Manicures should be on your to-do list every month. Whether it’s for a special occasion or everyday wear, keeping your nails in tip-top shape should be a priority. Not only does it look good, manicures keep your nails from chipping and cracking. They also help keep your skin feeling soft and healthy. If you want to learn more about the benefits of getting a manicure and the different types, then look no further! Let’s dive right into it!
Manicure Basics
When you’re getting a basic manicure done, be sure to go into the service with the look you’re trying to achieve in mind. Be sure you’ve picked out your desired nail polish color, along with what shape you want your nails to be.
The first step in receiving your manicure should be the shaping of the nails. If you work with your hands a lot, you should consider getting shorter nails to keep them from breaking. Longer, almond-shaped or round nails are best for people who don’t work with their hands as much, since they are more likely to chip if you’re not careful.
After your nails have been shaped to your liking, they should be soak in water to soften the cuticle. A cuticle softener may be applied to make the process easier and speed it up. At this point, your cuticles should be pliable and are easy to push back. If needed, a cuticle nipper may be used to remove excess skin or hangnails. Be sure not to get more than needed cut, your cuticles are there for the purpose of protecting your nail matrix!
Afterwards, you’ll want to get your nails buffed and free of any debris. Your manicurist should follow-up with a cuticle to hydrate your cuticles and proceed to giving you nice relaxing massage. Sounds nice, doesn’t it?
Finally, it’s time to pretty up those nails with polish! Before applying a colored nail polish, you will want to get a base coat. Base coats help protect your nails from getting stained from dark polish colors. They also serve the purpose of giving your polish something to adhere to and even makes your manicure last longer! You may also want to ask your manicurist for a nail strengthener if you have weak brittle nails. Follow up the base coat with your polish of choice and perhaps a nail design or some added sparkly polish. Seal it all off with a nice shiny topcoat and you’re ready to go!
The French Manicure
If you want added elegance to your manicure, ask for a French! It’s a beautiful way to show the natural beautiful of your nails while looking clean and timeless.
A French manicure is said to have its origins back in the 1930’s in Paris by fashionistas of the era. It quickly gained popularity around the world for its incredible versatility and simplicity.
If you’re looking to achieve this classic look, ask your manicurist for a French manicure. This look is created by adorning the tips of your nails with white polish and overlaying it with a nice sheer pink or nude polish. Seal it off with a top coat and your manicure looks effortlessly put together!
The No-Chip Gel Manicure
If you’re constantly on the go and need a manicure to last you for weeks, then the gel manicure is your new bestie! A gel manicure differs from a regular manicure because of the products and process used for this long-lasting technique.
A no-chip manicure follows the same procedure as a regular manicure, minus the cuticle oil! After your manicurist has gone through all the steps of a regular manicure, they will then follow-up with a gel-based base coat, color, and top coat polish. Between each one of these coat applications, the polish is cured under a UV light, ensuring that your polish will stay put for 2 to 3 weeks!
Additionally, since the polish cures under the light, there’s no wait time to dry your nails. You can get right out the door and use your hands immediately afterwards! What’s not to love?
Keeping Your Hands and Nails Healthy
Working with your hands at home or at work tends to make nails chip or weaken. If you want to keep your nails looking good after your manicure, follow a few of these quick tips recommended by manicurists and nail technicians.
Keep fingers nails clean and dry. By keeping moisture away from your nails, you’re preventing bacteria from breeding under your nails. This will also help your nails from splitting due to repeated contact with water.
Slather on the hand cream. Moisturizing your hands is important to preventing dry cracking skin. Your cuticles will stay healthy and hydrated to protect your nails from infection. We recommend a moisturizer with aloe or vitamin E in it!
Don’t pick your polish off. After your manicure is well past it’s prime, it’s can be tempting to just pick off your already chipped polish. Experts say that this is a big no-no and can actually remove the top layer of your nail bed, weakening your nails. Instead, take off your polish with mail polish remove to prevent picking or peeling your polish.
Take your polish off when it starts chipping. Along with our last tip, knowing when to take off your nail polish is equally as important as knowing how to take it off. When you see that your polish starts to chip off significantly, it means it’s time to remove it! Keeping your polish on for an extended period of time dries out your nails and can leave white spots, this goes the same for toe nail polish. Give your nails a chance to breathe!
Eat healthy. Whether you believe it or not, your nails can actually be a big indicator of your current health state. Ridges and thin weak nails reflect poor eating habits. Junk food and having a lack of water will weaken your hair, skin, and nails. Stick to eating leafy greens, lean poultry, and other foods high in Vitamin B and protein to keep your nails strong!
We hope that this post has helped you understand a little bit more about your nails. Not only do you now know how to get them to look pretty, you know how to keep them strong too!
We’d love to know how you keep your nails looking their best. Leave us a comment down below!
