Teaching yourself how to do manicure at home can be fun and easy if you follow the right techniques. Also, Having the essential manicure tools can give you a beautiful salon-like manicure. It helps you save a lot of time and money.
You’ll learn how to trim and condition your hands properly. Additionally, you’ll get to know some tricks to give yourself a professional-looking manicure.
So why go to the nail salon while you can give yourself a perfect manicure at home? Here are some simple steps you can follow for a better at-home mani:
How To Do Manicure At Home
1- Prepare All The Essential Manicure Tools
The first step is to gather all the manicure tools that you’re going to use to do the manicure at home. Buying tools and products may cost some money but don’t worry, you will use these tools for months or even years. Keep in mind that manicure kits can not be shared as this can cause infections.
Here’s what you will need:
- Nail polish remover.
- Cotton pads.
- Nail clipper.
- Cuticle oil or cream.
- Cuticle pusher.
- Nail file.
- Nail buffer.
- Hand cream/ moisturizer.
- Base coat.
- Nail polish.
- Clear topcoat.
2- Remove Current Nail Polish
Use a nail polish remover and cotton pads to remove the old nail polish that you’re wearing. It’s recommended to use a non-acetone nail polish remover as they are more gentle on your skin. Although acetone nail polish removers are more effective, using them frequently can cause your nails to become brittle. Also, acetone nail polish removers can dry out your nails and skin as they strip your skin of its natural oils.
Wash your hands well with warm water and soap and apply a moisturizer if you’re going to use acetone polish remover to keep your skin hydrated. Check out this article about the healthiest way to remove nail polish.
3- Clip, File, And Buff Your Nails
Clip your nails to the length you prefer then file them gently in one direction. You can shape your nails in any trendy shape you like, here’s a nail shape guide to choose your favorite shape. Usually, rounded nails and square-shaped nails are the most popular. Rounded nails are regarded as the ideal style for everyone.
After shaping your nails, buff the sides and tops of your nails with a slightly abrasive nail buffer. Your buffer smooths the top of your nails and reduces the appearance of fingernail ridges. Also, don’t buff too much as this makes the surface of your nails super thin. When the surface of your nails become thin, your nails will break easily & nail polish won’t stick to the nails.
4- Soak Your Nails In Warm Water
Fill a big bowl with warm water and soak your nails in it for 3-5 minutes. You can add to the bowl a gentle cleanser or scented oil. soaking your hands in water softens the cuticles which helps push them back. Don’t over-soak your hands as this can damage your nails and hands.
Some professionals believe that you don’t have to soak your nails in water to get the best manicure. They think a dry manicure makes nail polish last longer. You can just use nail polish remover before polishing your nails.
5- Push Back Your Cuticles
After soaking your hands in warm water, apply cuticle cream to your nails and massage for a few seconds. Then use a cuticle pusher to push the cuticles back smoothly. Don’t push too hard and Don’t lift, tear, or cut the cuticles because they protect your nails from getting infections. You shouldn’t also overdo it to avoid nail damage.
You can use cuticle remover instead of cuticle cream and apply it for a few seconds to remove the dead skin around the nails. Additionally, it’s recommended not to use a cuticle trimmer as it can cause bleeding which might cause infections. If you’re going to use a cuticle trimmer, you must wipe it with alcohol wipes to keep it clean and kill bacteria.
6- Scrub And Moisturize
Use a hand scrub to remove dead skin and add moisture to your hands. Then rinse your hands with cool water. After that, apply moisturizer to your hands including fingers, nails, and the skin around your nails. Also, massage your hands for a few minutes. To remove the extra lotion, use a cotton ball and nail polish remover and wipe your nails. This helps make the polish sticks.
7- Apply A Base Coat
Before using your favorite nail polish, apply a clear base coat to your nails. You can also use nail ridge filler if your nails are brittle. A base coat helps make your nail polish look even and last longer. Moreover, a base coat prevents staining that dark nail polishes ( like red and black) cause. Let it dry for a few minutes before applying the nail polish.
8- Apply Your Favourite Nail Color
Before applying the nail polish, roll the bottle between your hands to get rid of any air bubbles. Don’t shake the bottle as this causes air bubbles to create and the color will not stick to the nails. Then apply a thin even coat to your nails starting from the base towards the tip of the nails. Don’t forget to remove excess polish from the brush before painting your nails. This helps make the coat even.
Once the coat is completely dry, paint another coat. Usually, the second coat takes some time to fully dry. Two coats are often enough but you can also paint a third coat if needed.
To help dry your nails faster, submerge your hands in cold water for 3-5 minutes. You can also buy drying drops and use it after applying the topcoat to reduce drying time.
Use the hairdryer and select the cold air setting for a few minutes to dry your nails. Don’t use heat because it prevents the polish from firming.
9- Fix Mistakes
To remove excess nail polish around your cuticles, dip a stick with a flat edge or an old flat eyeshadow brush in nail polish remover and remove paint splotches gently. Don’t touch your painted nails to avoid any smudges.
10- Finish with A Top Coat & Moisturize
Apply a clear topcoat to your nails to finish off your mani. A topcoat keeps your polish from flaking and adds shine to the nails. It also helps color last longer. Additionally, a topcoat can block UV rays from damaging the color.
When your nails are completely dry, reapply moisturizer to your hands and nails. A moisturizer helps keep the area around your nails nourished and healthy.
Quick Tips:
- If your nails are short, it’s recommended to file your nails instead of using a nail clipper. Use a nail clipper when your nails are super long so you can cut them halfway through and file them to the length you prefer.
- Don’t use a cuticle trimmer because cutting your cuticles can cause infections. You can use cuticle cream, cuticle remover, or just push them back when your hands are wet.
- To give yourself a beautiful manicure, wipe your nails with a nail polish remover to get rid of excess water, moisturizer, or dirt before painting your nails.
- Apply every other day a clear layer of topcoat to increase shine. Also, apply cuticle oil to keep the skin around your nails hydrated.
- To seal the polish, paint the tips of your nails with topcoat.
- If you’re going to wash the dishes or clean the house, wear gloves to avoid flaking.
- Take a break from painting your nails because regular use of nail polish can cause your nails to become brittle and weak.
Going to the nail salon every week can cost you a lot of money and waste your time. Now, you can do a manicure at home by following some simple steps and pro tricks. So try it and let us know what you think!