The Truth About E-Files and Nail Damage
If you love getting your nails done, you’re likely to be familiar with electric nail files. Found in most nail salons around the globe today, the whirring sound of E-files are a part of the fabric of many women’s lives.
But you’re not here to read a history of electric nail files.
You’re here because you’ve had a lingering suspicion that E-files are the reason why your nails – once strong and beautiful – have slowly chipped away.
You’re here because you’ve noticed your nails have become visibly thinner and sensitive to the touch. Maybe your nails hurt and sting right now, as you read this.
The truth is that E-files are the most common cause of nail damage that we see from first-time clients at our Philadelphia nail care studio.
E-files, a tool so ubiquitous that almost all women who’ve had their nails done professionally have had it used on them, are one of the primary reasons why women seek out restorative Nail Care services from Atelier Anaiis.
In this article, we break down why you are right to be suspicious of E-files, the truth behind the concern regarding electric nail drills, and what to do with all this information.
You Are Right to be Suspicious
Think back to your last nail appointment. After walking into the nail salon and confirming your appointment details, you were shown to your seat alongside other women getting their nails done.
As the nail technician took your hand and began drilling away with an E-file, what was missing?
There was hardly a word requesting consent – hardly an offer of other ways besides the electric nail drill to remove the product on your nails.
But you didn’t say anything because how could you know? Even though women often report discomfort from the extreme heat and pressure from electric nail drills, it’s difficult to speak up and ask a question in an environment where all the other clients have an E-file used on them.
It just seemed like the way things are done at nail salons. And you didn’t want to be seen as a difficult client.
These are the unfortunate moments when a rightfully concerned client is forced into silence through peer pressure and the sentiment of “that’s just how things are done.”
Because soon, the suspicion begins to creep up. Suspicion arises because deep down, you knew there was something kept hidden from you at the nail salon. It arises because some time after your appointment, your nails begin to hurt.
Or maybe they don’t. But at some point, as you return for your subsequent appointments, you become familiar with the distinctive pain that can only come from E-file use.
You are right to be suspicious.
Because it’s not a matter of “if” electric nail drills damage nails: it’s a matter of “when.”
You Are Right to be Concerned
Imagine that we can zoom in on your nail bed. We’ll see that it resembles a mille crêpe, a visually stunning and equally delightful French-style cake composed of numerous paper-thin crêpes stacked on top of each other.
While the number of layers in a mille crêpe cake is typically around twenty, with nail beds, the layers number in the thousands. Each of these layers are composed of keratin, a fibrous protein also found in our skin and hair.
It’s this layered construction that gives our natural nails strength and resilience.
Now imagine a high-pitched power tool that is spinning much too fast, approaching our gel manicured nails. A hand-mixer that is set to the highest speed, hovering above the delicate mille crêpe cake should do the trick of painting the scene.
As it makes its landing, it breaks through the protective barrier of the gel with ease through the intense pressure and heat it produces from being in contact with the nail surface, and soon the top keratin layer of the natural nail is exposed.
As for the mille crêpe, it goes without saying that it doesn’t stand a chance against the hand-mixer and its path of destruction.
As a client, you’ve been told that the E-file is only meant to take off the gel layer. But as you watch at the microscopic level, you see the nail drill burrowing deep into your natural nails in places, destroying hundreds of what had been perfectly intact keratin layers. Even to the naked eye, you see the bruise quickly forming. Sometimes there’s blood.
As you may have guessed, these keratin layers are not replaced easily, especially without proper nail care. The E-file has left you to deal with the consequences of nail damage.
This scene happens at every appointment around the world where an E-file is used. It’s happening as you read this and it has happened to you in the past.
You Are Right to be Alarmed
At our Philadelphia nail care studio, we receive intake forms everyday from women seeking help with their damaged nails.
Although these women are left to deal with the very-real consequences of E-file use, sometimes it’s difficult to imagine how a tool that’s so common in nail salons everywhere can be the culprit of painful nail damage.
Here we provide examples of clients who’ve come to Atelier Anaiis for help — taken at the beginning of their first appointments, each of them displays nail damage from electric nail drill use.
Crescent-Shaped Bruising
We begin with a close-up. This crescent-shaped bruising is a hallmark of E-file use — the clearly thinned portion of the nail bed showing the exact path that the nail drill took as it put too much heat and pressure on the keratin layers.
To imagine what has happened to the keratin layers of the natural nail, we can think of a bridge that has melted away and collapsed in the middle. It goes without saying that there is no quick repair for damage of this magnitude.
In order for the client in the picture above to regain the strength of her natural nails, we needed to allow for the compromised part of the nail to grow out.
Eventually the nail damage became part of the nail tip, and we could trim it safely. By this time, the nail bed was once again intact through new growth.
It regularly takes clients six months to three years to heal from nail damage like this, because once the nail is compromised, it becomes vulnerable to nail breakage that can delay the healing timeline.
Lacerations and Nail Breakage
Speaking of nail breakage, here is another first-time client whose nails display clear E-file use. We’d like to point out three things.
