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Nails
Nail care
Give your hands the right, regular care and your nails will
benefit, too. Flaking or brittle nails are usually the result
of dryness caused by overlong immersion in water or contact
with detergents or other cleansers, so wearing rubber or
cotton gloves will protect your nails as well as your hands.
Using a hand cream often will encourage your nails to grow
faster and stronger if you massage the growing area at the base
of each nail whenever you apply it.
How long?
It isn't practical to grow your nails too long as this makes
them more liable to break easily. Instead, settle for a length
you can maintain. Maintain it, and the shape you want, with an
emery board. This is much kinder to your nails than a metal
file and is more flexible, too. Long emery boards are the best
choice as they are the most flexible of all.
• Always file your nails in one direction only -from sides to
centre. Sawing back and forth will weaken your nails and make
them more liable to break.
• Use the rough side of the board to shorten and shape your
nails, and the fine side to smooth rough edges.• Don't file
your nails right down into the corners, leave a tiny extension
at each side to give added support to the tip.
• Always file your nails when they are dry. If you prefer to
cut or clip them, always do this after a bath or a soaking when
they are soft and flexible.
Don't bite!
It goes without saying that beautiful nails are never bitten;
and bitten nails are never beautiful. Help yourself to stop by
finding plenty to occupy your hands - especially in your
leisure time. Carry an emery board with you at all times, so
you can quickly file away any jagged edges before you're
tempted to nibble them neat! Don't avoid nail polish -it's a
marvellous incentive to improvement.
1. Remove any old polish with a lanolised nail polish remover
(pure acetone is too harsh) on a pad of cotton wool or use nail
varnish remover pads. Hold the pad against your nail for a few
seconds, then wipe away.
2. Next, file your nails into shape with an emery board.
3. Thoroughly clean your nails in a bowl of warm, soapy water
(add a squeeze of liquid soap, bath foam or shampoo) using a
soft brush or a small piece of sponge to work between your
fingertips.
4. Wrap an orange stick in cotton wool and gently push back
cuticles. If they are ragged, use a cuticle remover following
pack directions very carefully.
5. Rub in a generous amount of hand cream. Try not to get any
on your nails - if you do, wipe it away with a tissue.
6. Apply a base coat in three even strokes. Begin a little
above the cuticle in the centre of the nail and stroke to the
tip. Then up one side, then the other.
7. When the base coat is touch-dry, apply a first coat of
coloured polish. Again, apply in three strokes, taking care not
to overload your brush and remembering to leave a border at
either side and at the base of the nail. Apply a second coat of
polish when the first is touch-dry. Finally, apply a clear
topcoat.
8. Finish by removing a very fine line of polish from the tip
of each nail with the pad of the thumb on your other hand. This
'hairline gap' will help to prevent your nail polish from
chipping or peeling off. If you're in a hurry, spray or paint
on a quick-drying agent. Otherwise allow 20 to 30 minutes for
your nail polish to dry.
Choosing your polish
Painting your nails? There's a rainbow of colours to choose
from - deep shades, dark shades, pale shades or pastel shades,
even near-clear glosses with just a hint of a tint. Finishes
vary too - there's cream, pearl or lustre, then there's polish
with a shimmer of iridescence or a sparkle of silver or gold.
Which is for you?
• If your nails aren't at their best, there's no need to go
without polish. Choose a pale shade which flatters
less-than-perfect nails rather than a bright one which shouts
out their shortcomings!
• If your hands tend to be red, don't emphasise the fact with a
pillar-box polish; choose a darker shade - the contrast will
make hands look paler.
• If your hands are pale, don't pick anything that's too dark -
they'll look ghostly!
• If your hands are tanned, pick a shade with a gold tone -
peach, coral or apricot.
• If, when your hands are cold, they take on a blueish tinge,
avoid blue-toned pinks or shades of lilac which will only make
matters worse.
The natural look
Nails can also look lovely without colour but with a shine. You
can achieve this pretty look by applying a clear, glossy
polish, or a top coat only. Of course, it looks best if your
nails are in good shape, with neat cuticles.
You can use a white pencil under the nail tips, to achieve a
cleaner effect. Take great care, though, not to poke too deeply
with the pencil, as you could damage the nail bed.
