What is Manicure and Pedicure?

Manicure and pedicure are treatments for the hand and feet, respectively.
Those two extremities that carry so much of our daily burden, hardly get our attention, which they certainly need, deserve and want.
Those practices have been in use for centuries.
Carving depicting the procedures were found in pharaoh’s tomb. Cleopatra was said to have painted her nails red, while Nefertiti’s were ruby colored. In southern Babylonia 4,000 years ago and in China since 3,000 BC the practice was used, as is evident from descriptions of painting the nails of the royals.
Both procedures were historically done by experts, but that is not to say that those treatments can not be done at home. When it comes to pedicures it is sometimes best to have it done by another person, because the curvature of the nails makes it hard to get to the right spots by yourself.
It is important to note that those procedures have no gender attached to them. It might be considered feminine to go the nail salon, but it is absolutely not true. Having well groomed hands and feet is a unisex attribute which makes the person appear clean and well taken care of.

What is a Manicure?

The manicure is a treatment for the hands and nails, not the nails alone. It’s purpose is to check the health of the hands and nails, reshape and refine the nails to a desirable shape and nourish the palms and the back of the hand.

Manicure includes:

• Cleaning the hands thoroughly and removing leftovers of previous treatments.
• Checking to see if there are any changes to the shape or the color of the nails.
• Cutting and shaping the nail. Nails that are overgrown or cut too short can cause health problems like fungus infections that are very hard to get rid of.
• Pushing the cuticle back towards the sides to expose as much of the nail as is comfortable.
• Cutting off any access of skin so it will not be dragged by fabrics and cause pain.
• Nourishing the hands and nails with creams to return the elasticity of the skin and protect it against environmental pollutants.
• Enhancing the beauty of the hand with nail color, or protecting the nail with a sheer coat.

Check how to give yourself a manicure at home.

What is a Pedicure?

Even though those toes are not always visible, they are the ones prone to risks. A shoe that is too tight, a nail that continuously rubs against the inside of a shoe, bunions, untreated cuts and bruises can all course nail fungus and are mostly avoidable if care is given to the feet on a regular basis.

Pedicure includes:

• Washing of the feet.
• Cutting and shaping the nail. That is an important part of the procedure because that it the time to really look at the nails. Any sudden changes in shape or color? Any imprints of the feet from work shoes? Cutting the nail across from side to side is the most recommended to avoid ingrown toenails.
• Shaping the nail so there will be not rough edges that can create problems.
• Buffering the top of the nail to return its luster.
• Pushing the cuticles back a bit.
• Cutting excess skin.
• Filing off dead skin from the heel or the side of the feet. The heel should feel soft and smooth not like sandpaper. The filing can be done with the help of a pumice stone.
• Treating any corns, infections and abnormalities.
• In nail salons they use exfoliating creams to remove the dead skin from the legs up to the knees.
• Moisturizing the feet and the legs, applying a thick layer and performing a massage until the moisturizer is absorbed.
• Applying nail polish.

Learn how to do a pedicure at home.
Each treatment should not take more than an hour, even for the less experienced among us. Those treatments provide an opportunity to relax and sit back. They have not only cosmetic value but medical as well.

Brittle Nails: Causes & How to Fix Brittle Fingernails

If you were an anxious young adult, you might have taken to biting your nails. I know I did. And nothing my mother said could stop me. I didn’t feel the nail going into my mouth, it was just there, lips looking for ridges, teeth pulling the piece away only to create more ridges. One thing she said did stick in my mind: when I grow up and finally stop biting my nails, she said, my nails will grow brittle and I would not be able to have long, manicured beautiful nails.
Boy, was she right.
At 19, I finally stopped biting my nails. For the next 20 years I could not grow them long. They were so brittle that they broke very easily. No amount of nail polish could stop that from happening.
Statistic shows that about 20% of the population have brittle nails. This phenomena varies in severity but the fact remains the same; many women are unable to grow long fingernails.

