Ever had trouble with your manicure not lasting a very long? It could be the products you’re using, but it could also be the way you prepare your nails for that manicure! Go to a nail salon and you’ll see that the technician preps your nails no matter what enhancements they’re going to add, so why don’t we do the same for at-home manicures? Well I’m here to show and tell you EXACTLY how to do it so your at-home manicures last!

4 EASY NAIL PREP STEPS:

1. REMOVE any old polish/gel/wraps from your nails with whatever nail polish remover works best for you. Be sure to get in the cuticle line and the edges of your nails (you can use a nail polish remover pen for this, or just dip an orange stick in the remover and clean up your edges) PRO TIP: If you’re using pure acetone as remover, try adding a little cuticle oil to the skin around your nails to keep them from drying out too much!
2. SHAPE your nails with a nail file (clippers work too if you’re looking to take down the length of your nails). Glass nail files are great for shaping because you can control how much length comes off a little easier than you can with emory boards, and they’re a softer grit and more gentle on your nail beds.
3. PUSH back your cuticles. Most people (including some nail techs) think that the cuticle is the skin at the bottom edge of your nail, but it’s NOT! The cuticle is a clear sticky film that sometimes grows down the length of your nail, and causes polish and other nail add-ons to not stay on very well. That skin at the bottom of your nail is called the proximal nail fold, and it actually protects you from germs getting under your skin and into your nail matrix. Gently pushing back the cuticle and that skin fold can lead to cleaner looking nails and longer lasting manicures, but cutting that skin can cause irritation and infection.
4. CLEAN your nails with a nail prep solution or rubbing alcohol. Cotton balls work well but lint-free wipes will keep those little pieces of lint from catching onto your nails. Don’t forget to clean the underside of your nails too! (q-tips are great for this if you’re not using a wipe)

That’s it- four simple steps that’ll make your manicures look better and last longer than ever! If you aren’t adding any color, you can apply cuticle oil/lotion and stop here. If you’re going to add polish/gel/wraps/anything, I would wait to add the oil or lotion because that would affect how well the color lasts, basically canceling out all that hard work you just did!