If you’ve ever had long nails on, you can relate to the struggle that accompanies functioning with them. Typing with long nails can present a challenge for many people as it can impede accuracy and cause discomfort or pain in the fingers. However, typing with long nails can become effortless with proper technique and some tips and tricks.
To effectively type with your long nails, whether they are natural or acrylic, it’s important to have proper hand positioning over the keyboard. Start by typing slowly, avoiding the temptation to rush. This will help you reduce the number of typos and increase accuracy. Remember to take it one step at a time and focus on accuracy, as you can always work on increasing your typing speed later. Consistency is key, so following these steps and practicing regularly will improve your typing skills with long nails in no time.
Proper typing technique is crucial as it reduces strain on the fingers and nails while improving accuracy. The tips provided in this guide include using the tips of the fingers instead of the pads, taking breaks, keeping nails filed and trimmed, using a split or ergonomic keyboard, practicing touch typing, using a stylus, keeping nails and cuticles moisturized, and patience while adjusting to typing with long nails. These tips will help make the typing experience more comfortable, efficient, and accurate.
Tips for Typing With Long Nails
Before attempting to go on your typing spree with your long nails, below are a few things to consider.
1. Your Nail Shape
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The kind of nail shape you go after matters a lot regarding typing with your nails. This is because not all nail shape is best for typing…For example, typing with a pointed nail shape like a stiletto, lipstick, or mountain peak is quite hard as they may slide over keys. In more extreme cases, they may crack; when this happens, they may chip or break.
A rounded or squared oval shape will be just fine. When your nails are thicker and well-curved, typing becomes a lot easier than you can ever imagine.
2. You Nail Length
Once your nail length exceeds 3 mm, functioning with them becomes a living hell. That’s because you’ll find yourself struggling with almost everything that comes your way. Like trying to open a soda can, threading needles, or putting on sandals or necklaces. So what’s the ideal thing to do?
Keep them medium-long. Your nails shouldn’t be that long so you won’t have difficulty typing with them.
3. Be Careful
If your job involves typing a lot, you must be cautious with how you type. Be sure your nails are not coming in contact with the keypads.
This is because, when your nails come in contact with these keypads for too long, it may render your nails brittle, and they may tear or break at any slightest opportunity.
4. Adjust your typing posture
Proper typing posture is crucial for those with long nails as it can reduce the strain on fingers and nails while improving typing accuracy. A good typing posture involves keeping the wrists in a neutral position, which means leveling the wrists with the keyboard and avoiding excessive bending or flexing.
Additionally, it’s important to keep your shoulders relaxed and maintain an upright, ergonomic posture. To achieve this, you need to adjust the chair and keyboard to the correct height; the keyboard should be on a platform that raises it to elbow height, and the chair should be adjusted so that the feet can rest flat on the floor.
Maintaining a neutral wrist position is important for preventing carpal tunnel syndrome, which can cause numbness and tingling in the fingers and wrist. Moreover, keeping the wrists in a neutral position can also reduce the risk of injuries from prolonged keyboard usage.
5. Modify your typing technique
Typing with long nails can be difficult, but one way to make it easier is to use the touch typing method. Touch typing is a method where you type without looking at the keyboard, using muscle memory to find the keys. This can help improve typing speed and accuracy.
Additionally, you should focus on keeping your hands and fingers relaxed rather than tensing them up while typing. It’s also important to practice regularly to help you build muscle memory and increase your typing speed.
Common mistakes to avoid when typing with long nails include using the pads of the fingers to type, which can cause your nails to get in the way and impede typing accuracy. Additionally, It’s important to avoid hunching over the keyboard or slouching in your chair, as this can lead to poor posture and strain on the fingers and nails. To avoid these mistakes, it’s important to maintain proper posture, take breaks, and practice regularly.
Step By Step Guide on How To Type With Long Nails
Typing with long nails requires constant practice; it doesn’t happen overnight, and with the right procedure, you’ll surely step up in your typing game. Below I’ve outlined the step-by-step procedure for you to type better.
STEP 1: Positioning Your Hand
The first step towards typing with longer nails on is to master the art of positioning the hand. Usually, when you’ve not had your nails on, typing isn’t that hard. You can type using your fingertips.
Now that you’ve grown more extended tips, it’s an entirely different story, and typing has somewhat become stressful. So the first thing to do is learn how to position those hands or fingers. A rule of thumb is to keep them slightly straight over the keypads so they can glide over keys.
STEP 2: Punch Each Key With Extreme Care
Now that you’ve learned how to position your fingers over your keypads the right way, its now time to set the ball rolling. You can now punch on those keys. While punching, be careful. Don’t be in a hurry; no one is out to chase or cane you, so take your time and keep it going, slow and steady.