Buffing
All nails can get a natural shine from regular buffing. This
not only gives nails a polish and shine, it also smooths out
ridges and stimulates the blood supply to the nail root so
encouraging growth. Make it a regular twice-weekly part of your
nail care routine and you'll soon see beautiful results.
Buff in one direction only, ideally with a natural hide buffer
plus a specially-formulated buffing cream. Be careful not to
apply too much pressure, as this can cause the nails to curve
downwards. The 'heel' of your hand can be used to buff nails,
though this is less effective than using a real buffer.
False nails
Don't be put off by the word 'false'. Nowadays artificial nails
are so well made that they can look entirely natural. When
properly applied, they're the perfect answer to the problem of
one or two broken nails in an otherwise perfect set; and the
ideal way to
disguise nails that are not at their best. False nails are also
excellent for nail biters as they camouflage bitten nails and,
at the same time, make it impossible to continue biting the
nails (so helping to cure the habit). With care, false nails
can 'stay put' for days, but it is advisable to leave them off
occasionally -perhaps overnight - in order to assist natural
growth.
Full false nails come in a variety of sizes and shapes, so it
should be possible to get an exact match with your own nails.
Also available are false nail 'tips' which do not cover the
whole natural nail, but are attached close to the front edge as
an extension. If these are used, then you should match the
contours carefully beforehand and then file afterwards to avoid
an obvious ridge where the false tips join your natural
nails.
How to apply false nails
Start by selecting the type and shape of artificial nail that
you want, and be sure that it fits your own natural nails. If
you aren't used to having long nails, then it's best to wear
false nails only a little longer than your own at first.
Otherwise, you may find that longer-than-usual nails are hard
to manipulate and they may break off, or hurt your cuticles if
they are flexed or bent.
It's best to paint false nails before you fix them on - that
way you'll be able to get a better finish.
Most false nails are fixed on with an-adhesive which needs time
to reach the touch-dry stage and so must be applied at least 30
minutes before use. However, it may be possible to save time by
applying such an adhesive up to 12 hours in advance. Always
follow the pack directions.
Your own nails must be clean, dry and free from nail polish
before the false nails are fitted over them. You will also need
to loosen and lift your cuticles slightly, so that the false
nails can be fitted under them.
Apply adhesive to each of your natural nails in turn. Then
remove the false nails from their holder, taking care not to
touch the glued surface. Hold each nail between a finger and
thumb. One by one, press the false nails over your own and
position them under your cuticles.
You may now need to shape each false nail with an emery board.
You could also apply nail polish now. NB Ordinary nail polish
removers can damage false nails - be sure that you use only one
which is recommended by the manufacturer of the false
nails.
How to remove false nails
A specially-formulated removal compound is supplied with almost
all false nails, and this -and only this - should be used to
remove them. The compound is usually applied to the tip of the
nail, it takes a few moments to penetrate and then the nail can
be removed easily with a firm rocking movement. The same
compound should be used to remove all traces of adhesive from
both the false nails and your own nails.
How to apply false nail tips
Again, you must begin with clean and dry natural nails, free
from polish. You should also smooth the tips of your nails with
a buffer or the fine side of an emery board.
Work on one nail at a time, first finding a tip to fit. Apply a
little glue to the tip of your own nail and spread it carefully
along the front edge. Press the false tip into place, holding
it down at the centre for 10 to 15 seconds until it is firm.
Then add a little more glue to one of the outer corners of the
false nail tip, press and hold down until firm. Repeat at the
other corner. Check that the tip is firm right along the join
with your own nail.
Next use the fine side of an emery board to file the ridge area
gently where the false nail tip joins your own. Allow any dust
particles which result to remain on your nail - and apply glue
over them. Allow the glue to dry thoroughly, then repeat once
or even twice more until the ridge area is quite smooth.
When you have applied all the false tips to your own nails,
trim them into shape with nail scissors or an emery board.
For additional strength, apply a coat of clear nail hardener.
Finally, paint on the nail colour of your choice.
How to remove false nail tips
Begin by trimming the false tip back to your own nail edge
underneath. It may then be possible to file away the false tip.
Otherwise soak it in a container of nail polish remover until
it is loose enough to detach.
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