My own master: how to do manicure and pedicure at home so as not to spoil your nails
'01.10.2022'
Source: Burninghut
Dermatologists believe that salon manicures and pedicures are not really necessary for nails; simple procedures at home are enough for healthy nails. But even here you can screw up. How to disinfect scissors, why you can’t touch the cuticle and how to avoid infections on the nails, tells Burninghut.
Even if you are used to doing manicure and pedicure in the salon, it will be useful to know how to do it all right yourself. It is important to monitor the condition of your nails - this will help prevent infections, ingrown nails and nail art mistakes.
How to trim your nails correctly
Check if the tools are ready
Before you do anything with your nails, make sure your tools are sharp and clean enough.
Firstly, scissors or nippers (cleverly - a clipper!) Should belong only to you - in terms of personal hygiene, being greedy is not a shame. You also need them disinfect... Let the tools lie in a bowl of alcohol (70-90 degrees), then brush them, rinse them in hot water and be sure to dry them.
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Secondly, they need to be sharpened. If the instruments are blunt, they will have difficulty cutting the nails and may even damage the nail plate. Carefully trimming the burrs with blunt scissors will not work either - there are more chances to make new ones by getting to the piece of skin near the nail. You can sharpen manicure and pedicure tools at home with sandpaper. Or entrust this business to the master.
Don't shave your legs before cutting your toenails
Doctors from the Association of American Dermatologists Recommend shaving shins after pedicure. Otherwise, a small focus of infection may appear, which can also go to the nail.
Steam your nails before trimming
It is more convenient and easier to cut your nails after a bath or shower when they are softened. It is enough to just hold your feet for a couple of minutes under warm water - and start cutting. Or dip your feet and hands in a bath of warm water for half an hour to relax and feel like in a spa. Put on a robe and apply the mask to your face to enhance the effect.
Cut straight on your legs and do not round off the ends
It is better to give the nails a square shape, and do not cut off the ends with nippers or scissors. If you trim your nails round and cut deeply, they can grow back and dig into the skin. Ingrown toenails look ugly, can cause inflammation and even lead you to the surgeon's office. An ingrown toenail is even removed if an infection develops. But if the focus is small, you can get by with the removal of a small piece and anti-inflammatory baths.
File your nails to one side at the end.
A nail file is not needed to shape your nails. It removes roughness. This is to prevent you from scratching yourself and others or clinging to clothing. It is important to cut one way... It is useless to drive here and there. This can make the nail thinner or flake.
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How to care for your cuticles
Dermatologists against cuticle cutting
Dermatologists of the American Association call upon do not touch the cuticle. After all, it protects nails from bacteria and germs. Without it, the nail is always in danger. If, after a manicure at home, there are no inflammations on the hands and feet, thank the sterilized instrument and active immunity.
Doctors also do not advise moving the cuticle back - this way you can injure the root of the nail and provoke paronychia. This is when bacteria or fungi enter the damaged area of the nail, which causes inflammation. It seems that the combined manicure, popular in salons, which is called “Russian” abroad, is not very good for nail health.
The cuticle can not be cut, but removed with special means
And yet without the cuticle, the nails look neater. You can get rid of it, but instead of scissors, you need cuticle thinner and orange sticks. So they do unedged manicure.
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Cuticle removers remove dead skin layers. There are two way to do this - using soft and aggressive components. Soft products contain AHA acids, aggressive ones - alkalis. Acidic ones are less irritating and dry the skin, so it is better to choose them.
The product is applied to the skin for about a minute, then pushed back with an orange stick with gentle movements. Dead skin that sticks out can be cut off with cuticle nippers. You just don't need to touch the base of the nail - you can not only damage the nail, but also bite off the excess until it bleeds.
How to paint your nails with regular varnish
Varnishes in bright colors stain the nail plate, so before covering them with Clockwork Orange, apply a transparent base. Otherwise, the pleasure of a bright manicure will last three days, and the bright color will be absorbed into the nail for a long time.
Paint your nails, but take breaks
It is better, of course, to walk without varnish altogether - this way it is easier to notice any changes on the nails and show them to a specialist. But if you like to paint your nails, then give them at least some rest from time to time.
Dermatologists advise take a nail vacation for at least a week, better for a month. The advice applies to both regular and gel polish. In both cases, the nail is trapped under a layer of varnish and does not receive the proper amount of moisture. This can thin it and even destroy it. Toenails are more fortunate - in winter they are often left alone and hidden under socks, which is only for their benefit.
How and what to moisturize the skin around the nails
You don't have to buy special cuticle oils, wax or beautifully designed gloves. It is enough to take a simple petroleum jelly or a moisturizer with it in the composition, cotton household gloves and arrange a spa for your hands. You can put on cotton socks on your feet and go to bed in them - the cream will nourish the skin and nails.
It is important that before applying the cream, the hands and feet are slightly damp - the cream "locks" under its layer. More water means more hydration.
The more often you apply creams to your hands and nails, the better. And remember to do the dishes and clean the house with gloves to keep your skin and nails dry.
How to understand that something is wrong with your nails
Nail care is also a careful observation of their condition. If the nails become brittle, turn white or black, the skin around it turns red and hurts, be sure to consult a dermatologist.
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There are so many reasons why this happened that it will not be possible to find it on your own. And even if it seems that you have a fungus on your nails and you urgently need to run to the pharmacy for an ointment or pills for it, do not rush. Talk to your doctor first, then start treatment. Any medication, even in the form of a harmless ointment, may not be beneficial.
But there are also harmless changes on the nails. For example, white dots. Most often, their presence does not mean anything. This is your specialty and nothing else.
Results:
- You need to prepare for manicure and pedicure at home: take care of the cleanliness of the tools, soften the skin and nails under warm water.
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If you shower before pedicure, don't shave your legs. Set it aside for later to avoid contamination.
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Trim your nails with sharp scissors or nail clippers and don't round the corners of your toenails. If you overdo it, the nail can grow into the skin.
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Do not trim or pull back the cuticle. The safest way to get rid of it is with a solvent and an orange stick.
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Paint your nails as little as possible, or at least take breaks so that your nails can breathe (a week, preferably a month). Without coating, it is easier to monitor the condition of the nails and notice that something is wrong - infection, fungus.
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Be sure to moisturize your hands and feet. The simplest mask: cream with petroleum jelly under gloves or socks at night.
