A champagne glass in a soft, delicate hand does make an extremely pretty sight! Don’t we all wish to have the perfectly manicured hands but almost always forget to dedicate those extra 10 minutes to them? Women spend hours at the parlour pampering their face and skin. What is important is to remember that 10 minutes of your time amidst the hustle-bustle of your day may just be enough for taking care of your hands and nails. Listed below are the basic steps for a self-manicure and some extremely essential dos and don’ts:
● The shaping and cleaning of the nails is definitely the first step towards the perfect hands. Remove old nail polish and gently shape the nails with a nail filer. Never clip the nails but always use a filer. The filing of the nails should always be done in one direction. Using the filer in a to-and-fro manner causes the nails to break. Never file the nails while the hands are wet because then, the nails are more susceptible to breaking.
● The hands should be absolutely clean. To remove off any dead skin and dirt that could have accumulated, soak your hands for about 7-10 minutes in a bowl of warm water to which the juice of a lemon has been added. You can even soak them in plain soapy water. This makes the skin soft and slowly removes off dirt. Gently scrub the hands with a lemon especially the back of the palms and around the nails
● To clean the dirt under the nails, use soap and an old toothbrush. This, in fact should be a part of your daily routine.
● Push back the cuticles gently. Never remove them off completely.
● Moisturize your hands and nails regularly. Invest a little money in a good hand cream and remember to properly moisturize the hands and the cuticles especially after washing off the hands.
● Never, never bite your nails. Not only is this habit unhealthy and unhygienic, but it can also change the shape of your nails forever and damage them excessively
