The Manicure Procedure

People have been getting manicures for hundreds of years. The word is derived from the Latin word for hand and the Latin word for care, which basically means that a manicure is caring for ones hands. That sounds simple enough right?

Back in the early days of manicures only the very wealthy and pampered celebrities bothered getting a manicure. The process was expensive and time consuming. And it was basically a waste of time for the common laborer. Why bother to get your hands manicured it you were going to be picking cotton the next day?

Well today things are very different. Lots of people get manicures. Men and women included. If they don’t get regular manicures, then they certainly get them for special occasions like weddings, prom, special dates, etc.

There are also many different types of manicures. There is the spa manicure in which your hands are dipped in hot wax and the wax is allowed to harden. There is a basic manicure, a French manicure, and an at home manicure. Not only do the manicures themselves have different types, but the places that perform manicures may differ greatly as well.

Some fancy salons may charge as much as forty dollars for a basic manicure. Cruise ships and resorts are notorious for have exorbitant rates for manicures. Then on the other end of the spectrum, there are inexpensive nail salons that can cost as little as eight or ten dollars. This is surprising to me because the manicure procedure is basically the same at just about every place that I have ever had a manicure (trust me it’s a lot of different places).

Basically, the procedure is this. I come into the salon, sometimes I’m offered a glass of wine, (this usually doesn’t happen at the ten dollar place) then I soak my hands in some sort of concoction. I am told that it is a nail cleanser, but for all I know it could be dish washing liquid. Then after my fingers have pruned, they start poking and prodding my cuticles. This is my least favorite part of a manicure. Can’t they just put the polish on already? Anyway, next they cut my nails evenly and shape them. Lastly the polish is applied. Then I am ushered to another table. Sometimes, they will put me in a spot that has a drier for me to put my hands under. Other times I am left alone to let me nails dry naturally.

Basically it’s the same thing regardless if I am paying thirty dollars or eight dollars. I do have to say however, that a spa manicure is worth the splurge every once in a while. The wax really is refreshing and it rejuvenates my rough and tired hands. The spa manicure procedure really does leave my hands feeling smooth for a few days after I get one. But then in a week, my hands are rough and cracked again. Maybe that is their way of telling me it’s time for another manicure.