Beauty Massage (Nails)

CUTICLE ( an edge of hard skin at the base of a fingernail or toenail) CARE

The number one reason for hangnails is that your cuticles are too dry. When you see ragged cuticles or hangnails, it’s your body’s way of telling you to apply hand cream or lotion. Unfortunately none moisturizes his or her cuticles enough. It is better to keep several moisturizers around the rooms, and whenever you come across one, use it.

It's better not to cut your cuticles. The cuticle is to keep microorganisms away from entering your body. But one must groom them. All you need is a good cuticle remover to soften the cuticle and an orange stick (cuticle pusher). After you apply it the cuticle remover, softly push back cuticles with the orange stick. Then move the orange stick in tiny circles around the base of the nail to help remove the dead skin and debris that are there. Do this at least three times per nail. When the debris is lifted, wipe it with a cotton ball. Then moisturize.

FILING AND SHAPING YOUR NAILS

It is advisable to file your nails only when the white part of the nail-the tip-has grown ¼ inch from the nail's stress point, which is where the free edge meets the pink part of the nail plate. If you file your nails before this point, it can weaken them. On other hand, if you allow your free edge grow longer than the nail plate; it is certain your nail will break. Do not file from side to side, as it can weaken the stress points of the nail's free edge. Be sure to go from corner to center in one direction, using the groove on the side of your nail as a guide.

Choosing a File

Stay away from metal nail files since they are very harsh and can even split nails. One wrong swipe and you loose your nail shape. Most manicurists recommend a soft, straight file that should not cause any damage even if you swipe it the wrong way.

Shaping the Nail

There are many ways to give your nail's shape. Some people want to have their nails cut square, which may come from the belief that square-cut nails are stronger. This is misbelieving, because if you shape them correctly; all nail shapes are equally strong. If your cuticle is oval shaped at the base, the square look may work for you, but if you have a pointed cuticle, you may want to go with a more oval-shaped nail. The softer shape with attractive color is in a fashion. 

How to keep your nails healthy

One who moisturize her nails and takes care about cuticles have never been in trouble for healthy nails. The nail and its matrix are protected by cuticle. It keeps them away from the dead part where new cells are generated. If you remove cuticle, you destroy the nail matrix that is needed for healthy nail growth. On the other hand you need to remove cuticles when they overgrow, as they would suffocate your nail. This is the time when the cuticle remover is to be applied (not cuticle cream or lotion). Take an orangewood stick and push the cuticle back where it touches the nail plate with circular movement. Hold the stick at an angle so that you do this gradually and gently, without going inside the cuticle. Use a moisturizer daily to prevent dryness.

Eat Right

There is no method available to feed nail directly, so a good diet is essential to overall nail health. Biotin-rich foods like eggs, soy, whole grains and liver are said to be extremely helpful to nails, along with foods rich in sulfur minerals like grapes, garlic, asparagus, apples, cucumbers, and onions. Also, be sure your diet includes essential fatty acids, or EFAs (essential fatty acids). Like vitamins and minerals, foods rich in EFA's, such as salmon, nuts, seeds and tuna, help keep nails shiny and healthy.

Never Use Your Fingernails as Tools

Using your fingernails as tools to perform tasks -- pushing back your cuticles or scratching a label off anything, taking out something from the groove of sofa etc is not the job to be done with nails. one should proper tools for picking and scraping and not your nails.

POLISH TIPS

Removing Nail Polish

The best way to remove polish is to place cotton on an orangewood stick, and douse it in remover. This implement will give you the control into making sure to remove your polish with getting as little remover as possible on the cuticle.

Choosing a Nail Polish Remover

There are many kinds of removers available in the market. Those containing acetone take off the polish quickly but they dehydrate cuticles. One should go for this route if there is bold, deep or bright shades of nail are to be removed. Non-acetone removers take longer to remove polish but they also dry the nail and cuticle. Among all gel remover is the best moisturizing remover, but it takes a bit time to actually remove the polish. The best purchase is to go with an acetone-based remover that contains hydrating oils, such as lavender or aloe vera. These types of oils have neutralizing effect, which controls the dry effect of the acetone. On the other hand they may cut down on the strong odor of the remover.

STRENGTHENING

There is difficulty if one has weak nails you can't permanently change them. You can, however, do things to make them stronger.

Use of a nail strengthener can make nail stronger. Many women are confused about how to use these products, so here are a few tips:

• If you want to apply nail enamel, use the strengthener as a base coat and as a topcoat. Then continue to apply the strengthening product every day. Remember, too much strengthening can actually make your nails brittle, so you might want to try a strengthening system.
• Make sure you apply a thin coat, because you'll be applying it daily -- you don't want it to build up too much.
• If you're at the beginning stages of growing out your nails, use only a strengthener on your nail plate and apply it every day.

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