Home Manicure

 

Regular manicures (and a balanced diet) make fingernails strong. Professional manicures are a treat, but you can give yourself a manicure at home without going to unnecessary expense.

  • Use a soft emery board to file your nails, in one direction only, in a shape that suits your fingers-and your lifestyle; pointed talons don't always suit typists or busy mothers. The strongest nails are of medium length, filed flat across the top with rounded corners that do not catch.

 

  • Dip your finger tips in a cup of warm olive oil to soften the nails; if nails are supple, they are less likely to snap off.


    Rinse and dry your hands; use an orange stick to remove any dirt from underneath your nails.


     

  • Massage in hand cream; wipe any excess from your nails and apply a base coat of nail polish.



  • Add a coat of colored or neutral polish on top; allow it to dry, and



  •  add a second coat. Apply a top coat to seal the polish and stop it from chipping; keep a bottle of this handy, so that if you are wearing colored polish you can keep applying it to maintain the colour.