Electric Nail Drill Bit Shapes and Uses

Large and Small Barrel bit

The barrel bits are great for doing surface work on the nail. You can also use the barrel bits for backfill cutting, shortening, and shaping the nail, and to make a smile line. Chiyan Carbide nail drill bit is made of pure, durable,high-strength tungsten steel material and designed for high performance and long service life. Chiyan Carbide Bit use to remove acrylic, hard gel, crystal nail, extending nail from the nail quickly and efficiently.

Tip: Make sure you don’t use this bit in the cuticle area! You may cause some damage to the nail (rings of fire).

UNC Bit

The UNC bit is an under the nail cleaning bit. The shape of the UNC bit is pointed and small. The point size changes from manufacturer to manufacturer. This particular shape helps the bit to get in tight spaces. The UNC bit is commonly used not only for under the nail cleaning but also for sidewalls. Some nail technicians also use this bit for making designer holes in the nails.

Cone Bit

The cone bit has a long, slim and tapered shape. You can use this cone-shaped bit for several purposes, such as preparing the cuticle area and sidewalls and cleaning under the nail. You also can use the cone bit on the top of the nail. It is a great shape for toenail surface work, but not the best shape for fingernails surface work.

Tapered Barrel

The Tapered barrel bit has a flat top and a cone shape to it. It is shorter than the cone bit and is great for surface work, in-fill preparation, cuticle, and sidewalls preparation.

Safety Bits

These are actually cuticle safety bits and are designed for safe cuticle work. They are rounded at the top and come in a great variety of shapes. With these bits, you can easily reach the cuticle and sidewalls without damaging the nail. They are great for in-fill cuticle work.

Mandrel Bit

This bit is commonly made of rubber or metal. You can work with the mandrel bit only after slipping it into the sanding band. The sanding band is made of paper and needs to be replaced after you work on a client.

Tip: Take extra notice when working with sanding bands, especially if you are a beginner. Sanding bands tend to heat very quickly. Heat can cause your client some discomfort.

Pedicure Bit

This cone-shaped bit is commonly made of synthetic diamond partials. Some of those pedicure bits come with hollow stripes in the center. The hollow center prevents it from heating up too quickly. This bit’s main purpose is to remove dry callus easily.

Natural Nail Bit

This kind of nail bit is commonly made from synthetic rubber. The natural nail bit is used to buff the surface of the nail, remove the dead cuticle on the nail, and smoothen the cuticle area. Synthetic rubber bits wear down fast, so remember to reshape it with a simple hand file after every use.

Maintenance bits/backfill bits

The maintenance bits or the backfill bits are great for replacing the white tip powder on a French manicure and correcting and redoing the smile line. There are several types and sizes of maintenance bits.

The 2-week bit is used exactly for what it sounds. It trenches backfill after two weeks of growth. The size of this bit is a quarter of a large barrel bit.

The 4-week bit is used to trench backfill after four weeks of growth and is half the size of a large barrel bit.