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| Beauty |
 Beautiful Hands & Feet - Steps to the Perfect Manicure &
PedicureBy Jessica Taylor of Jessica's Beauty Services If you are like most women, you dream of elegant hands with beautiful finger nails and pretty feet and toe nails to show off in your summer sandals. With a few simple steps you can greatly improve the appearance of your hands and feet by yourself in the comfort of your own easy chair. You will need at least one uninterrupted hour to treat yourself to this wonderful spa manicure and pedicure. First, gather all your supplies. This includes one bath towel and two hand towels and one large bowl to soak your feet in (squirt some liquid soap in the bowl). Collect your toenail clippers, emery board, cuticle pusher (an orange wood stick with cotton wrapped around the end dipped in water will work), cuticle nipper and foot file (with both a course and smoother side). You will also need cuticle oil (olive oil works well), an exfoliating scrub (sugar mixed with canola oil is a great home-made scrub), massage cream (use your favourite body cream), nail polish remover (use the non-acetone variety as it does not dry out your nails as much), cotton, tissue and toe separators (you can use wrapped tissue between your toes). Have on hand your basecoat, topcoat and your favourite nail polish colour. Place all your supplies within easy reach, put on a relaxing music CD and light a scented candle. Now you are ready to begin your luxurious manicure and pedicure. 1. Remove any nail polish from your fingernail and toenails. 2. Clip and file your toenails. Cut them straight across the top to prevent ingrown nails and round the corners with a file so they are not sharp. 3.Fill the bowl with warm water and soak your feet. 4. While soaking, file your fingernails to your desired shape. 5. Rub cuticle oil into each of your nails. Then take your cuticle pusher and gently push back each cuticle. If you have any hangnails you can clip them off using your cuticle nipper. 6. Remove your feet from the water and dry them with a small towel. Rub cuticle oil into the cuticle area of each toenail. 7. Take your foot file and dip it into the water and then using the course side of the file rub the calluses and dry skin on your feet until the skin peels off and the calluses are gone. Flip the file over and use the smooth side to smooth the skin on the bottom of your feet and around your toes. 8. Use your cuticle pusher to push back the cuticle on each toe. If there is excess cuticle, trim with your cuticle nippers. 9. Take your exfoliating scrub into your hands and work it into one foot to exfoliate any dry skin that is left on your foot. Place your foot back into the water after you have finished and do the same with the other foot. With both feet in the water use the scrub to exfoliate the tops of your hands and between your fingers. When you are finished exfoliating your hands, rinse them in the water while rinsing all the scrub off your feet. 10. Remove your feet from the water and dry them with another small towel. Be sure to dry between each toe. 11. Using your massage cream, massage your feet, ankles and lower leg. When you have finished massaging your feet and legs, massage your hands, going right up to your elbows. 12. Using polish remover on tissue, remove all traces of oil from each toenail. Place toe separators between your toes. Apply a base coat to each nail. Then apply a thin layer of nail polish to each toe. Don’t worry if the first coat is not perfect. You can fix it by applying a thicker second coat of colour. Finish your polish application with a clear topcoat. 13. Remove the oil from your fingernails using polish remover. Apply the basecoat, two coats of colour and the topcoat in the same fashion as you did on your toes. 14. Sit back and relax for 20 minutes while your polish dries. If you can take the time to do this treatment for yourself at least once a month you will be well on your way to having hands and feet you can be proud of. Common Nail Problems 1. Furrows or depressions that split as the nail grows - These are the result of an injury to the root of the nail. The only solution to this problem is to keep the nail short or have a wrap put on to mend the split. 2. Leuconychia or white spots on the nail - The cause of these are not known; but they have been called stress spots, calcium deposits or nail injuries. They are harmless and will grow off on their own. 3. Thick yellow nails that crumble when they are cut - This is a sign of nail fungus. A doctor can prescribe medication to treat this infection. If you have this condition be sure to have it treated. It will only get worse and can spread if not treated. 4. Pterygium or overgrown cuticles - Everyday after your shower push back your cuticles with your towel as you dry off. Using an exfoliating cuticle remover will also help. 5. Onychophagy or bitten nails - If you are a nail biter, having manicures will make your nails look better and may keep you from biting them. Taking care of the skin around the nail is important, as infections can start if the skin is broken. 6. Stains - Nails can be stained by using polish without a basecoat or if your hands are in dyes. You can soak your nails in a mixture of lemon juice and peroxide to get the stains off. 7. Ridges - The aging process can be one reason ridges appear as we get older. You can buff ridges down but be careful not to over buff as it will weaken your nails. Ridge filling base coats will make it easier to apply nail colour over the ridges. Jessica is a professional aesthetician and owner of Jessica’s Beauty Service; Calgary’s premiere mobile aesthetics company. Jessica’s Beauty Service can be contacted by phone at 403.701.2631 or email jessicamtaylor@hotmail.com www.jessicasbeautyservice.com |