Nails are the calling card of a well-groomed person. And it is equally important to monitor their appearance and condition not only on the hands, but also on the feet.
At first glance, it may seem that there is nothing complicated about cutting toenails. But this opinion is wrong. Proper execution of the nail trimming procedure is not only the key to a beautiful pedicure, but also the absence of problems with ingrown nails and infection with pathogenic microflora. For women, toenails are also a fashion accessory that complements their image.
Which nail shape is best?
The first thing you need to pay attention to is the original natural shape of the nail plate.
The ideal one is the one that follows the shape of the fingertips. The arched one is considered the safest and most correct. There are no problems with it when properly performing a hygienic pedicure and nail trimming. The center line must be cut at a right angle, and the edges must be rounded with a saw.
The abrasiveness of the tool should be 100/100 or 100/120 grit.
This scheme is needed so that the nail does not grow into the skin and excessive skin growth does not form in the corners.
A properly formed nail bed does not cause discomfort when wearing shoes or doing household chores.
In this case, you cannot cut your nails at the root. It is necessary to leave the edge free by 2–4 mm.
What to pay attention to
If you follow these tips, you can maintain the beauty and health of your fingernails and toenails for a long time:
- Get rid of the habit of biting your nails if you have one. This can lead to ingrown toenails, which not only look terrible, but are also painful.
- Don't cut the cuticle too deep. It is easy to hurt, then it will start to bleed.
- Don't try to cut the plate in a hurry. You may cut too deep or touch the delicate skin of the nail bed.
- Before starting a pedicure, it is advisable to wipe the tools with an antiseptic or soak them in soapy water for ten minutes.
How to cut your hair: choosing scissors and other tools
It is very important to choose the right tool, which should have a sharp edge. It is not recommended to trim toenails using nail scissors. It will not be possible to do this correctly and efficiently. For the procedure, it is better to choose forceps with a flat platform measuring 10–12 cm.
Not to be confused with cuticle nippers, which have a small platform and slightly rounded tips.
If the nails are hard and too thick, then a nail clipper is most often used. German manufacturers of tools for manicure and pedicure have special durable clippers for thick nails. They are made of carbon steel with a nickel plated finish, so they can withstand the stress of cutting thick nails. It is easy to remove ingrown specimens with this tool because its blades are rounded.
Preparatory stage
Before starting the procedure, you should prepare all the necessary tools and materials:
- Nail clippers.
- File.
- Nippers for cutting skin.
- Curette.
- Pumice for heels.
- Moisturizer.
- Alcohol or other antiseptic.
- Disposable gloves.
- Towel, water and basin.
It is very important to wash your hands.
If you have fungus on your feet, you should wear gloves.
It is better to prepare a convenient place to perform the procedure, and put a waffle towel on the floor so that the cut nails do not fall anywhere.
Preparation and sterilization of instruments
Each person in the family should have an individual tool for manicure or pedicure. Disinfection must be carried out before and after each use.
If you have a sterilizer or oven, it would be a good idea to use them periodically. Sterilization can be done by boiling instruments. However, this method should not be used frequently. The cutting edges quickly become dull when in contact with boiling water.
If the tool is cheap and the metal in it is of poor quality, then boiling will lead to deformation.
Using ultrasonic sterilization and a special solution, you can carry out high-quality disinfection in a short time. For simple disinfection you can use:
- alcohol;
- soap solution;
- special disinfectant sprays.
How to soften thick and hard nail plates using baths?
Before trimming thick or hard nails, you should soften them. To make thick nails easy to trim and the skin on the heels softer, warm baths are required before the pedicure. You can add to water:
- soap solution;
- herbal decoctions;
- soda;
- ammonia.
Do not soften the nail plate too much or keep your feet in very hot water. It is better to pay attention to the heels, and the nails should remain a little hard.
To prepare a steam bath you will need:
- 2 liters of not too hot water;
- 1 tsp. liquid soap;
- 0.5 tsp. soda
The legs should be lowered into the basin and after 10–15 minutes, circumcision should begin.
Essential oils of tea tree and rosemary also soften nails and provide an antiseptic effect. Adding them to water is useful if a person has fungal infections.
