Manicure - Benefits, Adverse Effects, and Guidelines to Last Longer

Introduction:

Nails are appreciated as the mirror of an individual’s health. It reflects the inner physiological health of an individual. So it is essential to maintain it with utmost care to protect our physical health. Manicure aids in maintaining healthy, strong, and beautiful nails. Doing it professionally is the best way to reap its benefits.

What Is Manicure?

Manicure is a popular service in salons that improves the appearance of fingernails and hands. It is a complex procedure that provides therapeutic, health, and cosmetic benefits. It involves cleaning and filing the nails, pushing the cuticles back, exfoliating and moisturizing the hands, applying the base coat, followed by a first and second coat of nail polish, and ending with a top coat. Finally, the rough edges are cleaned, and the nails are dried.

What Are the Beneficial Effects?

The benefits of manicures can be classified as physical and mental health benefits.

The physical health benefits are:

• Prevents Infection: A lack of moisture in your hands may lead to dryness, creating cracks through which infectious organisms can penetrate.

• Influence on Blood Circulation: Poor blood circulation usually results in cold and numb hands, which might lead to swelling. A manicure procedure consists of a massage with moisturizers, when absorbed, reduces pain, increases blood circulation, decreases muscle tension, and improves joint mobility.

• Enhances Nail Health: There are great chances that our nails to develop a fungal infection. Deep cleaning of the nails helps remove the dead cells, thereby promoting new growth of the nails.

• Promotes Skin Health: Your hands are exposed to dirt all day. Exfoliation during the procedure aids in removing dead skin cells, promotes new skin cell growth, makes it smooth, and reduces the appearance of wrinkles.

• Improves Esthetics: Manicure helps strengthen the muscles, tightens the skin, and decreases swelling, thus improving the visible appearance of hands.

The mental health benefits of manicures are:

• Increases Productivity: Keeping your mind occupied all the time will decrease your focus at one point in time. So ensure that you spend some time for yourself. Taking a break and getting your nails done is the best way to sit and relax and stop overthinking. After getting your nails done, satisfaction makes you feel you have spent your productive time.

• Ease Anxiety: Nowadays, the levels of anxiety each experience, starting from small children to older people, are rising higher and higher each day. This is due to exposure to mobile phones. But in the case of the manicure, we are forced to spend time away from them, easing anxiety levels.

• Stress Relief: The massage during the manicure procedure helps improve blood circulation and destress you from other tasks. It allows you to be present and enjoy your massage.

• Increased Confidence: Manicure is a way of self-expression. It projects your sense of style and personality. Your confidence levels build up if you present your nails well, similar to how you carry yourself with your clothes.

• Enhanced Self-esteem: Investing in yourself for manicures makes you feel you matter. When someone compliments you, your self-esteem increases, leading to a happy and fulfilling life.

Which Is the Best Time to Go For Manicure?

• The best time to get a manicure done is in the morning. This is because nail polish takes at least 12 hours to harden fully. So if the appointment is too late, it will mess up the whole procedure.
• A way to speed-dry the process is to apply a top coat over the nail polish. However, they only speed dry the top layer and not the bottom leaving chances of it messing up if not careful.
• Some professionals recommend doing it in the afternoon as the weather will be warm, and nails may dry faster.

How Often Should You Get a Manicure Done?

Getting manicures depends on the growth of nails noticed in each individual and their daily activities.

• If they grow slowly, a procedure after two to three weeks is good enough.
• If nails grow faster, a manicure should be done within seven to ten days.
• A basic coat of nail polish can be touched up once a week.

What Are the Guidelines for Manicure to Last Longer?

There is no use in spending your valuable time on manicures if it is not appropriately maintained. There are specific guidelines to be followed for manicures to last longer. They are

• Allow your nails to dry enough after the procedure.

• Avoid using harsh soaps and detergents for washing your hands.

• Try wearing waterproof gloves while doing household chores.

• Allow your hands to dry completely after you wash them.

• Use hand creams regularly.

• Apply base coat under the nail polish to prevent staining.

• Apply a top coat over the nail polish to prevent chipping.

• Use acetone-free nail polish remover.

• Avoid metal files, as they can damage your nails.

• Drink adequate water and eat well to maintain healthy skin and nails.

What Are the Good Signs for a Manicure?

A healthy nail is a good sign for a manicure. A healthy nail appears pink with a natural shine and a smooth texture. It becomes thicker and more fragile with aging, which is normal.

What Are the Bad Signs for a Manicure?

If an individual has the following signs, it is better not to opt manicure.

• Redness and inflammation.

• Painful physical deformities.

• Overgrown corners.

• Fungal infection.

• Allergic reactions.

Who All Are Contraindicated?

The appearance of nails acts as a guide to medical diagnosis in many cases. But some individuals with certain medical conditions are contraindicated from treating nails.

They are,

• Diabetes.

• Herpes.

• Warts.

• Nail psoriasis.

• Hemophilia.

• Bruising under the nail.

• Course of chemotherapy.

What Are the Adverse Effects of Manicure?

• Nail Thinning: Manicure can lead to nail thinning due to the exposure to chemicals in the nail polish and acetone soaking process for removal.
• Ultraviolet Light Damage: In an acrylic manicure, Ultraviolet light is used in the drying process, which can lead to skin aging, presenting brown spots and wrinkles.
• Under Medications: If an individual is under medications and is exposed to ultraviolet light, it can increase the risk of sunburn, lifting, or separation of the nail and can increase damage to the retina.
• Allergy: A basic nail polish can be allergic to the skin leading to rashes, redness, and swelling. These allergic reactions can spread to our faces if touched.

Conclusion:

Though getting your nails done takes a short period, its benefits last for a few weeks under good maintenance. When you go for regular appointments to maintain your nails, it becomes a practice, and you are encouraged to try new and exciting trends, and you will feel the best.