The Right Way To Prep Your Nails For An At-Home Manicure

Neatly manicured nails are the cherry on top of any aesthetic. It's difficult to look put together if your nails are a hot mess, but contrary to what you might have heard, that definitely doesn't mean regular salon visits are obligatory. You can give yourself a dream manicure at home for the same results, whether your taste veers toward simple French manicures or maximalist-loved styles like charm nails. The key is prepping the nails and fingers properly before applying your manicure.

To find out what steps are involved in prepping for a DIY manicure, Glam spoke exclusively to celebrity and editorial manicurist Sonya Meesh. "The most important step would be to gently remove any excess dead skin from your nail plate," they explain. "It's sufficient enough to use a chemical exfoliator with an orange wood stick. I wouldn't use a buffer blow 240 on the natural nail if you are doing frequent at home lacquer manicures." If you have any leftover nail polish, you can remove it before buffing away that dead skin. 

It's important to keep in mind that cutting your cuticles might not be the best option since it can expose you to infection, but another step in preparing for a professional-looking manicure is pushing back the cuticles and cutting off loose, hanging pieces of skin in the area. Meesh notes that one of the most frequent errors when it comes to DIY manicure prep is the over-clipping of the cuticles during this stage. "Consistent maintenance with adequate hydration, a gentle push back, and excellent cuticle remover will suffice!" they remind us. "Also, stop over buffing your nails!" To finish your prep, you may also want to exfoliate the hands after pushing back your cuticles. Once your skin is primed, you can go in with your base coat and start the manicure.

Cuticle remover tends to be the most useful when you have thick cuticles that are hard to push back manually. This solvent will break down dead skin cells in the area and remove them without you needing to over-cut. When it comes to specific recommendations, Sonya Meesh tells Glam exclusively that they're a fan of Orly's Cutique: "It's the best cuticle remover in my opinion — I've been using it for years!" Finishing off your DIY manicure with cuticle oil will rehydrate the fingers, especially if you used a cuticle remover or harsh nail polish remover. 

There are a few benefits that come with applying cuticle oil every day, including maintaining healthy, soft cuticles. To that end, Meesh advises going for an accessible brand that you'll be able to apply yourself. "If that means 'treating yourself' to an expensive one to ensure you use it, so be it, but I tend to reach for products that are easy to administer/are hygienic on the go," they say. "L'Occitane and Manucurist have great cuticle pens, Dr. Dana and Essie have lovely roll-on options and they're all generally in the same price range (Essie being the most accessible and cost-effective)." Essie also has its brush-on Apricot Nail & Cuticle Oil if you prefer the traditional formula.