What is brittle nails?

Brittle nails are categorized as those which:

• Growing thin
• Are soft to the touch ans bendable
• Breaking easily with minimal force
• They chip easily
• Peel in horizontal layers

To understand what is going on, we have to know what the nail is made of and how it grows.
The nails is combined of many layers of protein called keratin, which is made of amino acids bound together with a glue like substance. There is a seal between the nail plate and the nail bed, called the onychodermal band. The nail is protected with a layer of thin skin at the base and grows out about 3mm a month. When this delicate structure is disturbed, the nail might become brittle.
Fortunately, brittle nails are not indicative of a medical issue, as other nail deformities are. In most cases it is caused by behavioral issues and thus can be changed with minimal attention and effort.

Brittle Fingernails: Causes

Dryness: The nail bed underneath the nail has become dry and doesn’t feed the nail as it should. That can happen when you change climates drastically, as when traveling. It can also be caused by staying in heated room for long periods of time.
Dryness can be caused also by hormonal change in the body. It is known that women past menopause, when the estrogen level decreases, tend to develop brittle and curving at the tip nails. Estrogen, among its other functions is responsible for the moisture retention in the body. Less estrogen causes the skin to dry.
Moisture: soaking the nails in water softens the keratin. If you work requires you to have wet hands, it is probably the main cause of your brittle nails. For the same reason, biting nails causes brittle nails. The nails are touched by saliva many times during the day and remain moist most of the time.
Chemicals: Not only the chemicals in regular house cleaning products can affect the condition on the nails, chemicals in nail polish and especially in nail polish removers can cause the nails to dry and become brittle.
Lack of vitamins: especially vitamin C, folic acid and Omega 3.
There are some medical conditions that cause brittle nails as well, but the other symptoms of the diseases (low thyroid function, psoriasis, lung problems) are much more sever and noticeable.

How the Reverse Brittle Nails?

The treatments for brittle nails involves a few aspects:
Nutrition
Eating a balanced diets which includes vegetables and fruit that is rich in protein and vitamins. Taking supplements of vitamin B and C, and Omega 3 will help as well.
Providing moisture
When moisturizing the hands it is important to pay extra attention to the nails. Some go further and soak the nails in vegetable oil for a few minutes a few times a week. Another popular remedy is to use vitamin E oil, puncturing the capsule and extracting to oil to the nail and the nail base.
Avoiding chemicals
Wearing gloves when submerging hands in water for a long time or when using chemicals of any kind.
Keeping hands as dry as possible, making sure the nails are dry as well.
This applies also to the products used in the nail care process. Nail polish removers that contain acetone will dry the keratin. Artificial nails that have to be removed with acetone will make your nails brittle. Even the new gel/color which doesn’t chip for two weeks will cause the nails to dry out.
No nail biting
If you are an adult and still bite your nails, admit to the fact that your stress levels are high. Learn to relax (meditation, yoga, exercise) in other ways.
Don’t use your nails as tools
They might seem strong but don’t use nails to pry open a screw, peel a sticker or become an emergency toothpick. Use the instruments that we have around us to do those things. Tearing your nail while trying to do one of those things will cause pain, discomfort and will open the nail to diseases and fungus.
File the nails
Filing the nails on a regular basis not only provides a gentle massage the encourages nail growth, it also makes sure that there are no ridges that can be caught on cloth. Try filing your nails instead of cutting them.
Products and Creams
One of the easiest way to strengthen nails is to make sure they are covered by a clear coat of special protein nail polish. The most interesting product on the market today is no other but hoof cream. Yes, its the same substance that is rubbed into the hooves of million dollar thoroughbreds. The grooms have noticed that their fingernails get stronger and grow harder as a result of using the cream on horses. The leap to using it for humans was not far behind. This cream comes under different names when it is formulated for people; Barielle, Gena Healthy Hoof Cream and Hard As Hoof.