28/02/2017
HOW TO DO A MANICURE
Step 1: Remove nail polish with an acetone based nail remover with a moisturizing oil and vitamin E to hydrate the nails
Step 2: File all your nails down as far as the damage goes – not just ones with breakage, splitting & peeling nails all your nails must be filed! Trust me. It will look MUCH nicer when they grow out if they’re all growing out the same length. They’ll only be this short for a little while! Just bite the bullet & file them all to the same length as the others. File the edges so they’re smooth. I’m sure you’ve all heard by now to only file your nails with long, smooth strokes in one direction (because sawing back & forth on them weakens them & makes them more likely to break & split), but it’s so much quicker to just go back & forth, right? Well, don’t do it!!
Step 3: Remove any traces of nail polish left over from however many weeks/months/years ago you last painted your nails (if applicable).
Step 4: Apply cuticle oil to the skin surrounding your nails & massage it in, focusing on the cuticle. Massage in a clockwise direction from the cuticle to the first joint
Step 5: GENTLY push back your cuticles using an orange stick wrap with cotton wool stick or cuticle pusher. This should not hurt! If it hurts, you are being far too rough & may end up causing some temporary damage. Go slow, be gentle & most importantly: DO NOT cut them! If there are painful, shredded, stringy bits of skin around your nail referred to as a hangnail, you can trim those bits down, but do not cut your actual cuticles as this can lead to infection!
Step 6: Scrub! Apply a body scrub to dry hands & massage in, focusing on any particularly dry areas & around the cuticles, use a nail brush to scrub your nails and cuticles, then rinse off, dry them & marvel at how soft they feel!
Step 7: If you have hangnails nip the loose skin at this stage. Remember NEVER cut the cuticle!!
Step 8: Apply hand cream & reapply cuticle treatment. If you’re planning to paint your nails immediately, I would recommend doing so before applying the hand & cuticle treatments, or else the polish may not stick to your nails as well as normal. Otherwise, I would suggest leaving it for a couple of hours to let your skin & nails to absorb everything.
