Pretty hands, sexy feet

I HEAR a lot about what men like and don’t like from my opinionated male friends.

Most times, they speak a lot of sense but sometimes they just rumble.

During a flame grilled chicken meal on a lazy Sunday afternoon recently, one of them suddenly remarked, “You don’t have fake nails,” sounding rather shocked.

I stopped chewing for a minute, looked at my hands and asked, “What’s wrong with not having fake nails?” I was ready to defend myself.

He quickly contextualised his sentiments saying it was actually good that I didn’t have fake nails – they irritated him.

Women love long fake nails and he really isn’t a fan, he said.

I personally have nothing against artificial nails; I get them once in a while.

In fact, until recently, I had acrylic nails painted red, which I absolutely loved!

They made my almost yellow bone hands look prettier.

But I had to stop after I realised that my nail bed had become fragile. It was probably due to all the filing that takes place during the process.

I knew it was time to stop when I’d exert minimal pressure on my nails and they’d become red and painful.

My mother was probably thrilled at this development – she has always resented long artificial nails and said they made my hands look like that of a witch – whatever witch nails look like!

I’ve never taken it personally because I know how pretty manicured nails can look.

Sometimes life gets in the way of things and makes it difficult for most to keep their hands looking neat.

Artificial nails make it easier to keep the hands clean and tidy, I’ve realised.

It’s probably psychological but when you have artificial nails, you avoid doing things that may mess up your nails.

For some, acrylic nails help conceal or fix broken, damaged, short, or otherwise considered “undesirable” nail appearance.

It also helps prevent people from biting their nails, breakage of nails, and protect splits.

They are used when people are not able to grow the length and strength of natural nails that they desire.

This problem can be solved by using certain nail techniques such as nail tipping, sculptured nails, nail wrapping, or acrylic overlays. But acrylic nails often make natural nails thin when removed. If fitted properly, artificial nails are usually not problematic.

However, long term use and poorly fitted nails can seriously damage the nail bed and hamper natural nail growth.

The most common problem associated with artificial nails is a bacterial infection that may develop between the false and natural nail. Sometimes I see a lot of dirt build up under the nails and I wonder if the owner can’t see the dirt.

Often I hear people asking, “How do you bath, eat or wash with long nails?” It’s actually simple.

For me, it’s the overly long and dirty nails that are appalling. Once you get artificial nails – it becomes a pre-requisite to keep them extra clean to avoid any infections.

A safe length is important so that you don’t accidentally hurt yourself or the people around you. We don’t want you to be clawing like a cat! 

Nail trends are on steroids right now, there’s just so much to choose from, it can get a little confusing.

But remember, whatever you choose needs to be manageable and clean.

You can’t stop living because your nails are too long to open a can of Coca-Cola!

I often hear people talking about wearing dull nail polish during winter, that’s boring!

Live a little and add some colour to your winter days.

If colour is a thing for you and you don’t really want artificial nails, acrylic powder applied directly to the nails creates a base that allows your nail polish to last much longer. I usually do that with my feet. Because I’m almost always wearing closed shoes and it is winter after all, I keep my toe nails short, apply acrylic powder and paint them some hot colour – for when I remove my shoes.

I can’t bear the pain of artificial nails on my feet, they seem to make my shoes fit tighter than they are – it’s unbearable.