Written by Rakelle Maurici in Beauty on the 19th August 2015

You are well dressed, well-groomed with a fresh haircut but you have bitten and dirty nails. This is a real turn-off for women, whether you have a manual working job or not, there really is no excuse why you can’t keep them clean and tidy. Especially with it currently being sandal weather outside - so the same rules apply to your feet too. Firstly, let the stigma go that pedicures and manicures are just for women, we see many men in salons receiving this treatment. All kinds of different men get them, from celebrities to athletes, for many reasons.

To get started with good nails ask your manicurists to trim your nails to a reasonable length (long nails on a man are a no-no) and ask them to give your nails a buff so they're smooth and clean on the surface. Next, have your cuticles cut back; often these can get damaged in the process of working, so having them cut back will keep them out the way and will make your nails and hands look neater and cleaner. Applying a nail polisher to your nails is also a good idea. If you think that polishers are just for women, this article from Cote talks about the benefits of polishers for your nails.

Home maintenance after this is rather easy too. To keep the undersides of your nails clean and rid of any dirt, give them a soak in soapy water then cut back the nails with clippers or file them and moisturise your hands daily. Our feet undergo quite a bit of hard work via walking for hours or standing on your feet all day, so giving them a little care and attention is a necessity but also a nice way for you to relax. In the same way as treating your finger nails ask your pedicurists to trim and buff the nails. As well as remove any dead skin on the heel or around the toes.

It’s not always cost effective to go to a salon every few weeks so you can maintain this at home easily. Occasionally soak your feet and use a foot scrub too. Keep the nails short and clean as well as moisturise your feet regularly. People often say the white marks that appear on your nails is a calcium deficiency, this is not true. It’s trauma to the nail so it’s a case you banged it or too much pressure was applied in that spot. In time they will disappear despite how much milk you might drink!

We talk about the male manicure, pedicuture and nail maintenance in this article titled The Rise of the MAN-icure.