No, your mouth isn’t a certified nail clipper.

Very few people consider themselves fans of grimy, uneven fingernails. 

If you’re thinking, “but Disco, taking care of your hands and fingers, that’s for girls, right? I’m not going to a salon or making a nail appointment!” then you’re in for a treat. 

The greatest investment a man can make is in himself, and a well-manicured set of fingers is a flex. Doing the little things and taking care of ourselves is a universally attractive quality that speaks volumes– we’re men, not boys. 

However, a DIY manicure is almost too unfair of a life hack because it’s so easy and inexpensive. Here’s the low-down on how to knock out a DIY manicure for men:

1. Scrub a Dub Dub

First, use a nail brush (most brushes with coarse, but not too coarse bristles, will work) to clean your exterior or your nail and under your nail beds. Nail brushes usually come with an edge that makes scraping the area between your nail and your finger pretty effortless.

2. Soak Those Bad Boys

Soaking your digits in some warm water helps to soften your hands and nail beds, making the remainder of a process much smoother. Plus, washing your hands for a minimum of twenty seconds helps remove microbes and harmful bacteria.

Grab your go-to body wash or hand soap and a bowl capable of comfortably fitting your hands. Add a few drops of soap, pour in warm water, and mix the combination to a froth. 

Submerge your hands in the water for 8 to 12 minutes. 

3. Edge Your Nails

Before we get started on trimming, let’s do one more go-through under the nail bed with the edge of a nail file.

Lots of dirt and bacteria can accumulate underneath your nails, and much of it can be very harmful if ingested– further supporting the notion to not bite your nails. 

Take your time with your nail file to make sure you get all that bacteria, dirt, and muck. It’s important to go in one direction only; if you go back and forth, you’ll be wiping bacteria back into your nails.

When you’re done, wash your hands again with soap to further disinfect any spots that were covered by grime before. 

4. Time to Trim

The time has come: the time to trim. 

The concept is pretty simple: use your nail clippers to trim a thin white crescent of around your nail. 

This is one of those things that you get better with practice, but it doesn’t take much. Take your time; go all the way around the nail.

Try not to cut too much of your nail off or too close to the skin. 

5. File This Under: Almost Done

Smooth the edges of your nails with a nail file, only going in one direction.  The goal is to smooth out the rough ridges and perfect your nail crescent. 

Next, grab your nail buffer and go in one direction across your nail tops. This isn’t particularly necessary, but it does help you get that smooth, polished look that demonstrates mastery. 

6. Cuticle Care for Guys

Do you know that tough white-opaque skin at the base of your nail? That’s your cuticle. Sometimes, our cuticles can grow far onto the nail, which distracts from an otherwise perfect manicure. 

The light skin that overlaps the bottom of your nail bed can be carefully trimmed and pushed back with clippers. 

Don’t use your fingers to pick at your skin; this can lead to painful rips and tears. Tools exist for a reason!

Proper cuticle care starts with massaging your cuticles with cuticle oil. This helps to moisturize your cuticles and warm them up for the next step. It takes about 30 seconds for the cuticle oil to be absorbed. 

Next, use a cuticle stick to gently push the cuticle skin back. If you’re too aggressive, you can cut your cuticles and possibly get them infected, so take your time. 

Scrape off any dead skin, and voila! Time for the home stretch.

7. Moisturize 

Okay, you’ve smoothed out your fingernails, let’s wrap up the whole shebang with some moisturizer. Pick out a hand lotion that makes your hands feel silky smooth. Hand cream is an excellent addition to your daily routine to help soothe and prevent cracked, dry skin. 

Your hands do everything for you, so give them some love! Use a body lotion or moisturizer on your fingers, hands, arms, or heck, do your full body– you deserve it! 

Apply some moisturizer on a regular basis to keep those hands smooth and nourished.

Final Thoughts

Throw excuses for sporting gross nails out the window, because finally, you’ve unlocked the secrets of manicures for men. 

Next time you think you’d like to treat yourself at home, add a DIY men’s manicure to your self-care routine. 

Follow these basic techniques for an easy and reliable DIY manicure for men.

Manicures and pedicures for men are a sure way to maintaining a clean and proper look. Self-grooming doesn’t stop at finding the best skincare routine or putting on deodorant before you head out for the day. Learn how to care for your nails and avoid the ordeal of going to a salon. Pretty rad if you ask us.

Your fingers are some of the most critical assets you possess, so don’t neglect them. Take care of your hands, and you may end up with even more digits– we’re talking about dates and phone numbers!)