• Grooming is not the only reason your man should man up and manicure those nails, personal hygiene also counts.
• There’s nothing emasculating about grooming your nails — or even getting a manicure or pedicure,
Image: Courtesy: Pinterest
Grooming is not the only reason your man should man up and manicure those nails, personal hygiene also counts.
His feet could probably benefit even more from a little grooming.
“There’s nothing emasculating about grooming your nails. Just like your hair, your nails need pampering too, so get him a manicure or pedicure,” says Mitchy Kani a cosmetic and spa owner in Nairobi.
“There are loads of men nowadays who get their cuticles cut back and nails groomed,” he adds.
“And there are plenty of reasons to join them, aside from aesthetics.”
He said it is the rubbing and jarring movements during long hours spent in closed shoes which leave your toenails black and bruised.
With enough impact, the nails can fall off. He advised keeping the nails short to reduce irritation.
“The longer your toenails and the more you let debris build-up under the nail, the greater your chance of suffering infections and ingrown nails grows,” he said.
“It’s so much easier and smarter to prevent this all in the first place by maintaining nice short nails and staying groomed.”
Caring about first impressions also matters, ladies do check a man’s nails and rate hygiene. From toenails to fingers.
Your grooming reflects you as a person your ability to take care of yourself and showcase the fact you have your life together.
“Remember this: Your hands are always on display. Men and women don’t want to shake a claw or stare at filthy fingernails,” he said.
Image: Pinterest
HOW TO GROOM YOUR NAILS YOURSELF
If you’d rather not ever set foot in a nail salon, we feel you.
Follow these tips to perfect your at-home nail-grooming skills:
Once you’re out of the shower, use a pumice stone (mawe) or other devices to gently buff away calluses.
“The thick skin on your feet will be softer immediately after a good soak making it easier to exfoliate,” Kani says.
“This should be done no more than once per week if needed, and shouldn’t be painful!”
Kani advises after exfoliating, apply a moisturizer that contains urea or salicylic acid to help prevent dry rough skin and calluses.
Image: Margaret Wanjiru
- Cut.
“Trim your nails in a straight line across the top-most part of your nail to help prevent ingrown nails from forming,” Kani said.
“It’s okay to trim your nails short, to the point where there’s no white of the nail remaining, but you want to make sure you don’t trim too much as this can be painful and lead to infection,” he said.
Essentially you don’t want to clip the nail bed; that’s what’s considered “too short.”
- Shape and smooth.
“File your nails to make smooth borders; this way you don’t have any sharp edges that’ll snag on clothing, making it prone to fissures and breaks.”
He advises shaping the nail in a triangle or round shape to prevent breakage.
“And if your cuticles tend to fray, try applying coconut oil to them after trimming—and avoid biting or picking! so they can heal faster,” he said
Get Polished
This is one of the biggest misconceptions. “You don’t need to get polished or buffed,” Kani says.
It’s totally optional for you to get a clear coat of polish. Some guys don’t like the look of it, and that’s okay.
“You can still get your nails trimmed, filed, pared-down, and get your calluses and cuticles fixed.”
Enjoy the experience as it is completely normal.
Edited by D Tarus