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June 25, 2026
Photo courtesy of nail stylist @lisss.nailss / jewelry by Poison Drop
Although manicure is often perceived as a purely aesthetic procedure — and "a woman's thing" at that — its role in maintaining the health of your hands and nails shouldn't be underestimated. Why does everyone need a manicure?
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In short, here's why:
- Removal of dead skin cells: regular exfoliation promotes healthy cell renewal.
- Infection prevention: a properly performed manicure prevents hangnails and skin cracks — the kind of micro-injuries that can become entry points for infections.
- Circulation boost: the hand and cuticle massage during a manicure improves microcirculation, which helps nourish both the skin cells and the nail plate.
- Fungal infection prevention: regular nail inspection during a manicure allows you to catch early signs of fungal infections and begin treatment at the initial stage.
It turns out that a manicure is no less important than brushing your teeth or taking a shower. As for types of manicure, we can broadly distinguish two categories: everyday and special-occasion.
The first includes classic manicure with cuticle and free-edge treatment. This kind of nail care is universal — it's perfectly suitable for men as well. The second category covers bridal manicure, where the question of nail art and design becomes central. This option is genuinely more about women.
Regardless of your wedding concept or the bridal look you've chosen, your manicure will draw attention. Your hands will be "on camera" the entire time — from the "Morning of the Bride" photo session to cutting the cake. So give careful thought to both the length you'll be comfortable with and your color palette.
Preparation
The best thing you can do before a manicure is stay out of your own way. Before a classic manicure, don't try to trim anything yourself. Drop those thoughts of "I'm embarrassed to go to the salon with hands like these." Any micro-injuries can lead to infection. On top of that, it makes the technician's job harder to correct mistakes made during your DIY attempts at home.
The only thing required of you is to book an appointment and show up on time, leaving enough room for everything you've planned.
If you're getting a manicure with nail polish or gel, there's one more tip. For the 24 hours before your appointment, avoid oil-based creams or cuticle oils. They make the cuticle rubbery and difficult to remove, and they also compromise the adhesion of the product to the nail. Your technician will take care of everything else.
In between salon visits, make sure to include the following in your hand care routine:
- Oils and creams. Especially important in winter. Choose your cream based on your skin's needs — it could be a moisturizer or a nourishing formula.
- Hand scrubs — any gentle scrub will do.
- Paraffin therapy (great for winter). This treatment is ideal for people with very dry skin, and you don't have to go to a salon for it. Simply apply the formula to your hands, put on gloves, wait the specified time, then massage any remaining product into your skin.
Classic Cut Manicure
What you'll need for a classic manicure:
- antiseptic;
- a hand soak bowl;
- orange sticks for pushing back the cuticle;
- curved-tip scissors or manicure nippers;
- a single-use nail file.
If you're visiting a salon for this procedure, pay close attention to the tools. They must go through 3 stages of disinfection and should be presented to you sealed in a sterilization pouch. The pouch features indicator markings that confirm the instruments have been processed and are sterile.
The procedure consists of 5 steps:
- Sanitize hands with antiseptic.
- Soften hardened skin in a hand soak.
- Push back the cuticle and remove it using scissors or nippers.
- Shape the nail plate with a file.
- Post-treatment finishing.
Non-Cut Manicure
This style — also known as European manicure — comes in three variations:
- Dry. Only a remover (a product that softens the cuticle) and an orange stick are needed.
- Wet. After applying the remover, hands are placed in a warm water soak. Once removed, the cuticle is pushed back with an orange stick.
- Hot. Instead of water, a heated lotion or oil is used.
This is probably the safest type of at-home nail care. The key is finding the right remover for your skin.
Electric/Machine Manicure
This one is decidedly not for home use — the process is quite involved. This type of manicure is typically performed by a technician before gel polish and/or nail extensions.
Compared to classic cut manicure, this method is more intensive. The procedure involves not just trimming the cuticle, but thoroughly cleaning the lateral nail folds as well. The nail surface is then buffed to create proper adhesion for the coating.
This manicure is performed using an electric nail drill with interchangeable bits. The drill bit, like any other manicure tool, must go through all stages of disinfection and sterilization and be sealed in a sterile pouch.
Procedure steps:
- Apply antiseptic to hands.
- Shape the free edge of the nail plate.
- Gently push back the cuticle with an orange stick.
- Use the drill bit to remove the cuticle, lateral folds, and prepare the nail surface.
- Apply the long-wear coating of your choice (this step depends on the material you've selected).
After Your Manicure
If you love wearing gel or gel polish, here's what you should know: it's a plastic material applied to the nail in liquid form and cured under a UV lamp. Because of its rigidity, the hardened polish can chip, crack, bend, or break. How long your manicure lasts depends on how well your technician matched the product to your nails — their structure, condition, and your daily habits.
When the right product and length are chosen, your manicure will look great for about 3 weeks on average. But nails grow, and that affects how it looks over time. To extend the life of your gel polish manicure, follow these simple tips:
- During the first 48 hours, avoid saunas, steam rooms, and soaking your hands in hot water. This is because full polymerization continues for another two days after your appointment.
- Avoid impacts.
- Don't scrape burnt food off pans with the corners of your nails.
- Wear gloves for all household chores.
After three weeks, it's time to make a decision: correction or removal. If you opt for removal, both electric and classic manicure techniques can be used.
The long-wear coating is filed down with a drill bit to approximately half its thickness. The free edge is then shortened to minimal length.
You can speed up the nail plate recovery process. Great helpers include: strengthening polish and nail growth stimulants, such as monarda oil. All of these products are widely available online and are quite affordable.
To reach your goal, you'll need to wait 6 months. During this time, polish or gel coatings are off the table. Classic manicure, however, is not only allowed — it's recommended every two weeks. In the first few months after removing long-wear coatings, keep the free edge as short as possible to prevent nail breakage.
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Ksenia Chemodanovaauthor