Tips for Nail Maintenance

Read Nail Maintenance Tips first.

Step by step procedure

Shop for items such as the nail coat, tip guide strips, neutral polish and white polish.  Note that the neutral polishes are very pale, sheer shades with a pink, beige or peach cast.  Look for manicure kits that come with everything in one convenient box. Here is what you also need; alcohol swab, nail brush and files, manicure scissors, nail buffers, cotton, nail clippers and cleaners. The procedure:

1. Cutting the nails. Make sure you do clip, file and shape your nails properly. Follow the contour of the finger cuticle. Tend to your cuticles, then wash and dry the nails completely.
2. Apply the base/top coat and let it dry for some minutes. Make sure you do not react to the chemicals provided.
3. After everything has dried up, remove the guide strip by peeling it off then fix it below the tip of a nail, following its natural curve. The guide will allow you to paint an even white tip with ease and precision. That’s how great painters work by the way.
4. Be sure you place all guide strips on the nails you want painted. The longer the nail, the longer the white tip should be. Be sure that the arch of the guide is smooth and rounded and the lengths of tips are equal to give it a greater uniform look.
5. Start by painting each nail tip white. Perform this by extending the brush stroke from the top of the guide to the end of the nail. Avoid getting any white polish on the body of the nail below the guide. Let the tips dry.
6. After they are dry, remove all the guides.
7. Dissolve leftover adhesive by rubbing it gently with an alcohol cotton swab
8. Now apply 2 coats of the neutral polish, first by letting the first coat dry then apply the second coat.
9. Finish with a thin layer of base/top coat.
10. You can have your own color combination just to be different from the French style. Instead of the neutral, you may consider the white, red with black tips, red with gold tips or white with silver tips. It’s up to you.
11. As you finish up, keep your hands very still as the polish dries to avoid denting or smudging it.

Important things to note

• DO NOT USE YOUR NAILS AS TOOLS OR WEAPONS. Instead use your fingertip or knuckle to perform tasks.
• You may trim cuticles once each week. First soften them with a specialized cuticle cream, and then trim carefully with a clipper.
• You may moisturize nail beds regularly by rubbing nondrying nail lotion over the entire nail bed at least once a day or oil the nails daily by using creams such as aqueous cream with vitamin E. This helps to hydrate your cuticles and prevents peeling and separating of the natural nail from the acrylic.
• Wear gloves whenever coming into contact with cleaning chemicals (kitchen/bathroom cleaner, bleach, ammonia, etc) as well as when gardening – dirt, fertilizer, and chemicals used for plant growth are harmful. Gloves protect your skin as well as your nails!
• Do not use glue on your nails. Temporary patching with glue may trap dirt and /or bacteria in the nail which may damage the natural nail. In addition, glue is water soluble – so it will break down when you come into contact with water and you may re-break the nail, causing even more damage.
• Eat a balanced diet especially full of vitamin B, calcium and protein to get stronger nails. You may also take supplements
• Clip your nails regularly in a rounded or squared shape. On the toes nails, if you easily get ingrown toes nail conditions, trim the nails horizontally than curving them. Not that the more your nails point especially at the tips, the more likely it is to break off.
• Avoid biting your nails as it is a sure way to create unhealthy and unsightly nails

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