Step-by-step manicure and pedicure at home

Maria Endah Hulupi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

It may be one of those simple things to do in your daily life, but spending some time on a nail treatment will certainly make you look better and it says something about personal hygiene.

Let's start from here: We may not realize that our routines have a damaging effect on our hands and feet until we notice our nails cracking or becoming brittle and our skin drying (hopefully it's not during a cocktail party).

If it happens, we need more than just the basic routine like cutting our nails and rubbing hands with moisturizer to revive these particular body parts.

The treatment manager at Dharmawangsa hotel in South Jakarta, Ida, shared her secrets on the proper way to perform manicure and pedicure at home. Ideally these treatments are repeated every two weeks.

The basic tools include nail clippers, nail file, gentle brush or unused toothbrush, foot file to remove dead skin from the sole of the foot and a pencil-like cuticle pusher. Optional: cuticle clipper, credo (which can be substituted with foot file).

Other stuff includes (ordinary) shampoo, alcohol, cotton, body lotion (preferably those with vitamin E) and aromatherapy essence oil, such as relaxing lavender (or go with your favorite ones). Optional: cuticle cream.

Basic pedicure techniques:

1. Use cotton soaked in acetone solution to thoroughly remove nail polish. Clip toenails slightly above the flesh area and leave the shape of the top square to avoid ingrown toenails. Then sand the nails to smoothen the top (photo 1). 2. Soak the foot in a small basin, filled with warm water, add a little shampoo/shower gel and a few drops of essence oil. Let it soak for five to ten minutes and sand the sole with food file to remove dead skin and soak it again. Repeat the procedure on the other foot (photo 2). 3. Gently brush the toes of one foot with an unused toothbrush, soaked in a shampoo solution. Make sure that all dirt trapped under the toenails are thoroughly removed using the tip of the nail file. Rinse and pat the foot dry. Repeat the procedure with the other foot (photo 3). 4. Dab a little cuticle cream/body lotion on each toe and gently push the cuticle to the base of each nail to enable proper nail growth. Carefully cut cuticles on each side of the nails with cuticle clipper. Clean the toes and the nails using cotton soaked in alcohol. Repeat this procedure with the other foot (photo 4). 5. Apply body lotion up to the knee. Gently massage it to improve blood circulation and soothe fatigue (photo 5).

The same technique can be used for manicure.

Start with clipping the nails, filing them, soaking the hand in bubble bath, brushing the fingernails with shampoo, then applying cuticle cream/body lotion and push the cuticle toward the base of the nails, clipping the cuticle from each side of the nails, removing the cream/lotion residue with alcohol and applying hand and body lotion. Then you're ready to polish your nails.

If you want to apply nail polish: * Make sure the nail is clean and dry. * Apply base coat first to protect the nails. Let dry. * Gently and carefully apply the nail polish. Allow it to dry completely before the second application. Let it dry again. Double applications will give a better result than single, which is too thin, or triple, which is too thick. * Once it is set, finish with the top coat to protect the nail polish from scratches and other damage.

Tips: * Remove nail polish at least every week. * While polishing your toenails, insert a cotton bud between each toe to protect them from possible damage due to touching. * Change nail polish color periodically. Alter dark color with pale one for variation. It is also advisable to let the nails "breathe" without any nail polish for a week. * Use foot file instead of hard pumice stone to remove dead skin which can lead to painful skin irritation. * Start eating healthy food and stop smoking, which may lead to dry skin and brittle nails. Lack of potassium can lead to layered toenails. When you have this problem, Ida advises you to eat potassium-rich bananas. * Instead of using expensive commercial buffing, try a dried banana leaf. Use it to polish the surface of the nails and you will see them glow. * When doing household chores, protect your hands from strong detergent, dirt by wearing gloves. * After showering, dab baby oil all over your legs and hands and pat them dry with a clean towel. * To soothe very dry and often painful cracked skin, Ida advised the use of raw egg whites 15 minutes before rinsing it with warm water while showering or before sleeping. Use lotion to moisturize the skin. * Brittle nails can be strengthened with garlic. Just polish the nail with fresh garlic and let dry for five to ten minutes. Rinse with warm water. Do it twice a day.