There are a few other items that you may wish
to use during your manicure, all of which are optional:
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Cuticle Remover: These cosmetic
solutions will aid in softening the cuticles and may contain 2-5%
sodium or potassium hydroxide and glycerin's. Apply to the
cuticle area after filing and before soaking in the fingerbowl.
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Nail Cleansers: Usually a type of
detergent (scrub) in liquid form that is added to the water in the
fingerbowl to aid in soaking and cleansing the nail plate.
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Cuticle Oil, Lotion or Creams: Any
combination of essential oils that soften and lubricate the skin and
nails.
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Nail Bleaches: These cosmetics contain
hydrogen peroxide or organic acids that can be applied over and/or
under the free edge of the nail plate to remove stains.
Sometimes they work -- sometimes they don't!
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Base Coat, Enamel color of choice, and Top
Coat.
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Polish Dryers: These products can be sprays
or Top Coat enamels and are designed to quickly dry the surface
layer of enamel. The solvents in nail enamel must evaporate in
order for the polish to dry. When Polish is applied, the
solvents on the surface begin to evaporate and the solvents on the
bottom begin to move upward, and the surface begins to harden.
The solvents have to diffuse through this hardened surface and
evaporation slows down. Polish dryers repel this thickening
layer, pulling the solvents into itself. This action is much
like pressing down on a wet sponge, or wringing our a wet rag.
The polish is not totally 'dry', but is simply much drier than it
was immediately after application. It takes a full hour for
the enamel to be free of solvents and fully hardened.
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Aromatherapy Oils:
For a relaxing mood or to relieve stress.
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Sloughing Lotions: To
aid in exfoliation of rough, dry skin.
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Paraffin Wax Machine:
Paraffin wax aids in moisturizing and conditioning the skin by
opening the pores and allowing the massage/aromatherapy oils to
deeper penetrate the skins outer layer.
Arrange your files, implements and tools on the
table towel on top of your working surface so they are within easy
reach. Wash your hands with a mild detergent or hand soap, rinse
well and dry thoroughly.
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Remove all traces of old enamel by
moistening a cotton or gauze pad with the remover of your
choice. Press the pad onto the nail plate, hold for a few
seconds, then swipe toward the free edge. Change the pad often
as the remover cannot perform well if it is saturated with old
enamel. Dark pigmented enamels are the hardest to remove, and the
old polish may get on your skin or underneath the free edge.
If this happens, wrap a small piece of cotton on the end of the
orangewood stick, saturate it with remover and clean the enamel from
the cuticle line and under the free edge.
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Use a 240-grit file to remove length or to
perfect the free edge by filing from the outside corner to the
center of the nail plate. Never saw back and forth across the
free edge as it can disrupt the nail plate layers and lead to
splitting and peeling. The ideal shape of the free edge should
mirror the shape of the cuticle, i.e.: an oval cuticle = an oval
free edge.
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Apply cuticle remover, oil or lotion all
around the cuticle area if you so desire, then immerse the nails in
the soaking dish for no more than 3 minutes. If you
are performing this procedure on yourself, soak one hand at a time
and proceed to the next step. Perform the procedure on the
other hand. Soaking for more than 3 minutes will fully
saturate the nail plate, causing it to swell. Once the
plate returns to its normal shape, any polish that is applied
will crack and chip.
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If your nails are
already dry and brittle, perform a hot oil manicure instead.
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Remove the fingers from the soaking dish,
and holding the orangewood stick or metal cuticle pusher much as you
would a pencil, proceed to 'push' the invisible cuticle skin from
the nail plate surface back toward the 'live' tissue. Do not
use downward force when performing this procedure as the nail matrix
could become damaged from the aggressive force. Keep in mind
that all you want to do is remove any translucent skin from the nail
plate -- you do not want to break the seal between the proximal nail
fold and the nail plate. Perform this procedure on all 5
fingers, then do the same on the other hand.
The 'skin' you see at the cuticle line in Fig. 2 has been pushed
back from the nail plate. This 'true cuticle' can be
gently removed by scraping the plate with the cuticle pusher or
the curette.
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Fig. 1
Fig. 2
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Holding the cuticle nippers/scissors in one
hand, nip or clip any loose 'tags' of skin that you were unable to
remove with the cuticle pusher or the curette. NEVER cut live skin! Be very careful to
only trim the 'dead' tissue. If no translucent tissue has been
pushed from the nail plate, or there are no 'tags' of dead skin, there is no need to trim anything.
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Using the orangewood stick or the curved end
of the metal cuticle pusher, clean under the free edge of the nail
plate. Once again, do not apply pressure when performing this
procedure to prevent a tear or break from occurring in the nail plate seal.
Any tear or break in the seal between the nail plate and the nail
bed is the perfect entry point for bacterial microorganisms that may
cause an infection.
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At this point, you may wish
to exfoliate the hands by dispensing a small amount of
sloughing lotion into the palm of one hand. Distribute the
lotion evenly between your palms, and apply with a gentle
'massaging' action to the clients hand and fingers.
