Professional Manicure Tips

A manicure is a beauty treatment for the fingernails and hands. Manicures usually involve soaking the hands, applying hand lotion, filing and shaping the nails and applying nail polish. There are also special manicures, like French manicures. This article includes:

• Find more on manicure and pedicure
• What is the procedure for manicure?
• What is the procedure for pedicure?

It is possible to give yourself a professional manicure or pedicure at home. You can even create your own professional manicure sets (including pedicure machines for those who want all the manicure and pedicure sets and tools). All you need is a few simple tools and knowledge of the procedure that professional manicurists use.

What are Manicures and Pedicures?

A manicure is a beauty treatment for the fingernails and hands. Manicures usually involve soaking the hands, applying hand lotion, filing and shaping the nails and applying nail polish. There are also special manicures, like French manicures.

Pedicure is the same sort of treatment for the feet. Again, it involves soaking the feet, filing and shaping the nails and applying lotion and nail polish.

The Procedure (for doing your own manicures and pedicures)

Below are the procedure that would be followed by a professional manicurist. By following the same procedure, you can also give yourself a professional-looking manicure. Before you start, though, you will need to collect some tools and put together one of your own professional manicure sets.

PROFESSIONAL MANICURE SETS

Here are all the tools you will need to give yourself a manicure or pedicure. Some items on the list are essential, but some items can be left until later. You can also buy professional manicure sets or individual manicure and pedicure sets.

The Basics

1. Bowl of warm water (this will have to be a very large bowl for a pedicure).
2. Nail polish remover.
3. Cuticle pusher (preferably orangewood)
4. A hand towel.
5. Nail clippers or scissors.
6. Clear nail polish.
7. Cotton pads.
8. Finger brush.
9. Nail file or emery board.
10. Nail polishing board (or nail buffer).
11. Massage lotion or hand lotion.
12. Pumice stone.

Extras

1. Finger bath.
2. Foot bath.
3. Bath salt.
4. Cuticle remover (this is not necessary).
5. Cuticle oil (this is not necessary).
6. Colored nail polish. (This isn't necessary if you do not want colored nails.)
7. Base coat.
8. Top coat.
9. Professional Items
10. Pedicure machines (can also be used for manicures).

HOW TO DO A MANICURE

If you have ever wondered how to do a manicure, the following list should be helpful. It is a list of steps that professional manicurists take when giving people manicures. By following the same steps (and using your own professional manicure sets) you too can give yourself a professional manicure.

1. Remove any old nail polish with nail polish remover. Wash and sanitize the hands with soap and hot water or by scrubbing with bath salt. Bath salt is best because it removes dead skin cells. Dry the hands with a clean towel.
2. Trim the fingernails and shape them with a nail file. Metal nail files or emery boards can be used, but professionals usually use fine glass files. To file properly, start with the file at the outer edge of the nail and move towards the center. You should not file nails with a saw-like motion.
3. Soak the hands in water. A cream, oil or chemical cuticle remover can be applied to remove cuticles. The cuticles are pushed back with a cuticle pusher. Metal cuticle pushers can be used, but they may damage the fingernail. It is best to use orangewood cuticle pushers.
4. Polish the fingernails with a polishing board (or nail buffer). A polishing board has a soft foam layer with a polishing surface.
5. Apply nail polish. Most professionals apply at least one layer of clear nail polish. If you want to apply colored nail polish, use at least three layers. Start with a base coat. Then put on the color coat. Finish with a top coat. Clear nail polish can be used in place of a base coat and top coat.
6. Finish the manicure with a hand massage. You can use hand lotion or oils. Some manicurists will soak the hands in paraffin or wax before putting on hand lotion.

Continue to: Methods Involved in Using Pedicure

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