emphasizing the girl’s original problem. It is better to apply several layers of decorative coating than one thick one that will spread over the surface.

To prevent the width of the nail bed from being noticeable, many women resort to extensions, but when doing it, be careful - the result of the work does not always look natural.

Which manicure style to choose

Wide and short nails have no fewer design options than any other. In fact, it is not so important which style is chosen. The most important rule is to follow general tips and recommendations for applying manicure and properly caring for it.

Don't be afraid to make a mistake by choosing the wrong option. Photos of manicure designs for wide nails will also help you decide in advance, thanks to which you can easily navigate the endless number of different application techniques, prints, patterns and shades.

Fashionable manicure ideas for wide nails

Often girls, in fear of ruining the appearance of their nails, are afraid to place emphasis on wide nails, preferring a plain coating. Perhaps this is the right choice for boring everyday life. However, if you want to lift your spirits with careful hands, and also add thematic elements to your look, don't be afraid to experiment with design.

To make it easier for you to decide on the design, we bring to your attention ideas for fashionable manicure 2022:

Draw three vertical stripes of the same color, for example, pink. Stick or draw butterflies of different sizes on top. It is better to choose small patterns so as not to overload the design.
A gradient manicure looks festive . Leave the bases of your nails transparent and sprinkle the tips with small red glitter in a chaotic manner.

Gradient manicure looks festive

Don't forget to play with textures. Glossy, velvet and matte finishes look good on wide nails. Only it is better to make velvet in a single color, for example, bright blue.

Glossy, velvet and matte finishes look good on wide nails

Moon manicure is suitable for nails of different shapes, lengths and widths. Carefully highlight the holes with white, and paint the main part of the plate in fashionable turquoise.

Moon manicure is suitable for nails of different shapes, lengths and widths

One of the options for a positive summer manicure is a French manicure with multi-colored smiles on each nail in combination with a black leopard print. Perform the design only on one side of the nail, adding a drop of varnish in the middle of the black one in the same color as the tip.

When choosing a nail design, consider the appropriateness of the manicure.
When choosing a nail design, consider the appropriateness of the manicure. For the New Year, add a pointed snowflake or a deer with long antlers to your decoration. For Easter, instead of eggs (a round ornament will expand the plate), give preference to bunnies or spring flowers. Any themed manicure always looks relevant and unforgettable.

Any themed manicure always looks relevant and unforgettable. Manicures for wide nails can be quite varied. Fashionable prints, different design techniques, drawings, stickers, rhinestones are allowed.

As we can see, manicures for wide nails can be quite varied. Fashionable prints, different design techniques, drawings, stickers, rhinestones are allowed. Don’t be afraid to experiment, taking into account our tips, and you will get a delightful holiday manicure and decorate your everyday life with neat nails.

Don't be afraid to experiment. Decorate your everyday life with neat nails.

Advice! Remember that the manicure should match the style of the event and match your outfit.

The manicure should match the style of the event and match your outfit. If you can’t improve your nails yourself, contact a specialist. To add femininity to your hands, you should pay attention to dark shades of varnish

Advice! If you are unable to improve your nails yourself, contact a specialist. It will show you what mistakes to avoid.