Here’s a list of ways you can take your nail care into your own hands
You’re probably still washing your hands excessively right now. But what about our nails? Before the pandemic, many of us treated ourselves to self-care luxuries, such as professional manicures and pedicures. But that’s currently impossible since we’re all practicing social distancing. Here’s a list of ways you can take your nail care into your own hands.
Keep it short
The best thing to do for your nails if you’re maintaining them at home is to let them breathe. It is recommended to keep them short, or even shorter than what you’re used to. And the undersides should be cleaned frequently with soap and water, too. “Because of their length, longer fingernails can harbor more dirt and bacteria than short nails, thus potentially contributing to the spread of infection,” CDC said. Follow up with a moisturizer to keep your hands and nails hydrated.
De-stress with a manicure
All of us now have a lot more time on their hands, so an at-home manicure is a great way to brush up on those nail-painting skills. If you're set on a manicure in a box, try one from Posh Nails.
Their Nail the Day kit has high-quality tools you need without all the extra junk. In less than P2000, you'll get a nail clipper, file, nipper, buffer, nail polish remover, thin nail brush, and a cuticle oil pen that you can apply any time of the day to keep your nails from cracking.
Un-gel yourself
As we’re unable to go to our favourite nail salon, the tricky bit will be removing any gel polish or nail enhancements that you have on. Have a look at some YouTube videos—there are heaps out there that will show you how to gently remove your gel polish or enhancements from home.
One way to do it is by first filing the top of each nail with a grit file until the shine of the polish is gone. And then cut little squares of foil that you’ll wrap around each finger tip. Next, douse cotton balls with acetone and place the pieces of cotton on top of each fingernail. Wrap each nail and the cotton with foil. Keep the cotton and foil on for about five to 10 minutes before removing. The foil traps body heat to make the acetone work more effectively. After taking everything off, the gel polish should be soft enough to scrape off with an orange stick—or, if you must, a metal scraping tool.
Practice cuticle care
It might be tempting to pick at or cut your cuticles out of habit or nerves. Experts, however, advise against this practice during a pandemic. A health article from University of Utah said the cuticle itself is living tissue that seals and protects against infection. If you trim them, the open cuts make you more susceptible to bacterial infections. Instead, you may opt to gently push cuticles back. You only want to cut the excess and not get too close to the living tissue.