Chemical acid or alkaline pedicure for men
This pedicure can be performed either with or without preliminary soaking in water, only using keratolytics. It is indicated for hyperkeratosis and corns. Often combined with edged and hardware types. Let's consider its implementation without soaking step by step:
- A foam, spray or gel keratolytic is applied to the foot and cuticle area. The foot is covered with a lint-free cloth and wrapped in polyethylene for 10 minutes to prevent the product from drying out and create a greenhouse effect;
- After 3-5 minutes, the softened cuticle is pushed back with a pusher, and the pterygium is cleaned off;
- The cuticle and side ridges are cut with manicure scissors;
- Nails are polished with a buff;
- Cuticles and nails are covered with nourishing oil;
- During this time, the skin on the feet has softened, and it is removed with a disposable grater file with an abrasiveness of 80 grit, and then polished with 150 grit. The skin is removed in pellets. If necessary, you can periodically wipe your leg with a napkin soaked in keratolytic;
- Upon completion of polishing, the keratolytic agent is washed off or wiped with a clean damp cloth soaked in water, neutralizer or antiseptic;
- A light nourishing cream is applied to the feet.
In each specific case, it is the master who decides which type of pedicure for men will be most effective, or how to combine different types of procedures to obtain the best result.
Pros recommend performing hardware pedicures for men only with a good hood. If it is not there, then it is better to treat the feet by soaking or applying a keratolytic agent and then removing the dead skin with a file grater.
In addition to the basic hygienic procedure, large cosmetology centers offer spa pedicures and European unedged pedicures. These options include additional cosmetic care and massage.
What difficulties did you encounter when performing men's pedicures?
What products and tools have helped solve problems in caring for men's feet? Share in the comments, it will be useful to other beginners and even pros. Comment
Sequence of procedure
After softening your nails and feet, you can begin your pedicure. You cannot cut the nail plate in one motion, as this can lead to:
- injury;
- delamination;
- brokenness.
It is necessary to operate the tool gradually, moving in small sections. When finished, file down the free edge and sharp corners on the sides.
Nails must be wiped dry and only then use a file. Do not file wet ones, as this will lead to delamination.
To prevent drying out, it makes sense to apply a moisturizing base oil to the nail plate.
It is also important to pay attention to the cuticle. You need to cut it carefully with pliers so as not to damage living tissue. It is more convenient to use a remover and an orange stick. The product will painlessly soften excess skin, and removing it will not be difficult.
The ideal pedicure is one that leaves your heels soft and tender. Therefore, you should work on the softened skin with a pumice stone, and then lubricate your feet with a rich cream.
Tips and tricks for nail care
Our nails need the same careful care as any other part of the body. That's why we've put together recommendations to help keep your nails healthy.
- Wash dishes and clean the apartment only with rubber gloves.
- After washing your hands, lubricate your skin and nails with moisturizer.
- Don't forget to massage your nails.
- Polish your nails.
- If you decide to apply varnish, then before doing this, apply a base for the varnish.
- If you are going to do dirty work (for example, replanting flowers), run your nails through the soap. It will be under your nails and no dirt will get there.
Features of cutting
The growth of the nail plate is individual for everyone and depends on many factors:
- genetics;
- taking vitamins and mineral complexes;
- individual characteristics of the body.
Therefore, both women and men should undergo a hygienic pedicure procedure as needed. To be neat and avoid problems with strong skin growths and dryness, it is best to do a pedicure once every two weeks.
To kid
Children's nails should be trimmed using surgical steel nail scissors with rounded ends. A month after birth, the nail plate acquires a dense structure , and most often nails are cut for the first time in a month.
It happens that children are born with long nails, then the procedure must be carried out immediately. It is easiest for infants to trim their hair while sleeping or feeding.
It is very important that the baby has an individual set of accessories for cutting, because his immunity is not yet strong enough and there is a risk of infection. As you grow older, scissors can be replaced with “adult” ones with straight ends.
Before use, the instrument must be treated with chlorhexidine.
To an elderly person
Older people have thick and rough nail plates due to disruption of the blood supply to the nail bed. Therefore, you should select special durable tools for the procedure.
