The Man-icure

Having a great hair, shave and skin care regime has a huge impact on your grooming credentials as a man. But it’s the finer details that separate the boys from the men when it comes to grooming. These added extras are often the things that we neglect, particularly with the hectic lifestyle of the modern man, but if you can take the time and effort to get these little details right then it will make all the difference. Hand and nail care is one of those finer details.Now I know what you’re all thinking; that taking care of your hands and nails isn’t exactly the most ‘manly’ thing to do. But before anyone writes it off, let me ask you this; would you want to shake hands with someone who has unkempt, gruesome nails? Or fingers with the texture of sandpaper? I don’t think so.Men spend so much time worrying about having a six pack, or getting the perfect tan, but for normal everyday things like a meeting or a date, or important occasions like a job interview, your hands take centre stage along with your hair and skin. It’s for these reasons that we should take time and effort to ensure our hands and nails don’t let us down.The home man-incureHere is what you need to be doing to keep your hands and nails in check. Like most men’s grooming routines all it takes is a little know how, and a handful of good products and your on your way.Step 1Start by washing your hands and soaking them in warm water. Just like washing your face before shaving, this will ensure you’re clean, prepped and softened before you begin.Step 2Clean under the nail and push back the softened cuticles (taking extra care) using a Tweezer. Step 3With a pair of good quality clippers like the Tweezerman Deluxe Nail Clipper, get to work on cutting your nails. Be sure to take extra care because removing too much nail will be painful, and unsightly. It is recommended that you leave around one millimetre of growth at the end of the nail (the white bit).Step 4Giving your nails a smooth, precise finish requires some quality time with a nail file. When smoothing the edges of your freshly trimmed nails, be sure to file in the same direction (not back and forth) until you’ve perfectly shaped the edges.Remember that applying a daily hand cream is a given, but if you want to get the best out of it and leave your hands extra soft – apply a larger amount of cream before going to bed to let the cream soak in overnight.

Lifestyle

The Man-icure