Of course, professional manicure is easier, faster and better. But during pregnancy or in the first months after the birth of a baby, it may not be time to go to the salon. And I really want to look good!
Buying up the entire arsenal of professional tools and trying to repeat the actions of the master at home on your own is not a guarantee that you will get the desired result. To avoid disappointment, Elena Titova, the master of manicure at the Sparkle Beauty Bar, gave the readers of Letidor some useful tips.
Elena Titova, master of manicure at Sparkle Beauty Bar
Quality tools
It doesn't matter if you are doing your manicure in the salon or at home, the nail polishing process should be done with quality cutting tools.
The first thing you should decide on is the choice of wire cutters. They have different blade lengths, handle sizes and shapes. The main thing is that they fit comfortably in the hand. The most common and convenient canvas is 0.5 mm.
You will need a pusher or, as it is also called, a scraper. This is a metal double-sided spatula for lifting the cuticle from one end, and the other is for cleaning the pterygium (the lower layer of the cuticle that fits snugly against the nail plate).
The next tool in your home arsenal is the clipper. It is needed in order to cut the length of the free edge.
At home, you can't do without nail files. When choosing a nail file, you need to pay attention to the abrasiveness, that is, how much grit it has. Arm yourself with the following copies: a file for natural nails (180-240 grit), a buff (180-220 grit), a polisher (400-2000 grit).
It is undesirable to use metal files. They crumble the nail and it subsequently exfoliates.
Cosmetics
In addition to tools, you will need items such as a container for soaking nails, non-paper napkins, an orange stick, nail polish and gel polish remover, nail plate degreaser, cotton pads, cuticle softener - remover (it can be alkaline, acidic, and based on fruit acids).
Manicure cannot be done without a cuticle remover, because for many people, pterygium cannot be removed with water. And if you do it mechanically, you can severely injure the nail plate.
It is believed that cuticle removers with AHA acids are harmful. However, this is not the case, with the help of these acids we can exfoliate old keratinized skin particles.
Equipment
If you are a fan of gel polish, then you need to choose the right lamp. Now on the market there is a fairly large selection of LED lamps and UV lamps for "baking" shellac. You cannot do without it, since gel polish is a monomer.
After the polarization process, which takes place in a UV or LED lamp, the monomer becomes a polymer. That is, the varnish turns into a long-lasting coating.
When choosing a lamp, you should pay attention to the power and strength of the beam. LED lamps are more modern, they give a more coherent beam of light, which helps to cure faster. If a weak lamp is chosen, then the shellac may not fully bake, and subsequently bubble, be unstable, peel off completely or remain liquid inside.
Where can I buy
Many people ask if it is possible to use beauty products for the salon at home. Of course! Moreover, many of the tools necessary for the high-quality performance of the procedure are produced only by professional brands.
For example, removers are not produced for “home use” (and without them a “clean” manicure cannot be done), special liquids for sanitation (they are also sold in specialized stores).
Also, for a home procedure, you will need alcohol, 70% chlorhexidine solution, hydrogen peroxide and hemostatic fluids (almost any hemostatic agent).
How to do a trim manicure
Be sure to wash your hands before the procedure.
Do this with soap, disinfectant spray, or foam.
Shape the nail plate (free edge)
Regardless of what shape you want to give the nail (oval, square), the file should move in one direction, so as not to damage the nail and protect it from delamination, you must do it "dry". After that, the sawdust should be removed from under the nails.
Prepare the cutting tool for work
At home, it is enough to use a special tool for processing metal tools.
Disinfection of tools and files at home is required after each use. Especially if children and pets live at home.
Prepare your nail bath
After sanitizing, add hot water and liquid soap to the container. Apply a softener (remover) to the cuticle and lower your hand into a container.
Remove the cuticle
First take out the little finger, blot it with a napkin, move the cuticle (as if pushing it with a pusher) and with the other side of the pusher, clean the pterygium from the nail plate. Use nippers to cut off the white dead skin on the rollers and in the cuticle area.
Nippers (cutting blade) on the side rollers should be parallel to the nail, and in the cuticle area - perpendicular.
When cutting the cuticle, in no case should you press with nippers. This can easily damage the nail matrix area. This can subsequently damage the nail plate. Do the same manipulations with the rest of your fingers.
Buff your nails
If you want to make the coating with gel polish, then after processing in the area of the cuticle and side rollers, you need to walk with a buff (while the nails must be dry). The nail plate is "baffled" in the direction of the growth of the nail from above (from the cuticle downward). If the nails are not covered with gel polish or varnish, then a base or treatment coat should be applied, after the coating dries well, apply cuticle oil and hand cream.
Apply gel polish
To apply gel polish professionally, you need to follow the standard instructions that all masters follow. Apply the base evenly (make sure that it does not flow into the cuticle area) and dry your nails in the lamp. After that, cover the nail with color and cure it again in the lamp. Finally, cover the nail with a top and cure it in a lamp.
The top for shellac must necessarily go along the edge of the nail plate: in order to "seal the envelope", nothing got under the shellac and it did not chip.
In addition, the top additionally reinforces the base, the colored finish, and the nail hitch.
How to do European (unedged) manicure
For him you will need:
ceramic block or ceramic hoof, orange stick, cuticle softener, napkins, nail files and disinfectants, as with a classic manicure.
Preparation for a European manicure is carried out according to a similar scenario - with the only difference that this type of manicure is done dry, using only a softening agent (remover).
Remove the cuticle
Apply the softener to the cuticles and push the roller back with an orange stick or stick. Remove softened skin from the surface of the nail. File the side bolsters with a 180 grit file. After you've cleaned everything, be sure to wash your hands with soap and water to neutralize the remover.
Apply color coating
Treat the nail with an alcohol solution (degreaser), then apply base, varnish and cuticle oil. If you want to apply gel polish to your nails, then follow the instructions above.
Keep in mind
When doing a manicure, consider some aspects. For example, it is better for expectant mothers not to use gel polish. The fact is that due to a change in the hormonal background, the coating may not "lie down", flake off or not be taken at all. It is logical that the durability of the coating is reduced significantly.
It is recommended to use regular varnish during pregnancy.
If you still prefer gel polish, then choose brands whose products do not contain dibutyl phthalate, toluene, formaldehyde and its resins.
