Nail
Care
Hands
and feet are often the most neglected areas,
yet the way they look gives our inner
secrets away. Cared-for nails are a sign
that the rest of our body is well looked
after too. Vitamin deficiencies show up as
weak and splitting nails; insecurity appears
as nail biting; stress can slow growth;
Spend a little time and effort sorting our
dry, flaky nails, and hard, rough skin, and
thanks to the latest technical advances in
nail care, a perfect set of strong, healthy
nails in now within reach.
Home Manicure
- Remove old nail
polish with a single stroke by soaking a
cotton wool pad with nail polish
remover. Wipe away traces of polish
around the cuticles stick dipped in
remover.
- Using an emery
board, shape nails lightly, working from
both edges towards the center. Avoid
moving the board back and forth quickly,
which produces heat that dries out the
nail and leads to splitting. Try holding
the emery board at a single angle under
the nail. Don't file down the sides- the
nail tip needs the sides as support,
otherwise it will weaken and nicks form.
- Apply a cuticle
remover around the nail contours. Using
the tip of a cuticle stick wrapped in
cotton wool, gently push back the skin.
Work away dead tissue before carefully
passing the stick under cuticles.
- Wash your hands in
warm soapy water, and brush nails with a
soft manicure brush so that polish will
adhere to them properly. Pat hands dry
with a towel.
- If nails are weak,
apply a strengthening or hardening
product, paying special attention to the
tips. Allow to dry.
- Apply a protective
base coat, covering the entire nail but
stopping short of the cuticle.
- Apply two coats of
polish, starting with a single stroke
down the center of the nail, then across
the cuticle base and down the two sides
without touching the cuticle. Allow each
coat to dry.
- Finish with a top
coat for extra gloss and the shield
against chipping.
For
optimum skin and nail health, check that
your diet includes plenty of vitamin A, E
and B complex, and the minerals calcium,
Zinc, magnesium and iodine. If need be, take
nail-fortifying vitamin and minerals
supplements.
Thirty-minute
pedicure
- Clean toenails and
remove all traces of polish with a
conditioning remover, as described for
the manicure.
- Cut toenails using
a nail clipper and file into the desired
shape using the rough side of an emergy
board. Hold the board slightly angled
down over the edge of the nail. Smooth
the edges towards the center with a
light motion; don't cut or file them
always as this weakens the nail and can
lead to ingrowing toenails.
- Lightly massage the
nail contours with a cuticle oil or
cream.
- Place both feet in
a bowl of warm water into which you have
added a handful of bath salts or a few
drops of pure essential oil such as
peppermint. Soak feet for five to ten
minutes.
- Dry feet thoroughly
with a towel and apply a drop of cuticle
remover to the nail contours. Leave it
on for a few minutes while you smooth
away any hard skin or callouses on the
soles of your feet using an exfoliating
cream. Then gently 'roll' the cuticles
back with a manicure stick covered with
cotton wool. Massage hard skin again
with the scrub, then rinse off in the
warm water.
- Rinse your feet in
cold water to boost circulation. Dry
them again with a towel, paying special
attention to the skin between your toes.
- Clean your toenails
again with a cotton pad soaked in
remover to take off any oily film.
- If required, apply
a hardening formula to the toenails,
taking care not to let it touch the
cuticle or the surrounding skin.
- Apply a base coat,
followed by two coats of polish, and
finally a top coat, as described for the
manicure. Placing cotton wool between
your toes separates them to make
applying polish easier.
The
cuticles on toenails are so tough, it's
important to work on them with a cuticle
remover at least once a month, paying
particular attention to the little toe,
which usually suffers the most. If you have
a dry skin on your feet, the best way to
remove it is with a scrub cream, which will
leave your feet smoother and well
conditioned or best of all, use pumice stone
for smoothing those rough patches.
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