Maintaining Your Manicure and Pedicure at Home

You've just indulged in a manicure or pedicure, and you love how your nails look. How can you keep them looking nice as long as possible? Here are our tips for maintaining your manicure and pedicure at home.

We'll start with extending the life of your manicure first:

1. Hydrate: You've just gotten a manicure, so you want to keep your hands soft! Rub cuticle oil into your nail beds and cuticles once or twice a day to keep them moisturized. Dry cuticles can pull at your polish and lead to chipping. Make sure to put on hand lotion so your skin stays soft (but some synthetic fragrances can cause polish to degrade and crack over time). If you really want to boost your hands' hydration, consider wearing a pair of soft gloves to bed after applying your lotion and cuticle oil.

2. Protect your nails: Doing dishes? Cleaning the house? Gardening? Wear your gloves! Water is the enemy of fresh polish, so make sure not to dunk your hands in water for an extended period of time. Cleaning chemicals can cause polish breakdown as well. Grab a pair of dishwashing gloves for cleaning and washing dishes. Working outside is another way to chip your polish, so bust out those gardening gloves.

3. Don't use your nails as tools: Don't use the tip of your nail to open that can of sparkling water or Amazon package. Instead, slip the end of a spoon under the tab to open the can, or use your scissors to open the package to protect your polish.

4. Reapply your topcoat: If necessary, reapply a layer of topcoat every 2-3 days, making sure to seal the tips to keep the polish looking glossy and reduce tip wear.

Tips for maintaining your pedicure:

1. Hydrate: Just like with your nails, make sure to use cuticle oil and foot cream to keep your nail beds hydrated and keep those callouses from coming back. Dry cuticles will pull at the polish and lead to chipping, which you definitely don't want on your vacation! Pop a pair of socks on before bed to lock in the moisture.

2. Exfoliate: Another way to help keep those dry patches from coming back is to gently exfoliate once a week in or right after your shower. Use a sugar scrub or pumice stone, but avoid scrubbing too often or harshly so you don't irritate the skin.

3. Wear socks or shoes: Wearing socks, slippers, or flip-flops around the house keeps polish from scuffing and helps your feet stay soft.

4. Watch your shoes: Wait at least 12 hours after your pedicure to wear closed-toe shoes. Even if your polish feels surface dry, it takes time to fully cure, and you may wind up with sock or shoe-indents in your fresh polish.

5. Reapply topcoat: You can wait a little longer, like 4-5 days, before reapplying topcoat to your toes, but this will help restore shine and prevent chipping (make sure to seal the free edge).

Ready for a manicure or pedicure? Call (815) 223-8643 to schedule your appointment today or see all of our manicure and pedicure services here.