1. “Don’t ever cut the nail cuticle – on either your hands or your feet. And if the nail bar person does it, tell them not to! It’s actually very dangerous and they should not be penetrating the skin or causing bleeding.”
Alison says we should only ever push back cuticles and that’s best done when the skin is warm and soft like after a shower or bath.
“Cutting them off continually is trauma and your skin will grow back thicker to protect itself. It can also cause infection. Same rule goes for hard skin on the feet, do not ever razor or slice it off. If it’s a problem then see a podiatrist who is trained to do this and knows how to do it safely. And if the nail bar person does it, tell them not to. It’s actually very dangerous and they should not be penetrating the skin or causing bleeding.”
2. “ Don’t cut the nails too short as they become sensitive and can easily get infected. Number one mistake that most people make with toe nails is cutting the white edge off. Toe nails grow half the speed as finger nails and they are very sensitive, leave the free edge (white bit) and smooth it off with a buffer horizontally.
3. “Don’t tear off the nail ever. Always file the nails. Even the toes need a file over the edge as it helps to prevent the colour from chipping and gives a professional salon finish.
4. “Don’t ever thin down your nail colour with nail polish remover! If the polish is thick and sticky, bin it and buy a new one. Fresh polish should be stored in a dark cupboard, not the fridge and not on the dressing table. Always clean the neck of the bottle with a swipe of nail polish remover and do the bottle up nice and tight.
5. “Never shake your nail colour, just roll it between you hands this will prevent bubbles in the final finish.”
In the tool kit:
Sally Hansen Nail Shaper, $2.95, au.sallyhansen.com
Manicare Nail Clippers, $6.99, manicare.com.au
COLOUR by TBN Nail Polish Remover Wipes, $2.95, tbn.com.au
