14 Tips for Healthy Manicure ...

Who doesn’t love the look and feel of a nice manicure? Even more important, who doesn’t love the look and feel of a healthy manicure? I know I do! Even if I’m just filing a snaggy nail, I am always careful to make sure it’s done right, and safely! Here’s how I make sure I always get a perfectly healthy manicure!

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Make Sure Your Hands and Nails Are Clean

The most important way to make sure you get a healthy manicure is to ALWAYS wash and dry your hands before doing your own manicure, or before having it done at a salon.

Make Sure the Tools Are Clean

Make sure your nail clippers and other tools and clean. If you get a manicure at a salon, watch to make sure the tools are thoroughly disinfected between uses.

Use Fresh Polish

Throw out your old nail polish at least every few months. Old polish will contain nasty bacteria, and will be too clumpy to use anyway!

Use a Bottom Coat

A bottom coat will make your manicure last longer, and it will add another layer of protection for your nails.

Change Polish Often

Take off all nail polish at least once a week, and let your naked nails air out for at least a few hours. You’ll notice if you go too long without doing this that your nails will be yellow and brittle.

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Don’t Bite Your Nails

Biting your nails not only makes them look bad and feel rough, it spreads germs. Any germs on your hands will go into your mouth, and any germs in your mouth will get on your hands.

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Don’t Share

Don’t share your manicure tools, including nail polish, with anyone else.

Don’t Manicure with Boo-boos

If you have broken or torn cuticles, wait until they heal to do have a manicure. The chemicals will sting, and irritate your skin even more.

Make Sure Your Manicurist is Clean

Most manicurists are meticulous about cleanliness, but some aren’t. Look at his or her hands and nails and make sure they’re clean before they do your manicure.

Avoid Acrylics

Acrylic nails may look nice, and require little maintenance, but they are hotbeds for germs and bacteria and encourage all kinds of gross infections.

Treat Problems Right Away

If you notice soreness, redness, a sore, or anything that looks or feels bad, remove your polish and get it treated right away! An infection can cause other illnesses, and can also kill your nail bed.

Wash Often

In the days after a manicure, make sure to wash your hands often with mild soap and warm water.

Don’t Handle Food

Do not EVER eat food while you’re doing a manicure! It will get chemicals on your food, and food in your manicure!

Don’t Drill

Those little dangling gems and charms look cute, but drilling holes in your nails encourages fungus and bacteria to grow there.

Well, I’m off to do my own manicure now! I’m going for a pretty red for fall, and I promise to take it off in a few days! How do you make sure to get and keep a pretty, healthy manicure? Do you do it yourself, or have it done at a beauty salon? Let me know!

Photo Credit: flickr.com

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yup i always do my nails :]

It feels great to get your manicure and pedicure done professionally, but I often wonder how sanitary are some, or most of these places. New businesses pop up all over the place like "mushrooms after a rain", and I am not sure I trust all of them to actually go there. My highest fear is about pedicure, since so many people have different types of foot health problems....an if the place does not sanitize well their tools and supplies....it could be a problem for your healthy feet and nails. I wonder how does one find out about their disinfection process??? Any ideas? And whom do you turn to if you notice that a place does not follow the proper procedures? I think the same could be said about beauty shops, etc.

Well my mother does my pedicure for me sometimes, she's a professional and I hate it to do it by myself but I do my manicure alone :)

I loved this post!! :) I adore my red nails. It's a priority for me once a week to do a mainicure by myself. I didn't know about old polish. I will check my nail plishes out and throw old ones away. And thanks for the info regarding Acrylic nails. I must say I had them ones and I had fungus after a few weeks on my nails :( It was really a depressing time. Nowadays I take care of my own nails and find my own specail products!

I didn't know we had to throw out old polish! when it starts getting sticky I just add some nail polish remover. LOL. I hardly throw anything out

New polish "every few months." 2 months? 3 months? I've been wondering if they have an expiration date...

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