By Damilola Olaoye
That tiny part of your body you think people don’t notice is your nails; whether fingers or toes. While they are easy to neglect, it’s important that you give them as much attention as other parts of your body.
Let’s do this together; take a look at your nails. Do they have dents, ridges or an unusual colour or shape? If your answer to any of the above questions is ‘yes’, then you need a manicure/pedicure!
Note that you can either decide to give yourself a proper manicure or pedicure or get a treat at a beauty salon!
Flattering your Finger nails:
The aim is for your finger nails to look clean and attractive. So your action command is: Keep them properly trimmed and regularly filed. You can do this with a sharp pair of manicure scissors or clippers, but not a blade, as it will only disfigure the shape of the nails.
Trim your nails straight across, then round the tips in a gentle curve. It is always easier to trim after a hand soak, or after you’ve had a bath, which leaves them soft.
File them into a shape that mirrors the curve of your nail base, and to ensure that they are the same length after filing, line each nail up with its counterpart.
A very vital ‘don’t’: Do not bite your fingernails or pick at your cuticles, because even a minor cut can cause infections like Whitlow.
Also, do not use your nails as tools to poke, pick or pry things. Get a hammer or a tooth pick.
After a neat trim, ladies can go ahead with polishing their nails in different colours and styles.
Pedicure Time:
Toe nails are the easiest to forget, especially for working men and women. Just dip your foot in covered shoes and no one will see them?
That’s just avoidance. No matter what you think, your toe nails crave attention.
The Easy way Out
Take time out this weekend and give yourself a pedicure at home, it’ll save you money, and help you relax.
Start out by soaking your feet in warm water for about 10-15 minutes; you can add a foot `soak if available.
Clip your toe nails straight across using a toe nail clipper or scissors. File them to smooth out rough edges. Then, use a pumice stone on roughened areas around your feet. You can now towel dry your feet and massage with a moisturizing lotion.
A manicure and pedicure are one of the simplest things we can do, either at home or at a beauty salon/spa, to make us look good, and most importantly, make us feel good.
