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Nail Shape · Visual Control

Aligning Coating Overhang on Both Lateral Walls: The Visual Control Step Before Any Shape Filing

By Yuliia Vel, VEL Academy · Russian Manicure Professional Education

Coating overhang is excess material that hangs beyond the line of the nail — under the free edge and on the sides. In VEL Academy Russian manicure, both overhangs are compared visually and brought to the same level before the shape is finished: with the file lying flat, as if on a table, one side is filed first and then the other is corrected. Overhang correction is a mandatory part of Russian manicure, for both oval and square shapes.

VEL Academy methodology: if the overhangs are not removed, the nail looks untidy, however well the coating was applied. Correcting the overhangs is not optional — it is part of every Russian manicure.

After a gel fill, the coating rarely ends exactly along the line of the nail. Material hangs under the free edge and builds up on the lateral walls. Before the shape is finished, both overhangs are checked, brought to the same level and removed. This article explains what overhang is, why it appears, and how VEL Academy aligns it on both sides.

What Coating Overhang Is

Under the Free Edge and on the Sides

Overhang is the material that hangs beyond the line of the nail. It can be underneath, under the free edge, and it can be on the sides, along the lateral walls. Both need to be corrected before the shape is finished.

Why Gel Builds Up on the Lateral Walls

During a gel fill, gel builds up on the lateral walls — especially with medium consistency gel. With medium or thick gels, the shape of the nail after the fill already means that the sides will have to be worked with a file, not only the free edge. How gel consistency affects application is covered in fluid vs medium consistency leveling gel.

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How to Compare and Align Both Overhangs

The Visual Check

Compare the overhangs on both sides visually — look at the nail from the tip and check the shape from above. The goal is to see whether both sides are at the same level before the shape is finished.

Comparing both coating overhangs to align them to the same level

Comparing both overhangs — aligning them to the same level

Filing with the File Flat

Hold the file flat, as if it were lying on a table. File one side first, then correct the other side so both overhangs are at the same level. Check the shape again visually from above.

Removing the overhang on the right lateral wall with a hand file

Removing the right overhang

Removing the overhang on the left lateral wall with a hand file

Removing the left overhang

Why Overhang Correction Is Mandatory in Russian Manicure

If the overhangs are not removed, the nail looks very untidy — even when the coating itself was applied well. A clean line along the free edge and the lateral walls is part of what makes a Russian manicure look finished. That is why, in VEL Academy technique, overhang correction is part of every service, not an extra step.

Overhangs in Oval and Square Shapes

The rule: compare both overhangs, file with the file flat — one side, then the other — and check the shape from above. Only then move on to rounding for an oval or to the lateral walls for a square.

Frequently Asked Questions About Overhang Alignment

Compare both overhangs visually — looking at the nail from the tip and from above. Then, with the file lying flat as if on a table, file one side first and correct the other, so both overhangs are at the same level.
Gel builds up on the lateral walls during a fill, especially medium consistency gel. With medium or thick gels, the shape of the nail after the fill already means the sides will need to be worked with a file.
The nail looks very untidy, however well the coating itself was applied. In VEL Academy technique, correcting the overhangs is a mandatory part of every Russian manicure.
Yes. Overhangs are removed in both shapes. For an oval, the free edge is then rounded with rocking motions; for a square, the overhangs are removed without rounding the free edge.
The file lies flat, as if it were lying on a table. One side is filed first, and then the other side is corrected to the same level.