Manicure your nails for good ones

The nail is made of a hard protein called keratin. A protein is one of the building blocks that make up the body. The nails help protect the ends of the fingers and toes from trauma and also help us pick up small objects. Over the last hundred years, the nails have become more important for cosmetic reasons and less important for protection. Manicuring is the care of the hands and nails. Basic manicuring should be done once a week. Every 4-6 weeks it is a good idea to seek the services of a professional manicurist. A professional manicurist best knows how to keep your nails looking healthy and beautiful.

Weekly Nail Care (15-20 minutes each week)

* Remove any old nail polish. To remove the old polish, first moisten cotton with nail polish remover and press over the nail for a few seconds to soften the polish. Then with a firm movement, bring the cotton from the base of the nail to the tip. Repeat this process until all of the polish is gone.
* Shape the nail, using a file or emery board. File each nail tip from corner to center; do not file in a see-saw motion with the emery board because doing so can cause ridges in the nail and nail splitting.
* Soak the hands in warm, soapy water for a few minutes to remove dirt. Clean under free edge of nail with orangewood stick. Nail Care
* The cuticle is the skin that grows from the finger onto the base of the nail (nail root). We recommend that the cuticle should not be pushed back. Leaving the cuticle intact helps to prevent infection of the nail growing tissue.
* Now apply clear nail polish. There is no reason to waste money on several different kinds of clear polishes such as a ridgefiller, base coat, topcoat or nail strengthener. They all do about the same job. After the clear polish dries, apply a color polish of your choice if you wish. Let dry. You may then reapply the clear polish as a topcoat. This will help strengthen the nail and prevent chipping of the nail polish.
* Finally, apply a moisturizing cream or lotion to the hands and cuticles. This will help prevent splitting of the nails.

Manicure at home - A simple cleaning routine

* Soak the hands in warm, soapy water for a few minutes to remove dirt. Clean under free edge of nail with a blunt edged stick.
* Remove traces of the old nail polish. To remove the stain, first moisten cotton with nail polish remover and press over the nail for a few seconds to soften the polish. Then with a firm movement, bring the cotton from the base of the nail to the tip. Repeat this process until all of the polish is gone.
* Shape the nail, using a filer. File each nail tip from corner to centre; do not file in a see-saw motion with the filer because doing so can cause ridges in the nail and nail splitting.
* The cuticle is the skin that grows from the finger onto the base of the nail (nail root). We recommend that the cuticle not be pushed back. Leaving the cuticle intact helps to prevent infection of the nail growing tissue.
* Now apply clear nail polish. There is no reason to waste money on several different kinds of clear polishes such as base coat, topcoat or nail strengthener. They all do about the same job. After the clear polish dries, apply a colour polish of your choice if you wish. Let it dry. You may then reapply the clear polish as a topcoat. This will help strengthen the nail and prevent chipping of the nail polish.
* Finally, apply a moisturising cream or lotion to the hands and cuticles. This will help prevent splitting of the nails.

Painting your nails

* Paint nails in a well-ventilated room (e.g. near an open window or switch on a fan).
* Shake the bottle of polish well or roll between your palms before opening.
* Apply a layer of base coat (clear nail polish will also do) before painting over with a coloured polish.
* Give every nail 3 strokes of polish; starting either from the centre-left-right or from right-centre-left, it's really your preference.
* Two layers of nail polish is enough on each nail. Too many layers could just turn messy.
* Allow the polish to dry in between coats - it prevents the trapping of air bubbles and allows each coat to stay smooth.
* Add a top coat (clear nail polish) to protect the polish and keep nail under wraps away from the sun.
* Storing nail polish in a refrigerator can keep its consistency just right.
* Never peel or scrape off nail polish or use metal instruments on the nail surface to push back the cuticles. This can scrape off the protective cells of the nail surface.

Keep your nails out of your mouth! Biting nails can damage the nail and the cuticle leading to a deformed nail shape or uneven nail growth. You can also transfer harmful organisms to the nail that lead to infection or even increase one's chance of catching a cold or flu.