How to Maintain a French Manicure

Women go to salons to have professional beautitians give them French manicures.

French manicures are created by filing a nail to a square tip or rounded tip and using white nail polish on the tip of the nail; the rest of the nail is natural or painted another color with nail polish. These natural French manicures require maintenance to prevent chipping. Acrylic fake nails are another option when selecting a way to decorate your nails; French manicured acrylic nails are available at salons. Acrylic nails can also chip or fade and require maintenance as well.

Things You'll Need

• Nail file
• French manicure pen
• Clear nail polish
• Cotton swabs
• Cuticle cream

Instructions

1. Buff the tips of your nails gently when the bright white coloration fades or discolors.

2. File the buffed tips into shape if the tips of your nails are torn or uneven.

3. Apply a new white coat of nail polish to the tips of your nails using a French manicure pen. French manicure pens make applying white French manicure tips easy.

4. Apply a thin layer of clear nail polish to protect your French manicure. Repeat this every other day to keep a protective coating over your nails.

5. Maintain healthy cuticles by soaking your fingers in warm water every other day or when needed. Use a cotton swab to gently push your cuticles back into place. Apply cuticle cream to moisturize your cuticles.

References

• DermaDoctor; French Manicure; Robin Heinz Bratslavsky; 2011
• Beautiful Healthy Fingernails; French Manicure; Beautiful-Healthy-Fingernails.com; 2011
• French Manicures; Maintaining Your French Maincures; French-manicures.com; 2011
• Hello Amanda; Keep Your French Manicure Super White!; Hello Amanda; 2011