• More than 95 percent of men responding to a survey said the beautiful hands and nails make a woman seem more feminine and alluring.
• Most men don't play nail color favorites. They respond to the entire spectrum of hues.
• Of all the beauty turnoffs men mention, ragged, unkempt nail are among the top 10.
• Drinking or eating gelatin will not make your nails stronger.
• The best nutrition for nails is eggs, lean meats and fish.
• Mineral supplments such as calcium, silica or zinc will not help your nails.

MANICURES

A Perfect At-Home, No-Chip Manicure in Five Easy Steps

1.  Remove Polish.   You need a clean start, so remove all traces of polish.  Dampen a cotton ball with remover and hold over nail for a few seconds, then swipe away from the cuticle.  Fold it over and swipe again.  If necessary, dip an orangewood stick wrapped in a bit of cotton or a cotton swab into remover to clean off any additional polish left on the nail plate.   But use polish remover sparingly. Too much remover can strip nails of their natural vital moisture.

2.  File and Buff.   Using an emery board, file each nail to create the shape you want. Do not drag the file back and forth but use short strokes in one direction. Never file nails when they are wet and most susceptible to damage.  Follow the filing with a smooth chamois buffer to gently smooth away any ridges on top of the nail plate.

3. Condition Cuticles.   Apply a generous amount of cuticle cream to each cuticle area and gently massage in. Wrap an orangewood stick in cotton and gently push back the nail plate. Do not cut off the cuticle -- you risk infection and shred the cuticle. You can soften this area by soaking the nails for at least five minutes in warm water.

4. Massage.   Apply a moisturizer all over hands, including into the cuticles. Then dip a cotton ball into an astringent to remover any excess oil on the nails.

5.  Polish.   First apply a base coat or primer to prep the nail color. Point one stroke down the middle, then apply another on each side. Let dry. Then sweep on one coat of nail color, let that dry, then another. Unless your polish also contains both color and a top coat, layer on a clear top coat to help your polish wear longer and add shine. Also, using the tip of the polish brush, dab some polish on the top of the nail edge; it will help protect edges.

NAIL PROBLEMS SOLVED

Tips: 

• Replace emery boards after six uses. An uneven grain causes uneven filing. 
• Don't wear polish seven days a weeks. Leave nails free for at least a day.
• Always wear gloves for tasks such as dishwashing and gardening.
• Don not dig roughly when cleaning under nails.

Thickened Nail Polish.  After you have had polish for a while, it tends to thicken. Rather than toss it, turn the bottle upside down and roll it between your hands to mix up the polish. But don't add polish remover to thickened nail polish. Although it appears to thin out temporarily, the nail polish remover will eventually dry the polish out and spoil whatever is left. But when colors get so gloppy that the colors separate, it's time to get ride of the polish.

Chipped Polish. Use a file and smooth out the chipped polish until the ridge is even with the nail. Apply polish only to the chipped area and allow to dry. Re-coat the entire nail.

Split Nail. Apply quick-drying nail glue to the split and let it dry, then smooth with a file or buffer. you can also mend the split by covering it with a tiny piece of fabric cut from a tea bag, then dot on nail glue. Let dry completely and smooth with a buffer before lightly polishing.

Smudge. Apply polish remover to smudged polish to smooth out. Let it dry and follow up with a thin coat of polish.

Hangnail. Gently trim away only the excess skin, then apply a dab of antibiotic ointment. It is important to keep the area soft and supple, to prevent further breaks. If you want to wear polish until it heals, it should be applied away from the immediate area.