Massage into the palm of the hand and the fingers, being expressly
gentle with the back of the hand. Massage for just a few
minutes, then rinse the lotion from the hand and fingers, or wipe
clean with a wet terry cloth towel and dry thoroughly. .
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this procedure with an application of moisturizing lotion, massaging
the lotion into the skin until it is absorbed
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If the nail plate surface is ridged or
corrugated or otherwise 'uneven', you may wish to smooth the surface
using the 3-way buffer. Whenever the nail plate surface is
filed in any way, even with a buffer, it should be filed in the
direction of nail growth to prevent disrupting the nail plate
layers. Gently file with the black side of the buffer, then
proceed to the white then gray sides. Buffing with all 3 sides
to create a high-gloss shine will help to seal the nail plate
surface from staining and dehydration by 'plasticizing' the surface
layer.
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You may now wish to perform
a Paraffin Treatment if the client has extremely dry,
calloused skin, or just wishes to be pampered. Before the
procedure begins, apply an instant sanitizing agent to the clients
hands, fingers and wrists to be sure that all surface
contaminates/bacteria have been removed. Massage skin and nail
oil, or the aromatherapy oil of your choice into the clients hands,
fingers and wrists. Dip each hand gently and slowly into the
paraffin, hold for just an instant, and remove the hand. Allow
the wax to 'set', then dip again. Dip and remove several
times, wrap each hand with a plastic liner, then cover with
terrycloth gloves. Allow the paraffin to remain on the hands
for 5 minutes. Remove the terrycloth gloves, and using the
plastic liner, remove the paraffin from the hands and fingers.
Discard used wax after use.
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After all previous procedures have been
completed, wash, rinse and dry your hands/nails to remove all
surface traces of nail filings, lotions or oils. Enamel will
not successfully adhere to an oily surface. If your skin and
nails are excessively oily, and/or you have used any type of oil,
lotion or cream during your manicure process, you may wish to swipe
the nail plate with a 'prep' dampened pad to be sure all traces of
these products have been removed.
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Begin your polish application by applying 1
thin base coat. Allow 1 minute for the base coat to dry, then
apply 2 thin coats of enamel, allowing 1 minute between coatings,
then proceed with a thin application of top coat. ALWAYS use a
base coat! Base Coat is designed to adhere to the nail plate,
seal the surface and bond with the colored polish. Top coat
will seal the entire surface, and because of its inherent hardness
will keep the polish 'fresh' for a longer period.
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Please Note: Photographs of
these procedures will be added at a later date as soon as they become
available.
Everyone wants to have long, beautiful nails, and the perfect finish
is a beautifully applied coating of colored enamel. Whether your
natural nails are short or long, the perfect polish is the finishing
compliment to your manicure.
To begin with, always be sure your polish is fresh. Enamel that
has been allowed to thicken will not apply evenly or thinly and will
tend to bubble, streak and not 'cure' or adhere properly. Polish
will thicken because it is 'volatile'. This simply means that the
solvents in the enamel that keep it in a fluid state will quickly
evaporate when exposed to air. The longer the bottle remains open
during application, or if it is exposed to a heat source, the solvents
will quickly evaporate and the enamel will become thick, gooey, stringy
and make a perfect application impossible. Store your
enamels/polishes in a cool, dark place and away from sources of
heat.
Begin your application by turning the bottle upside down and
'rolling' each bottle of enamel between the palms of your hands.
Never 'shake' the bottle as this method will form bubbles of air in the
enamel which will transmit to the finished surface after
application.
The Perfect Polish is applied by first stroking down the center of
the nail plate from cuticle to free edge, then stroking each side in
turn. Three to four strokes on each nail is sufficient to evenly
distribute the coating. Additional stroking will only lift and
move the enamel leaving behind streaks and/or bare spots on the nail
surface. Leave a tiny margin all around the cuticle and sides of
each nail to ensure that the polish does not touch your skin and that it
adheres properly to the nail plate. Remember, oil is a separating
medium and your skin contains oils and moisture.
Apply the colored enamel in the same manner, allowing enough time for
each coating to dry between layers. Always apply each layer very
thin. If the pigments in the enamel are not 'even' after the
second coating of color, allow an extra minute, then apply a third
coat. The pigments in some red or metallic enamels tend to
separate during application and may require a third coating for even
color distribution. Allow from one to three minutes after this
third coating before applying your top coat or sealer. Nail enamel
will dry from the first coat up to the last, and the solvents in the
enamel must evaporate before the coatings are hardened. Pausing as
long as you can between coatings will produce a smoother, more brilliant
surface. Applying
coatings that are too thick, too close together, or with enamel that has
thickened with time will smudge, dent or may peel from the nail plate
entirely. Applying the coatings too quickly is a major reason for
the 'orange peel' texture. This is especially pronounced in times
of high temperatures and humidity,
Waiting for polish to dry can be tiresome, but the
slower it dries the better! Slower evaporating solvents produce
brighter colors. Forcing the polish to quickly dry by using heat
or chemical dryers will actually result in excessive shrinkage and
cracking. Formulations that use rapidly evaporating solvents tend
to bubble and pit more or produce uneven surfaces. Blowing on the
polish will lower adhesion and gloss.
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