Manicuring and Basic Nail Care
The service sequence
A professional manicure follows a fixed order: consult and analyze the nails and skin, wash your hands and the client's, remove old polish, shape, soak and soften, push and trim the cuticle, massage, then polish. Order questions are common. You shape before soaking so you can see the natural contour, and you never apply polish over lotion residue.
Filing rules
Grit numbers run opposite to intuition: 80 to 100 is coarse, 180 is standard for natural nails, and 240 and above is fine. File natural nails in one direction, from corner toward center, to avoid splitting the nail layers. Never file deep into the sidewalls or use a back-and-forth sawing motion on a natural nail.
Cuticle care and the law
Soften the cuticle with product, push it back gently with a rubber or wood pusher, and nip only loose dead tissue or hangnails. The eponychium is living skin; cutting it invites infection and is prohibited in many states. Never dig into the sidewalls with nippers.
Shapes and polish
Square, squoval, round, oval, and pointed/almond are the standard shapes; the shape must suit the hand and the nail's strength. Polish in thin coats: base coat for adhesion, two thin color coats, then top coat to seal, and cap the free edge to reduce chipping. Thick coats wrinkle and stay soft underneath.
Massage
Learn the movements: effleurage (gliding), petrissage (kneading), friction, and tapotement/vibration. Know the contraindications: open cuts, infection, bruising, recent fracture, or severe inflammation. Massage is never performed over a contagious condition.
Trap to remember
Buffing does not strengthen a nail; it thins the plate. A high-shine buff is cosmetic only.