Secrets of the pedicure. How to cut your toenails correctly?
Nails are the business 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 in cutting toenails. But this opinion is erroneous. Proper execution of the nail cutting procedure is not only a guarantee of a beautiful pedicure, but also the absence of problems with ingrown nails and infection with pathogenic microflora. For women, toenails are also a fashionable decoration that complements the image.
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 repeats the shape of the fingertips.
The most secure and correct arch is considered. With it, there are no problems when performing a proper hygienic pedicure and nail clipping. The middle line should be cut at a right angle, and the edges should be rounded off with a saw.
The tool’s abrasiveness should be 100/100 or 100/120 grit.
This scheme is necessary so that the nail does not grow into the skin and does not form excessive skin growth in the corners.
A properly formed nail bed does not cause discomfort when wearing shoes or doing household chores.
At the same time, you can not cut your nails at the root. It is necessary to leave the edge free for 2-4 mm.
What to cut: the choice of scissors and other tools
It is very important to choose the right tool that should have a sharp sharpening. It is not recommended to trim your toenails with nail scissors. You will not be able to do this correctly and efficiently. For the procedure, it is better to choose forceps with a flat platform of 10-12 cm in size.
Not to be confused with cuticle clippers, which have a small platform and slightly rounded tips.
If the nails are hard and too thick, it is most often used crisper. German manufacturers of manicure and pedicure tools have special strong nail clippers for thick nails. They are made of carbon steel with a Nickel-plated coating, so they can withstand loads when cutting dense 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.
- Nail file.
- Pliers for cutting leather.
- Curette.
- Pumice stone for heels.
- Moisturizer.
- Alcohol or other antiseptic.
- Disposable gloves.
- A towel, water, and a basin.
- It is very important to wash your hands.
If there is 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 the instrument
Each person in the family should have an individual tool for manicure or pedicure. Disinfection should be performed before and after each use.
If there is a sterilizer or a frying pan, it is not superfluous to use them periodically. Sterilization can be performed by boiling instruments. However, this method should not be used often. The cutting edges quickly become blunt when they come into contact with boiling water.
If the tool is cheap and the metal in it is of poor quality, then boiling will lead to deformation.
With the help of ultrasonic sterilization and a special solution, you can perform high-quality disinfection in a short time. For the simplest disinfection, you can use:
- alcohol;
- soap solution;
- special disinfectant sprays.
How to soften thick and hard nail plates with the help of baths?
Before cutting thick or hard nails, you should soften them. To make thickened nails easy to cut, and the skin on the heels became softer, you need to spend warm baths before the pedicure. You can add:
- soap solution to the water;
- decoctions of herbs;
- soda;
- ammonia.
Do not soften the nail plate too much and keep your feet in very hot water. It is better to pay attention to the heels, and the nails should remain a little firm.
To prepare a steaming bath, you will need:
- 2 liters of not too hot water;
- 1 tsp liquid soap;
- 0.5 tsp baking soda.
The legs should be lowered into the pelvis and after 10-15 minutes begin circumcision.
Tea tree and rosemary essential oils also soften nails and give an antiseptic effect. Their addition to water is useful if a person has fungal infections.
Sequence of procedures
After softening the nails and feet, you can start performing a pedicure. You can not cut the nail plate in one movement, as this can lead to:
- injury;
- stratification;
- fractures.
It is necessary to use the tool gradually, moving in small sections. At the end, you should file the free edge and sharp corners on the sides.
Nails should 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. Cut it with wire cutters carefully so as not to damage the living tissue. It is more convenient to use a remover and an orange stick. The product will painlessly soften excess skin, and it will not be difficult to remove it.
The ideal pedicure is that after which the heels are soft and tender. Therefore, on the softened skin, you should work with pumice stone, and then lubricate the feet with a greasy cream. Read also Skin Care.
Features of cutting
The growth of the nail plate is individual and depends on many factors:
genetics;
taking vitamins and mineral complexes;
individual characteristics of the body.
Therefore, to carry out the process of hygienic pedicures for both women and men should, to the extent necessary. For accuracy and lack of problems with strong skin growths and dryness, it is best to do a pedicure once every two weeks.
Child
Nail clipping for children should be performed with nail scissors made of surgical steel with rounded ends. A month after birth, the nail plate acquires a dense structure, and most often the first time the nails are cut is in a month. It happens that children are born with long nails, then the procedure should be carried out immediately.
It is easiest for infants to cut their hair while sleeping or feeding.
It is very important that the baby has an individual set of accessories for cutting, because his immune system is not yet strong enough and there is a risk of infection. As you grow older, you can replace the scissors with “adult” ones with even ends.
Before use, the instrument must be treated with chlorhexidine.
Older person
Older people have a thick and rough nail plate due to a violation of the blood supply to the nail bed. Therefore, you should select special durable tools for the procedure.
If steaming baths do not help, it makes sense to make a night compress from aloe and Golden mustache. Algorithm of actions:
Wash and grind all components.
Apply to the nails and put on a plastic bag.
The compress should be on your feet for at least 8-12 hours.
A special keratolic patch, which can be purchased at a pharmacy, has a good softening effect. It is also used for fungal infection, as it has a therapeutic effect.
How to trim ingrown hair?
The problem of an ingrown nail is sometimes caused by various reasons, but the main one is incorrect cutting. If you make the shape oval and cut the corners too deep, the ingrowth will become a constant companion. At the site of localization is formed:
- inflammation;
- abscesses;
- redness;
- swelling;
I feel a throbbing pain.
To prevent the nails from growing, you should cut them in a timely manner and do not leave sharp tips. At the first sign of an ingrown nail, it is recommended:
Make a warm foot bath, adding a solution furatsilina.
Carefully pry the growing part with a curette and shorten it.
If the nail does not give in, make a compress with “Levomecol”.
If the ingrown part is not cut off in time, the situation becomes worse and surgical help may be needed. Under local anesthesia, the surgeon removes either the entire nail or part of it.
How to trim fungal plants?
During a fungal infection, the structure of the nails completely changes.
They become hard, brittle, flaky, uneven, and it becomes impossible to cut them. To soften the nail plate, folk methods or pharmaceutical preparations are used.
- decoction of chamomile;
- lemon juice or zest;
- rose and lavender essential oils;
- antibacterial soap;
- the aloe leaf.
After softening, you should perform a pedicure similar to the procedure with healthy nails.
Is it possible to harm a wrong haircut?
The negative consequences of improper cutting can bring serious problems:
- ingrown toenail;
- development of inflammatory processes;
- deformation of the nail plate;
- fungus.
Therefore, it is very important to learn how to properly cut your nails for yourself and your child.
To preserve the health and beauty of nail plates, do not neglect their care. Not superfluous are oils and creams for deep moisturizing of the skin of the feet and nails, regular pruning and filing.
You do not need to save money on buying a tool, as it depends on the convenience and quality of the work performed.
High-quality shoes that fit the size are also an important condition.
Following these simple rules, you can have a healthy nail plate and well-groomed legs.