There is something about a good manicure or pedicure that makes you feel neater and a little more feminine. In today’s economy, it is a good idea to learn techniques for home manicures and pedicures. Make a DIY manicure fun by having a few friends over for a manicure and pedicure party.
Use these techniques to give yourself or your friends a professional quality DIY manicure or pedicure at home.
Supplies Needed for a DIY Home Manicure and Pedicure
Many of the things you need for an at home manicure and pedicure you probably already have. Gather an emery board, file, bowl of warm water, Palmolive dish cleaning liquid, cuticle pusher, cuticle clipper, nail clipper, hand moisturizer, hand towels, polish, finish, and an exfoliant (store bought, or homemade).
I recommend Sally Hanson nail strengthener and finishing polish, if needed.
For the pedicure you may also need an exfoliating tool and a moisturizer designed to enhance circulation and soften rough skin around the heels. I recommend Miracle Foot Repair Cream.
DIY: How to do a home manicure
The first thing to do is decide on the finish and shape of your fingernails. A basic rounded fingernail is easiest, but it can be filed more bluntly for active hands, a little more oval for a more professional finish look, or pointed. The shape in which you decide to file the nails may be determined by the length of the fingernails.
Filing fingernails
Check the length and condition of the fingernails before you begin. Excessively jagged nails may need to be trimmed more evenly before you begin filing. Excessively long nails may need to be trimmed back as well. Use nail clippers for trouble fingernails.
Begin from the corners and file toward the center. File each side to meet in front of the nail. Don’t attack the nail from the top with a sawing motion. That may weaken the nail, will ruin the shape you are trying to achieve, and may end your manicure with a broken fingernail.
Manicure hand care
Once the nails are filed, soak hands in warm water with a drop of Palmolive dish detergent dissolved in it. Other dish detergents now have hand softeners in them. It’s fine to use what you have. Palmolive was just the original dish soap and hand moisturizer.
Following a 5-10 minute soak dry one hand while the other continues to soak. Use an exfoliating cream to remove dry, rough skin from the hand.
Cuticle care
Rinse the hand, and then dry it again. Inspect the cuticles. If you pick at your fingers or gnaw on your fingernails you may have loose skin around the cuticles that needs to be gently snipped. Be careful not to cut into the cuticle.
Push back the cuticle of each nail using the cuticle pusher. Carefully trim any excess cuticle with a cuticle trimmer.
A good manicure includes a gentle hand and finger massage
Gently massage the hand and fingers using good moisturizer. Work the lotion into the skin gently. As you rub the hands work on each finger, rubbing it in a spiraling downward motion, as if you are pulling stress from the body. Once the hand is moisturized and relaxed pat off any excess moisturizing lotion.
Repeat the above process with the other hand.
Polishing your fingernails
Weak nails may require a coat of nail strengthener before applying polish. Allow a pre-coat to dry completely before adding the color coat. Begin applying polish at the back of the nail and pull the color forward to the tip of the nail. Spread polish evenly. Allow the first coat to dry, and then apply a second coat. Once the second coat has dried apply a finish. Spray on finishers dry more quickly than liquid fingernail polish finishers, but liquid finishers are less expensive and work just as well.
Allow time for fingernails to dry thoroughly, and then repeat the fingernail coloring process of the manicure on the other hand.
DIY How to do a home pedicure
If you are doing a home manicure and pedicure at the same time do the pedicure first. Otherwise, the pedicure process may damage your recently manicured fingernails.
Gather toenail clippers, an emery board, file, container of warm water, Palmolive dish cleaning liquid, cuticle pusher, cuticle clipper, a moisturizer designed to enhance circulation and soften rough skin around the heels ( I recommend Miracle Foot Repair Cream), hand towels, polish, finish, and an exfoliant (store bought, or homemade).
Filing Nails
Check the length and condition of the toenails before you begin. Clipping and filing toenails is a little more difficult than filing fingernails for a manicure. Excessively jagged nails may need to be trimmed evenly before you begin filing. Excessively long toenails may need to be trimmed back as well.
Begin from the corners and file toward the center. File each side to meet in front of the nail. Don’t attack the nail from the top with a sawing motion. That may weaken the nail, will ruin the shape you are trying to achieve, and may end your manicure with a broken fingernail.
Pedicure foot care
Once the nails are filed, feet in warm water with two to three drops of Palmolive dish detergent dissolved in it. Other dish detergents now have hand softeners in them. It’s fine to use what you have.
Following a 10 minute soak dry one foot while the other continues to soak. Use an exfoliating tool, followed by an exfoliating cream to remove dry, rough skin from the foot. Focus on rough, dry, cracked heels.
Toenail care
Rinse the foot, and then dry it again. Gently snip loose skin around the cuticles or toenails. Be careful not to cut into the cuticle or too closely into the toenail.
Push back cuticle on toenails using the cuticle pusher. Carefully trim any excess cuticle with a cuticle trimmer. Gently clean the underside of each toenail and any fuzz collecting gap between the big toe and the big toenail.
A good pedicure includes a gentle foot massage
Gently massage the foot, pulling gently on the toes to stretch them. Be careful of tender spots on the foot. Work the ball of the foot with your thumb moving from a gentle massage of the arch to adding a little more pressure to the ball. Work the foot moisturizing lotion into the skin. Once the foot is moisturized and relaxed pat off any excess moisturizing lotion.
Repeat the above process with the other foot.
Polishing your fingernails
Begin applying polish at the back of the nail and pull the color forward to the tip of the nail. Spread polish evenly. Allow the first coat to dry, and then apply a second coat. Once the second coat has dried apply a finish. Spray on finishers dry more quickly than liquid fingernail polish finishers, but liquid finishers are less expensive and work just as well.
Allow time for toenails to dry thoroughly, and then repeat the toenail polishing process of the pedicure on the other foot.
Product Recommendations for DIY Home manicure and pedicure
There are a lot of good moisturizers, exfoliants, and nail polishes on the market. In addition to Miracle Foot Repair Cream for the pedicure, I recommend Sally Hanson nail strengthener used with your favorite polish. Sally Hanson also provides a strong clear coat finish for fingernails and toenails.
