There are many reasons why people who don’t go to a nail salon to get their nails done. For some it’s the cost. For others it’s that they are much more low maintenance and don’t think getting their nails done regularly is a priority. However, just because someone doesn’t go to the nail salon doesn’t mean they don’t care about their nail hygiene. Taking the do-it-yourself route can be a way to save some extra cash, learn a new skill and keep nails looking groomed.

But like everything new, doing a manicure at home requires a little bit of simple education. When doing a manicure at home, you will need a few tools to get the job done. Quick, easy, and doable, you can have nice looking nails in as little as 15 minutes. These do-it-yourself techniques are great for both manicures and pedicures. And yes, men this DIY manicure is for you too! Women love to see men’s nails groomed and manicured.

What you will need for your manicure at home:

-Bowl of warm water

-Soft towel

–Nail clipper

–Cuticle pusher

–Cuticle nipper

-Exfoliating scrub

-Moisturizer-lotion, cuticle softener, coconut oil, and/or olive oil

-If desired: base coat polish, nail polish, finishing coat polish

1) To start your do-it-yourself manicure at home, you will first need to remove any nail polish or coating. Use a non-acetone nail polish remover to prevent your skin from over-drying. Acetone-free nail polish removed is also healthier for you.

2) Next, trim your nails with a good nail clipper. Be sure to choose a nail clipper that creates sharp clean cuts. Clippers that are of poor quality leave jagged cuts and will ruin your manicure leaving you frustrated. When trimming, you can cut your nails so that they are either square or rounded in shape. However, if you are prone to in-grown nails, it’s important to cut your nails straight across and, therefore, give it a square shape.

3) Take a nail file and file down the rough edges. To file, stroke your nails in one direction. Filing back and forth can create split nails. When filing start with the rough side of the file first. Then switch to the finely textured side to smooth further.

4) Soak your cuticles in warm water for five minutes or use cuticle softener to loosen and soften the cuticles for removal. Use your index finger and thumb to massage your fingers and hands in a circular motion with moisturizing lotion.

5) Use a cuticle pusher to push back the cuticles. Remove excess cuticles with a sharp cuticle nipper. To use a nipper, clip and trim excess skin. The nipper should not tear the skin but simply clip off the excess cuticles so that your nail bed looks clean and neat. Don’t forget to clip off any hangnails. Hangnails are pieces of skin that peel off around the cuticle area. If they are not cut off, you risk tearing off too much skin which could result in bleeding.

6) Exfoliate your hands with a body scrub or homemade mixture of olive oil and kosher salt or raw sugar.  Scrub for a few minutes. Being sure to get all areas of the hands. Rinse off the scrub and moisturize your hands with lotion to soften the skin and soften rough spots. You hands should now feel super smooth.

7) If you want to go further and add nail polish. Use a base coat first. Let it dry. Then apply a coat of enamel. Apply two coats or as necessary. Be sure to let the polish dry after each coat. Finally, apply a top coat to protect and seal the polish in.

Doing a manicure at home can easily be done from the comfort of your own home. With a little know how and the right tools, you too can do your own manicure. When your nails look well groomed, it’s a good sign of proper hygiene. Don’t let hang nails and unruly nails be a turn off to other people. Instead, let them show you care about your hygiene. The only difference here is that you paid way less and saved yourself a trip to the salon.