If steam baths do not help, it makes sense to make a night compress from aloe and golden mustache. Algorithm of actions:
- Wash and grind all ingredients.
- Apply to nails and put on a plastic bag.
The compress should be left on your feet for at least 8–12 hours.
A special keratolytic patch, which can be bought at a pharmacy, has a good softening effect. It is also used for fungal infections, as it has a therapeutic effect.
Types of salon pedicure for men
Depending on the technical equipment of the salon, as well as the characteristics of the skin of each client’s feet, the type of pedicure is selected. There are 3 most popular procedures:
- Hardware pedicure;
- Acidic or alkaline (chemical);
- Classic edged.
Experienced masters recommend combining different techniques to suit the individual characteristics of the client’s feet, and performing a combined manicure to work on different areas of the foot and toes. Let's consider each of the options in detail.
How to trim ingrown ones?
The problem of ingrown toenails is sometimes caused by various reasons, but the main one is improper trimming. If you make the shape oval and cut the corners too deeply, then ingrowth will become a constant companion. At the site of localization the following is formed:
- inflammation;
- ulcers;
- redness;
- swelling;
- throbbing pain is felt.
To prevent nails from growing in, you should cut them in a timely manner and avoid leaving sharp ends. At the first signs of an ingrown toenail, it is recommended:
- Make a warm foot bath by adding furatsilin solution to the water.
- Carefully pry up the ingrown part with a curette and shorten it.
- If the nail does not give in, make a compress with Levomekol.
If the growing part is not trimmed in time, the situation will worsen and surgical help may be required. Under local anesthesia, the surgeon removes either the entire nail or part of it.
Hardware men's pedicure
Indicated for ingrown nails, cracks, hyperkeratosis and dry calluses. It is also called medical. Performed dry. For hyperhidrosis - increased moisture in the feet, it is recommended to use powder or baby powder, talc. You will need a diamond drum, a truncated cone, a ball and a polisher for working on nails, cuticles and side ridges, as well as sand caps with an abrasiveness of 80, 150 and 320 grit for working on men's feet.
- We treat our feet with an antiseptic and wait for them to dry;
- Using the drum attachment, we adjust the rectangular shape and trim the length of the nails. We do not cut off the corners so that there are no ingrowths;
- Using a diamond cutter, we pass a truncated cone along the cuticle, lifting it and removing the pterygium from under the side ridges. To do this, pull the rollers away from the nail. It is very important to focus on your little finger while working in order to control the direction of movement and the force of pressing the cutter;
- Use a diamond ball with a red notch to cut off the cuticle. We move only along the skin to avoid cuts;
- We use a silicone polisher to treat the nails, cuticles and side ridges. You can first drop a drop of oil on your nails and seal the product into the plates during the polishing process;
- The feet, metatarsals and toes are processed in three stages: rough finishing, mid-grinding and finishing polishing;
- Rough processing of the foot is performed with a sand cap of 60-80 grit with short, quick movements at a speed of 10,000-12,000 rpm. The feet are worked along the lines of the skin from the outer edge to the inner;
- Medium grinding is the next step, when there are no longer any areas of white dead skin left on the foot. Performed with a 150 grit sand cap;
- For final polishing of a man's foot, 320 grit sand caps will be required. After it, the skin acquires a natural healthy glow;
- For hyperkeratosis, large areas with rough skin, keratolytics are used for preliminary softening, and only then grinding and polishing is performed;
- At the final stage, a light moisturizer is applied to the men's feet.
When performing a hardware pedicure for men, all our recommendations for performing the procedure, as well as information about the features of working with cutters and their selection, remain valid.
How to trim fungal ones?
During a fungal infection, the structure of the nails completely changes.
They become hard, brittle, flaky, uneven, and it becomes impossible to trim them. To soften the nail plate, traditional methods or pharmaceutical preparations are used.
Pharmacy:
- "Fluconazole";
- "Nailitis";
- potassium permanganate;
- salicylic acid;
- "Uroderm";
- Vishnevsky ointment.
Folk:
- chamomile decoction;
- lemon juice or zest;
- rose and lavender essential oils;
- antibacterial soap;
- aloe leaf
After softening, a pedicure should be performed in the same way as with healthy nails.
