In a perfect world, we’d all have our own personal manicurist who touches up our nails every day, keeping them up to our standards of perfection without any blemishes, chips, or God forbid: breaks. Far too common though, is the reality that not too long after we leave the nail salon, we find ourselves racing back in a few days later for a quick fix. Whatever your greatest headache is with your nails, these tips can help you to be your own manicurist, at least until your next appointment.
- Cuticle Care
A lot of times our nails and the skin surrounding them will become dry and cracked. An important part of keeping pretty, healthy nails is to keep the cuticle surrounding the nail nice and moisturized. Avoid cutting back your cuticles, instead gently push them back after a warm shower. Try a cuticle cream to prevent dry and cracking nails. Remember, your nails and cuticles are a package deal when it comes to having healthy nails.
2. Go Gel
Acrylic nails can damage your real nail underneath and break off easily, leaving you with jagged or uneven nails, or running back to your manicurist for a quick fix. Paint alone fades and chips far too easily, no matter how many top coats you put on. Instead, go for gel polish which lasts far longer, looks very clean and pretty, and won’t damage your real nails.
3. Keep em clean, but be gentle
Keeping clean nails is a given when it comes to nail care. When you go to the salon, a good manicurist will spend more time cleaning and moisturizing than she actually does painting them. This is because clean nails are pretty nails. At home, you can do the same. Soak your hands in warm water, and when the dirt has become soft, gently clean them out with a plastic tweezer or nail tool. Avoid harsh scrubbing or hard metal tools; your nails are fragile and when broken can take a long time to repair.
4. Use a base coat and a top coat
If you just can’t wait anymore and want to do your nails at home, more power to you. Just be sure to use a base coat to protect your from the harmful paint and a top coat to help seal in your artwork. Be patient during the drying process, put on your favorite show or read through another blog post on nail care while you wait for them to dry. Nobody likes smudged paint!
5. Go all-natural
If you find yourself in between nail appointments, and want to give your nails a little “breathe” time, let them go without anything for a few days. If you want a natural look, you can apply a natural clear coat to have a break from the bright colors and harsh chemicals until you find yourself bored and ready for the next fun bold look!
What do you think?