Nail and Manicure Tips from a Licensed Manicurist

1. Wash your hands before starting your manicure. Use a nail brush to get under the nail edge. It is important to start with clean hands and nails.

2. Use a small bowl for a finger bowl, filling it halfway with warm water and add a few drops of antibacterial soap.

3. Before soaking your nails, be sure to remove polish with non-acetone polish remover or acetone.

4. Clip your nails to the length that you desire and file to shape them. While filing be sure to file in one direction and not back and forth.

5. Place cuticle remover on your nails. If you don’t have cuticle remover you can use a dot of lotion or just soak them in the water bowl without it.

6. Soak your hands in the warm water for approximately five minutes.

7. Remove your hand and using either a cuticle pusher or orangewood stick, start gently scraping the excess skin off of the nail plate. You are pushing the cuticle from the top edge of your nail towards your finger. This is your cuticle. Many people mistake the small bit of skin around the edge of the nail plate as cuticle. Cuticle is the small bits of nail that adhere to your nail plate. You may not notice or see it, but when you gently scrap the nail plate surface, you will see the cuticle slide off.

8. If necessary and you have nippers, gently clip off any pieces that are still adhered and hanging onto the nail.

9. You can choose to apply cuticle oil to your cuticles now, or wait and apply it after polishing your nails.

10. You may buff the nail gently with a buffing block to remove ridges in your nail.
Some people have more noticeable ridges, while others don’t have ridges. This is a step that you may be able to skip based on the condition of your nails.

11. Choose if you prefer a natural shined look to your nails or if you want to polish your nails.

12. If you choose to shine or buff your nails there are smoothing and shining buffers on the market. Pick one and gently slide it back and forth to bring up a high shine. There are usually different colors on the file which gradually bring up the shine. Each company has a different look so you may see a gray and white buffer or you may see a blue and pink buffer.

13. If you have chosen to paint your nails first you want to remove any excess oils from your nail plate. You can either wash your hands again or dehydrate them with a little more acetone.

14. Using a base coat, lightly coat each nail.

15. Apply two coats of polish, letting the first coat dry partially before starting the second coat. Usually by the time you are finished painting all ten nails you can go back and start the second coat without a problem. If you have smudged some polish onto your finger area, use an orangewood stick to gently wipe if off quickly. This ensures a clean look when you are finished polishing.
16. A top coat is essential to keeping your manicure looking fresh and chip free. There are many different top coats on the market. Many work to dry your nails quickly by going to the center of the product and drying from the center out.
17. Reapply top coat every couple of days to prolong the life of your manicure.