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Beautiful Nails
Nails fulfill the vital function of protecting your extra-sensitive
fingertips and improving your ability to pick up. Experts
believe it's taken over 300 million years for the sheets of horny
keratin protein that form the nails to evolve into smooth,
translucent plates. What appears pink and sheeny is mostly
composed of dead cells: the soft matrix at the base is the only
living part of the nail. Here, new cells grow and push up older,
dying cells that harden into protective shields.
Unlike hair that grows in cycles, nail growth is continuous, although rates vary. Children's nails take six to eight
weeks to grow from base to tip; adults three to four months.
After the age of 40, nails become more horny and ridged as
cell turnover slows.
Nails grow faster on your writing hand,
probably due to increased circulation to the fingertips.
Nails
also grow faster in summer than in winter, when cold weather hampers circulation, especially to the extremities.
Pregnancy, sunlight and exercise also speed growth.
Nail Care Tips
- Clean your nails with a soft brush.
- Give your hands a light scrubbing with a pumice stone, to gently cleanse the skin.
- Cut your nails to the desired length.
- File your nails to prevent splitting and flaking.
- Use the coarse side of the nail file to reduce the size of the nail, and the fine side to shape and seal edges.
- Snip cuticles with a cuticle cutter. You can also apply a liquid cuticle remover (an alkaline based liquid with a moisturizing agent) to the nails to further soften dead skin cells which collect around the nails groove
- Remove dirt lodged underneath nails.Change the water in the bowl and add a few drops of antiseptic solution.
- Apply hand cream and give yourself a thorough massage to remove dry or loose skin cells. This improves the circulation and allows hands to become supple and soft to the touch. At Villa Appearances, a vibratory massager is used to induce softness.Steam hands with a soft towel and relax.
- You are done with a the manicure. But if you would like to take things a step further, the Deluxe Rose Manicure at Villa Appearances has a few extra steps, for those who like to be spoiled.
- Apply a thick layer of cream to your hands.The thermo herb pack reduces wrinkles and fine lines, and tightens skin.This pack is removed after ten minutes and a rose mask pack is applied with a manicure brush, to refresh and rejuvenate hands.
- Nails are polished with a buffer. This improves blood circulation and gives nails a shine.Two coats of nail polish and a topcoat later.
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