How to keep your hands and nails looking good

It’s time for beautiful hands!

If you have read my story on the About page on my website, you may know that my past career was as a trained nurse.

I must admit, because I was only allowed to have short, polish-free nails, it was very easy to neglect them.

Our hands are subjected to a lot of wear and tear, so it’s important to look after them. It’s not self-indulgent to give your hands good care and it doesn’t need to be time consuming; in fact, it can easily fit into a busy lifestyle.

Regular care keeps your hands and nails looking good and helps to prevent nail problems.

Having a professional manicure at a nail bar or salon is a real treat and I always look forward to my birthday because that’s when I usually receive a gift voucher!

But why wait until your birthday for beautiful hands?

You can achieve fantastic looking, professional results at home by building your own hand care into your daily routine. Spending a few minutes on a regular basis will ensure you have lovely, clean, healthy hands and shiny nails.

Useful General Tips

• Use a nail brush to scrub your nails and apply hand cream and nail nourisher every day
• Condition your cuticles every 2-3 days
• File and shape your nails every week
• Indulge yourself in a full pamper session every fortnight, then buff your nails to make them gleam

Try this useful DIY manicure at home

1. Remove any existing nail polish with an acetone-free remover.
2. File your nails using a suitable emery board. This will give your nails a good shape and prevent breakage. Don’t file too deeply into the corners as side growth makes the nails look longer and guards against infection. Start with the little finger first and work towards the thumb. Hold the emery board at a slant against the edge of the nails so that you are filing mostly on the underside. File towards the centre, working in one direction only. Then file from the other corner to the centre, stroking in the opposite direction. Don’t use a sawing action or you’ll damage the nail edge.
3. Dot cuticle remover on each cuticle and massage it in to soften and lubricate the area. This seals the cuticle and prevents dehydration.
4. Soak your nails in soapy water for a few minutes to soften dead skin and then scrub them clean with a nail brush. Rinse and dry your hands thoroughly (Gentle Mellow Skincare Liquid Hand Soap is ideal for this).
5. Remove dead skin from the nail plate with a hoof stick in tiny circles. Gently push back the cuticles. Alternatively, you could use the rounded end of an orange stick wrapped in cotton wool.
6. Remove loose snags of cuticle with nippers. Never cut the cuticle itself as it is a barrier to stop bacteria entering the body.
7. Dab cuticle cream on to your nails with hand cream. Massage it all in together for a few minutes. This will boost circulation and nail growth.
8. Buff your nails to smooth them and make them shine, giving the impression you are wearing clear nail varnish. This is also a way of smoothing rough or ridged nails. Starting at the cuticle, rub the buffer gently over the nails. Use in one direction and use even movements.

TIP:
For really clean and bright nails, rub a white pencil under the edge of the nails.