STEP 3: Forget About Your Speed
Since you’re just starting, you shouldn’t bother much about your typing speed. What you should be gunning after is to be consistent in your actions. As time goes by, you can focus on increasing your typing speed.
STEP 4: Practice Makes Perfect
As you continue with it, you’ll notice that you’ll be getting better at it. As you do this continuously, you’re getting used to the keys, and as that happens, your typing speed also improves. You’ll be less prone to making a few errors than you were before.
Tools and Accessories to Aid Typing with Long Nails
1. Use a Pencil
If your nails are way too long, as I’ve earlier hinted, you’ll notice that you can’t type much using the steps mentioned above. But with a pencil in your hand, typing just got easier.
This method is quite easy. All you need do is grab a pencil the same way I did it in the above picture then hit the keypads using either of the sides. I prefer using the side that has an eraser. Using the tips with erasers helps prevent the pencil from gliding over keys. Another way to type fast with long nails is by using typing mate.
2. Use Typing mate
With typing, mate, your typing becomes a lot easier, and the likelihood of punching the wrong keys is avoided… This tool can be worn over the tips of nails.
3. Typing Gloves
Typing gloves are specially designed to help individuals type with long nails. They have a thin, flexible material that covers the nails, preventing them from getting in the way while typing. They also have a rubberized coating on the fingertips to provide better grip and typing sensitivity. They are typically worn on the index, middle, and ring fingers.
4. Nail Protectors
Nail protectors are small, plastic or silicone caps placed over the nails to protect them while typing. They are a simple and easy solution to protect the nails while working on a computer or typing. They are usually placed on the nails at the tip and not covering the whole nails to avoid any hindrance in typing.
5. Split or Ergonomic Keyboards
Split or ergonomic keyboards are designed to minimize the strain on the fingers and wrists. They have a unique layout that can help keep the wrists in a neutral position, reducing the risk of carpal tunnel syndrome and other typing-related injuries. They are also known to have a more comfortable typing experience.
6. Use a Stylus
Using a stylus or a small pen-like tool can be an effective way to type on your phone or tablet with long nails. A stylus allows you to type on a screen without pressing down hard, which can be difficult with long nails. Some stylus even has a soft tip, to avoid scratches on the screen. It also allows you to maintain a more neutral wrist position and can be a more comfortable option for typing with long nails.
How To Type On Phone With Long Nails
The best way to type on the phone when your nails are long is by using the side of your nails. That’s if you’re finding the keeping your hand’s straight method difficult. If you still find that pretty hard to do, then you might want to cut down your nail length a bit.
To type on your phone with long nails, use your left hand to hold your phone, then use the sides of any of your right fingers to gently tap the screen. This allows for a smooth and stress-free typing experience.
Another way around texting/chatting with your phone despite having long nails is by using a “Pen” that is well suited for typing. One thing I like about this pen is that it takes away all the hassle and bustle that comes with texting/typing, and the likelihood of having to break a nail is drastically reduced.
To crown it all, it’s universal, meaning it will work fine on your device. Isn’t that what you’ve always wanted? Well, it sure sounds like something you’ll need, especially if you’re like me, that is always busy pressing my phone all day.
How to Care For Your Long Nails While Typing
Caring for long nails while typing is important to maintain their health and strength and to avoid damaging them during the typing process. Here are some tips on how to care for your long nails while typing.
To strengthen and protect your nails, it’s important to keep them moisturized and hydrated. This can be done by using cuticle oil or lotion to massage the nails and cuticles daily. It’s also important to get enough vitamins B, E, and iron in your diet, which are all essential for healthy nails. Avoid using harsh chemicals or nail polish removers, and limit the use of nail polish since this can make your nails brittle.
One of the most effective ways to avoid damaging your nails while typing is to use proper typing techniques. This includes using the tips of your fingers to type and maintaining a neutral wrist position. Avoid typing with your nails resting on the keyboard, as this can cause your nails to break or chip.
Regular manicures and buffing of your nails can keep them in a good shape and avoid them from breaking. It’s also recommended to use a nourishing cuticle cream or oil specially formulated to promote healthy nails. Additionally, using a hardener or strengthener in your nails can be good to help them be more resistant.
Conclusion
typing with long nails can present a challenge, but with proper technique and tools, it is possible to type with long nails effortlessly. I’ve discussed a range of tips and tricks to make typing with long nails more comfortable and accurate, including adjusting your typing posture, modifying your typing technique, and using tools and accessories like typing gloves, nail protectors, split or ergonomic keyboards, and stylus pens.
I have also talked about the importance of proper nail care to maintain healthy and strong nails while typing. Remembering proper typing technique is key to typing with long nails is important. I will encourage all long nail wearers to take the time to practice proper typing techniques and incorporate the tips discussed in this guide. With patience, practice, and perseverance, typing with long nails will become effortless and enjoyable.