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Nicely groomed nails are the calling card of every woman. Cold outdoor temperatures, cold wind, and overheated, dry indoor air, however, take a real toll on them. While in winter it was partly a solution to hide, at least outdoors, small imperfections under gloves, spring should be welcomed with a perfect manicure! Each of us can manage it at home, but let us avoid these most common mistakes:
1. Skipping the base coat
Before applying polish, you need to use a base. Many women consider it unnecessary, but that is a mistake. A base coat nourishes and protects the nail and also extends the life of the manicure.
Polish applied to a nail treated with a base adheres better and lasts longer. Also avoid using a top coat instead of a base. Top coats have a different composition and could weaken and damage the nail.
2. Cutting the cuticle
Never remove the cuticle on nails with sharp objects, because over time it becomes coarser and unyielding. You could also cause small wounds that may lead to infection.
First soften the cuticle with a special oil and then gently push it back with an orange wood stick.
There are also special products on the market for softening it. If you want to use them, follow the recommended exposure time, because unlike oil products they are more aggressive.
3. Neglecting care of the manicure set
Scissors, files, wooden sticks and other tools you use for at-home manicures should be cleaned regularly, otherwise bacteria build up on them and can cause an infection or nail diseases.
So rinse them in soapy water after each use and dry them.
4. Filing nails back and forth
File nails always in one direction, from left to right. If you move the file up and down, you create tiny cracks in the nail, which then cause your nails to break.
5. Using acetone removers
Acetone is the arch-enemy of nails — it is aggressive, dries them out, weakens them and slows their growth. And that’s definitely not what we want!