We first notice the micro fissures and lacerations that look like scratches on the entirety of the nail plate. This can only come from an E-file that is spinning much too fast and represent tears in the keratin layers.
On both nails here, we see discoloration. On the left nail plate, there is bruising toward the nail tip. On the right nail plate, the discoloration in white takes up the horizontal middle section. Natural nails that have healed through our Nail Care Program at Atelier Anaiis display a beautiful pink color throughout the nail.
Finally, we come to the nail break in the nail on the right. This is the result of the nail being ground so thin through repeated E-file use that a relatively weak force (think of an accidental bump or using the nails to open something) has easily cracked the nail bed.
Thin Nails
Sometimes it’s easier to see nail damage once the base coat has been applied. The crescent-shaped bruising from E-file use is especially noticeable in this photo, as is the almost translucent parts of the nail tip — evidence of thinning and another hallmark of nail drill use.
The translucent nail tip is an area the E-file went far too deep. This client has grown out the nail damage to the tips, and it is translucent because there is no soft tissue directly under the nail tip.
Torn Nail Walls
We’ve written about how Russian manicures represent the opposite of nail health and this photo in particular is a great visual example. Why? The reason lies in the nail walls that are torn and detached, even more shocking than the bruised nail plates and brittle nail tips.
Even from afar, we could tell that the E-file did a number on this client’s nail walls. None of the fingers display a healthy, smooth line outlining the nail walls.
Even more alarmingly, the nail drill has forced gaps between the nail walls, directly damaging the eponychium — the origin of natural nails.
Once the eponychium has been damaged, the body responds by producing increasingly thin and brittle nails. It goes without saying that this adds months to the restoration timeline.
Russian manicures may look “clean” for the first few appointments. But the photo above is emblematic of what E-file use during Russian manicures will eventually come to.
What You Can Do
From decades of experience helping clients heal their nails, the single best thing that anyone can do for their nail health is to stop exposing your natural nails to E-files.
We realize that not many cities offer nail salons like Atelier Anaiis, whose entire philosophy revolves around not using E-files.
While we admit that if your natural nails already have nail damage from nail drills, you will need more help in order to restore them, making the conscious decision to not accept E-files anymore eliminates the single biggest risk of making the problem worse.
If you cannot find a nail salon near you that does not use E-files, ask nail salons for other soak-off options. If they insist on using the nail drill, know that you have the power to walk out.
E-files provide no benefit for your nail health. The only benefit is for nail salons and drill manufacturers, who are able to continue profiting from faster and faster appointments at your expense.
E-files are never, ever worth it.
We’d say trust us, but if you’ve gotten this far in reading this piece, you already knew that.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Do electric nail files (E-files) really damage natural nails?
Yes. While marketed as harmless, E-files routinely overheat and grind through the keratin layers of the natural nail, causing thinning, bruising, sensitivity, and long-term weakness. At Atelier Anaiis, this is the most common type of damage we see from first-time clients.
Q: Why do my nails feel sore or sensitive after a nail appointment?
Soreness, stinging, or heat sensitivity is often a sign that the E-file has penetrated beyond the gel layer and into your natural nail plate. This friction and heat can expose deeper keratin layers—something no healthy manicure should ever do.
Q: How can I tell if an E-file was used too aggressively on my nails?
Common signs include crescent-shaped bruising, translucent nail tips, scratches or micro-fissures on the nail plate, frequent nail breaks, and torn nail walls. These all indicate excessive heat, pressure, or speed.
Q: Are E-files ever necessary for a manicure?
No. E-files offer no health benefit to natural nails. They are used because they’re fast and convenient for high-volume salons—not because they support healthy nail preparation or removal. At Atelier Anaiis, we never use them.
Q: Why do some salons insist on using an E-file?
Most salons operate on a speed-based model. E-files allow them to work quickly and maintain high appointment turnover. Unfortunately, this speed comes at the expense of your natural nail health and long-term comfort.
Q: What does E-file damage look like?
E-file damage can appear as bruised semi-circular marks, thin or transparent nail tips, surface scratches, unexpected nail breaks, and torn or detached nail walls. Some clients also experience discoloration, swelling, or raw tenderness.
Q: Can E-file damage be reversed?
Yes—most nail damage can be healed through consistent, gentle care. However, depending on severity, full recovery can take six months to three years, as the compromised nail must grow out completely without further trauma.
Q: What should I do if my salon won’t remove product without an E-file?
You always have the right to refuse an electric drill. Ask for soak-off removal or manual filing options. If the salon insists on using an E-file, it’s an immediate signal to walk out—they are prioritizing speed over your health.
Q: Why do Russian manicures cause so much damage?
Russian manicures rely heavily on E-files to “clean” the nail walls and eponychium. This often tears or thins the surrounding tissue, causing gaps, detachment, and long-term damage to the nail’s origin. The nails may look “clean” at first, but the hidden harm accumulates rapidly.
Q: How can I protect my nails going forward?
The most important step is to stop exposing your nails to E-files entirely. Choose salons that specialize in manual prep, cuticle health, and restorative nail care. If such a salon doesn’t exist near you, prioritize soak-off removal and decline any service involving a drill.
