Manicure For Men

Whether you wish to floor your new date or just make a suave impression on the chick on the dance floor, having grubby, grimy fingernails and chapped, dry mitts can duck your chances and make you look like a total ‘boo-boo’! Thankfully, with a little indulgence and manicure, you can dump your “vanity” blues and get rid of mucky, chapped nails for good. Yes, you read it right! Manicure is no longer a woman’s thing. Gone are those days when uttering men and manicure in the same breath was deemed as a blow to one’s machoism. Gladly, men no longer make any bones about looking good and have chucked the so-called “schisms of manhood” sans any inhibition. If you are coy about a manicure at the salon or find the thought of pampering your talons unnerving, then taking a quick look at this systematic guide on men manicure should ease your frown and leave you with ‘DIY’ tips on how to go about it. To know more on how to do manicure for men, read on.

Image: Douglas Fernando 2013@flickr

How To Do Manicure For Men

You Will Need

Cotton Pads
Acetone
Orangewood Stick
Emery Board
Soft Nail Brush
Nail Cutter
Warm Water In A Bowl
Salt
Scent (optional)
Base coat (optional)

Instructions

Dunk some cotton pads in acetone and wipe off your nail base gently to remove all traces of nail enamel, if any. Now using a nail cutter, clip off the long, overgrown nails, taking care not to chip your nail too close to the skin. Hold the emery board flat against your fingernail and gently file it towards the center, avoiding painful hangnails, if any. You can also use manicure scissors to trim off your talons for better results.
Now take a gob of cuticle serum, olive oil or hand cream in your palm and gently rub it on the cuticle, massaging your claws and adjoining areas until soft. Pampering your nails and cuticles with rich creams and oils won’t just soften your ragged cuticles, but will also leave your nail and skin hydrated.
Take a bowl of warm water and squirt some mild shampoo on it. Add few drops of aromatic scents to the water and lather well. Dunk your hands in the soapy suds and steep it for about ten minutes until the cuticles are tender and soft. Dousing your hands in soapy solution will help loosen the grime lodged under your fingernails and bump off the nail scraps as well.
Now using a soft nailbrush, gently scrub your nails and the skin around it. Dampen a pumice stone and gently rub it around your nails, fingers and palms to exfoliate dead skin and get rid of calluses.
Pat your hands dry and dab some cuticle remover on the nail surface. Now using a cotton wrapped orange stick, gently push the cuticle towards the nail base and then back along the sides of your talons. You need to be extremely gentle on your nails while doing this, as any kind of force or pressure will just rip off your delicate cuticles and can lead to profuse bleeding.
Carefully snip the hangnails with cuticle scissors or trimmers, avoiding the rim of the cuticle. Rinse off all traces of cuticle remover from the nail with water and pat your hands dry. If you have stubborn nicotine stains on your fingernails, then dabbing your claws with hydrogen peroxide can leave you with sparkling white nails. Just soak a Q-tip on the chemical and apply it on your nail base. Leave it on for 5-10 minutes and then rinse off with water.
Buff you nails in one single direction to prevent your hands from getting too hot and boost blood circulation. Now take a gob of hand cream and gently massage it on your hands and for silky, smooth feel.

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