Soft hands and manicured nails are always the best business card. Step by step, here’s how to have them flawless.
The time to devote is not very much, but the appointment should be regular, once a week or most every ten days. Because to have clean hands, laziness is to be banished. Here are the steps for a quick and precise manicure suggested by Treatwell, the online booking portal for beauty and wellness treatments.
Cleaning, first of all. The first step is to remove the nail polish: however, be careful not to rub the nail too much with acetone not to impoverish it. Just place a cotton pad soaked in acetone-free nail polish remover for a few moments on your fingertips, gently dragging it outwards. Then you can wash your hands with a moisturizing soap or, if you have time, you can do a light scrub.
Soaking. Hands should be immersed for a few minutes in a basin with warm water, to which you can add a couple of tablespoons of olive or sweet almonds to soften the cuticles.
However, it is forbidden to cut the cuticles with scissors as there is a risk that they form thicker, as well as sometimes causing small lesions that can become infected. After massaging almond oil until absorbed, they push back with an orangewood stick, careful not to press too hard on the nail.
The nails must be filed well. It should not be done by moving the file back and forth, but always in only one direction to not stress and weaken the nails. To not damage the nails, it is also essential not to rub them too hard, albeit in the right direction. In case of minor grooves or irregularities, it is good to prefer the buffer to the file, a sort of brick with which to smooth surface imperfections and polish the nails.
The application of the base. As the name suggests, the clear base is an important starting point for the correct application of the glaze. It protects the nails from the coloured product, preventing it from staining them but, by smoothing the surface, it also makes it easier to apply the nail polish and, depending on the formulation, it can be an ally against its flaking or yellowing.
One glaze isn’t as good as another, especially when it comes to ingredients. Before applying your favourite colour, make sure that it has a formulation free of potentially toxic substances that could irritate the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract. Pay particular attention to the presence of toluene, formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, phthalates and camphor.
Shaking the nail polish before the application is not a good idea because bubbles are created inside, which risk making it less uniform in application. Swirling the bottle in the palm of your hand is more than enough to dissolve the product so that it is ready for application.
Once the coloured nail polish has been applied, it’s time for the topcoat to seal the result. A double coat of product, however, does not necessarily correspond to double protection. If you are not careful, there is also the risk of moving a part of the colour previously applied.
Then, keep in mind that even with the topcoat, it is better to avoid having a nice hot shower immediately after the manicure: steam and heat are its bitter enemies. To make the enamel dry more quickly, you can use a hairdryer, but as long as the air jet is cold, otherwise, the work is compromised.
The cream? Everyday. If the manicure is essential, never forget that the skin of the hands needs constant attention to keep it supple and soft. The ideal is to choose a product that also helps to keep the cuticles soft, even massaging it several times a day on the hands.
