A Manicure for Men

So you guys want to know how to get your hands looking great just like the rest of us right? When you are out and about and shaking hands with people every day you want your hands to look nice too.

Well believe it or not, a manicure is not all about red nail polish and French Manicures.

A manicure is just part of taking care of ourselves and really you guys have the upper hand on us girls because you don't have to wait for any polish to dry ;-)

If you don't want to go to the salon for a manicure then here are the things you will need to give yourself a manicure at home.

Your List: You may already have some of the items.
Liquid soap and nail brush for cleaning, manicure bowl for soaking, towel, nail clippers (buy good ones they will last you a long time), emery board, cuticle oil, orangewood stick with flat end, three-way nail buffer, hand lotion (I like Body Drench Original).

You can probably find everything you need at a Sally Beauty and I'm sure if you take this list with you they will be glad to assist you with finding what you need.

So you have gathered your tools and products, let's get started.
With just a few easy steps below you can have your nails looking great!

The Male Manicure:

Part One: Do this on both hands.
1.Wash your hands and use the soap and nail brush to clean around and under your nails. Dry your hands.

Shape for mens nails



2. Shape/File. You should leave just a small amount of white at the ends of your fingers. I never like to cut the nails with clippers but if they need a lot of length taken down you can go ahead and clip, just be sure to leave some nail for smoothing with your emery board. Once your length is about where you like them use the fine side of the emery board to smooth them and always file from the side to the center (Never go in a back and forth motion.) You should have a more flat look to the middle of your nail and round them on the sides (see image above). Go ahead and clip and file all your nails on both hands.


 

Part Two:You will complete theses steps on one hand then do the same on the other hand.
 

1.Add a small amount of soap and warm water in your manicure bowl and soak one of your hands for about 10 minutes.

2. After soaking dry your hand and rub the cuticle oil around the cuticles and on your nails. (rub it in good).

3. Gently push back your cuticles with the orangewood stick.
 

Now go back and do the same three steps to the other hand.

Part Three: Almost finished :) Do this to all ten nails.
 

Take your Three-way Buffer and start Gently buff the top of all ten nails (be easy with the buffer it doesn't take much buffing to do the job and you don't want to make your nails thin) using the roughest grit first, then do the same with the medium grit and finish off your shine with the smooth side of the buffer. If you don't want a high shine and like a more of a matt look you can stop buffing with the medium side, and if you want a high shine go ahead and use the third side of the buffer. I think a little shine looks really nice and neat. Here is an article here on buffing click here:
 

One more thing that is left to do is massage both your hands with lotion.

Now look at your hands, how much better they look ;) and I know they feel better too!

Tip: If you have really excess cuticle applying your cuticle oil a couple times a day can make a difference.