Manicure comes from the French word manucure, meaning “care of the hands”, which in turn originates from the Latin words manus, for “hand”, and cura, for “care”. A Manicure is a mostly cosmetic beauty treatment for the fingernails and hands performed at home or in a nail salon. With time this meaning has evolved to include nail and skin care in addition to medical procedures and treatments revolving around the hand, nail painting, strengthening and numerous applications.
Audrey Hepburn
The history of manicure
The history of manicures and nail care reveals some fascinating information. In ancient times, it was seen as a part of the Upper Class and a status symbol. It was not until the nineteenth century when things started to change, bringing nail care into mainstream society as part of the fashion and glamour industry.
A society began to grow, new technological advances were made and tolls for nail treatments began to emerge. Dr. Sitts, an European podiatrist, in the 1830’s, invented orange sticks because they were originally made from orange wood, which became known as the first wooden manicure tool.These tools with the advent of Acrylic paint spread to the United States bringing Salons to mainstream society, where previously nail care was seen as something women performed themselves at home.
Interesting facts about nails
Do you know, your dominant hand fingernails grow faster than your other hand fingernails. Fingernails grow an average of 3.5 millimeters per month, whereas toenails grow an average of 1.6 millimeters a month.
The cuticles around your nails are to lock down the moisture of the nails which keeps the nail moisturized and strong. Not just sealing moisture, cuticles also ensure that germs stay out of nail bed. Make sure not to upset cuticles and if you have a cuticle injury, treat it as soon as possible.
Different types of modern pedicure
If you have never has a Manicure or Pedicure before, you may be wondering whats the difference between each of the options. Here is a quick rundown of the more popular options available.
Basic Manicure or Pedicure
This is the most commonly known treatment and one of the most popular. A basic mani/pedi begins with your hands or feet first soaked in warm water. This is followed by clipping, filing, and shaping the nails.
This helps to soften up dead skin cells and soothe your cuticles. Once your nails are properly cleaned and buffed, your feet are treated to a foot massage. The procedure ends with the application of your choice of nail polish or cuticle oil.
French manicure
For longer lasting and higher quality treatment you cant go past a gel or shellac Mani/Pedi. Making use of UV light technology to provide longer lasting nail color, it is more expensive than a regular pedicure but involves similar steps. Once the basic steps of the Mani/Pedi are complete, the nails are then topped with gel polishes in 3 layers. 1) base coat 2) color and 3) top coat. Between each layer, the polish is curing under an LED light. A gel based polish is more durable and remains chip free longer. They are great for low maintenance and usually last anywhere from 2 to 4 week, depending on how they are looked after.
Different types of nail shapes
There are several nail shapes: the basic shapes are almond, oval, pointed, round, square, square oval, square with rounded corners, and straight with a rounded tip. The “square oval” shape is sometimes known as a “squoval”, a term coined in 1984. The squoval is considered a sturdy shape, useful for those who work with their hands.
