How to Type With Long Fingernails
While long nails are always more aesthetically pleasing than short, stubby ones, they are definitely more difficult to manage and can be pretty high maintenance. In addition to having to take extra care to make sure they do not break, long finger nails can make certain tasks, like typing, a real chore. Trying to press down on keys when your nails are obstructing free movement is undeniably frustrating – you might end up spending an hour typing out something that should have taken 15 minutes, and most probably crack your nails to boot. However, with some practice and care, you can learn to type fairly easily with long fingernails.
Instructions
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To begin, make sure you keep your natural nails clean, and smoothly filed. Jagged edges or extremely pointed tips are not going to help anyone, so make sure you keep them neat, and file them into smooth ovals. Long nails that are filed in an oval shape are far easier to manage than long, square nails, so if you are determined to keep your long nails, consider filing them into ovals to make it easier to type and carry out other tasks. If you are sporting acrylic or artificial nails, make sure you take extra care, as these could come off if you strain them too much.
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When you type with long fingernails, make sure you use the underside of your fingertips to type. Do not try to jab at the keys using the front of your fingertips, as that is where your nails are situated, and this could lead you to put unnecessary stress on your nails, and eventually crack them. Instead, press the keys gently with the bottoms of your fingertips.
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Do not try to maintain your regular fast typing speed after growing out your nails – you cannot keep typing at lightning speed. Instead, start typing slower, so that you get more practice with how you can manage typing with longer nails. Once you grow accustomed to it, start to feel more comfortable, and the quantity of typos decreases, you can gradually increase your speed again.
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Finally, try to stay away from products like iPhones, and other small touch-screen gadgets, as these could prove difficult to use, and you could end up scratching their surfaces. When you finally do feel ready to purchase one of these devices, make the keypad buttons on the screen the largest size possible, to make it easier for you to type.