Disposable white files for straight base EXPERT 20 Staleks, grit 100, x 30

STALEKS EXPERT 20 disposable white files in 100 grit, the abrasive that bites into material

The STALEKS EXPERT 20 disposable white files in 100 grit are the self-adhesive abrasive strips made for the MBE-20 and SPBE-20 straight metal bases. Each strip measures 140 x 18 mm, sits on a soft foam layer and comes in a pack of 30 pieces. On the abrasive scale used in nail care, 100 is the coarsest of the EXPERT 20 range: this is the grit a nail technician reaches for to work gel and acrylic, rough out an enhancement and shorten length. The metal base never leaves the workstation, it simply goes through the hygiene protocol between two appointments.

A working grit, not a finishing grit

This one is not made to stroke the nail, it is made to take material off and to do it fast. On a fully cured acrylic set, on builder gel that has been applied too thick or on a badly placed apex, it bites straight away and brings the volume down without the technician having to lean on the tool.

That is in fact the golden rule with this level of abrasiveness: let the abrasive do the work. Light pressure, steady passes always in the same direction, frequent brushing to clear the dust, and material comes away evenly. Pushing harder only heats the enhancement and digs grooves you will have to chase later with a finer grit.

Roughing out, shortening, rebuilding a shape

Three situations come up again and again at the workstation. Infills first: before rebuilding you have to bring the old product down and reopen the sidewalls, and this grit shortens that stage considerably. Length requests next: when a client wants to go shorter, 100 grit takes the free edge of an enhancement back in a few passes where a fine abrasive would drag on. Shape corrections last: an almond that has drifted, a square that has gone round, thickness sitting in the wrong place are all put right with this grit before any refining.

On natural nails, by contrast, this strip stays in its packaging. It is meant for artificial material; the natural plate is worked with the gentler grits of the same range, available in the same format and on the same base.

Soft foam and the MBE-20 and SPBE-20 straight bases

Underneath the abrasive paper, the soft foam layer plays a part you notice most with a coarse grit: it cushions the pressure and lets the strip follow the curve of the enhancement instead of staying rigid and leaving a ridge. Material still comes off decisively, but far more evenly, and the client feels less vibration in the finger.

The 140 x 18 mm format matches the straight holders of the range exactly, the MBE-20 and the SPBE-20. That straight line is the one used for structural work: shortening cleanly, holding a square, adjusting parallel sidewalls. The plain white surface also shows the gel dust as it builds up, which gives you an instant reading of how much product has already come off.

A fresh strip per client, a sterilised base

The Staleks system fits into one sentence: the holder stays, the abrasive goes. The strip is a single-use consumable, so it is never washed, never disinfected and never stuck back on once lifted. It leaves with the waste from the appointment, while the metal base follows the cleaning, disinfection and sterilisation route set out in the salon protocol.

With a coarse grit there is an extra benefit. The abrasive loads up quickly with gel and acrylic dust, and a clogged abrasive bites far less well. Starting each appointment with a fresh strip means the last roughing out of the day cuts exactly as well as the first.

Applying the strip, removing it, moving on

1. Make sure the straight base is clean, dry and disinfected.
2. Peel the protective film off the back of the abrasive strip.
3. Lay the strip on the holder, line the edges up and smooth it from one end to the other to push the air out.
4. Rough the material down, brushing the abrasive clear at regular intervals.
5. Lift the strip by one corner when the service is over and dispose of it with the waste.
6. Clean, disinfect and then sterilise the base before the next client.

NC Beauty Pro, your Staleks disposable abrasive specialist

Buying the base once and renewing only the strip costs far less than replacing complete files, and the pack of 30 covers several weeks of enhancement work without running short on the busiest grit at the workstation. NC Beauty Pro brings the full STALEKS EXPERT range together for nail professionals: straight and short bases, mineral files, disposable abrasives, cuticle pushers and nail drill bits. The 100 grit EXPERT 20 disposable files are the natural companion to the MBE-20 and SPBE-20 bases already in the catalogue.