NAIL TERM GLOSSARY

Our nail term glossary is a resource provided to our customers which offers simple definitions for various terms used in reference to nail care.

Please feel free to peruse our glossary for any terms you wish to define.

F

TERM	DEFINITION
Fan Brush	Fan Brush is a brush used to apply cosmetic and in nail art it is used to create airbrushed effect.
Fantasy Nail Art	It is a nail art usually applied on a model based on a competition theme.
Fast Dry	A product that dries polish quickly.
Fast Set Acrylics	Fast set Acrylics are acrylics which are altered chemically to dry faster.
Ferrule	A ring placed around the brush shaft to hold its hair in place.
Files	A nail file is a tool used to roughen, shape, polish, or remove surface and edge of nails.
Fill or Fill-In	A nail maintenance procedure usually done with electric file, in order to re-create the smile line OR feature.
Fills	Acrylics require maintenance in every 2-3 weeks. The procedure of rebalancing and minting them is called Fill Or Fill-In.
Film Formers	Nail polish that forms hard smooth surface once it dries
Fimo Cane	Fimo Cane is made of modelling clay and can be cut into thin slices to be applied on nails as accessories.
Fingernail	Fingernails are the thin hard areas at the end of each finger useful for scratching and fine manipulation.
Finish	Color, texture or appearance once nail polish dries.
Fish Pedicure	A type of pedicure in which the client place their feet in a small fish tank with a doctor or nibble fish where fishes eat away dead skin.
Five-Free	Nail Polish that does not contain Toulene, Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP), Formaldehyde, Camphor and Formaldehyde Resin.
Flammability/Explosive Limits	Range between the LEL and the UEL is known as the flammable range. The greater this number the greater the hazard.
Flammable Liquids	Liquids with flash point lower than 100ºF / 37.8ºC
Flash Point	The lowest temperature at which a substance's vapors ignite if given an ignition source.
Flexibility	The quality of bending without breaking.
Floated Color	Adding water to the paint to create soft highlight.
Flooding	A mistake while applying nail polish which is too thin, which leads to flooding of the cuticle area.
Foil	Nail art with high shine metallic base which gives shiny, sparkly finish.
Foil Method	Process of removing glitter OR nail polish by dipping cotton in pure acetone and wrapping it around nail for 5-10 minutes.
Follicles	Tunnel shaped structure in the outer most layer of the skin (epidermis), which contains hair and oil glands.
Foot Care	The process of taking care of the feet by massaging, moisturizing, nail care and dead skin removal from the feet.
Foot Odor	Unpleasant body odor from the feet of humans.
Foot Spa	Electrical appliances which have jet OR whirlpool actions and in which pedicure clients soak their feet.
Formaldehyde	A colorless, strong-smelling gas used in glues, adhesives and as a preservative and disinfectant
Formaldehyde Resin	Formaldehyde Resin was used in nail polishes to increase strength and adhesion capabilities but because of its harmful effects, it is not used anymore.
Formalin	Aqueous solution of formaldehyde, used in nail hardening products.
Forms	Stickers placed at the ends of the fingers to stretch acrylic beyond the fingertip.
Formula	The constituents or ingredients of a nail polish or treatment product.
Franken	When two or more than two colors, glitters etc. are mixed to make a new personalized color.
Frankener	A person who specializes in mixing polishes, glitters etc. to create a new personalized polish.
Frankening	The art of mixing polishes, glitters etc. to create a new personalized polish.
Free Edge	The tip of nails past the fingertip.
Free Radicals	Unstable molecules with unpaired electrons, they help to form acrylic nails.
French Manicure	Nail art in which nail bed is painted pink and free edge is painted white.
French Tip	French tip is an artificial tip that can be applied to the natural nail to create an instant French manicure look.
Frost	Nail polish that looks frosty once it dries.
Full Set	The process of recreating new set of nails.
Full-Service Salon	Salons offering multiple services such as hair care, nail care and skin care.
Fumes	A cloud of small, fine particles suspended in air.
Fungicidal	Substances that show ability to destroy fungus.
Fungicide	Substances that can kill fungus.
Fungus or Fungi	A spore producing microscopic organism, some types of which are known to infect nails. Common forms of fungus in nature are molds, yeasts, mushrooms and toadstools.
Furrows	Ridges that can be seen on nails, they run either lengthwise OR across the nail.

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