Men's Hygiene: Hands & Nails

There's a possibility that your man hands are grossing females out. But, that’s not the only reason you should man up and manicure those nails. While you’re at it, your feet (especially those hard ass heels) could use some attention from a little grooming as well.

There’s nothing emasculating about grooming your nails—or even getting a manicure or pedicure. There are plenty of men who get their cuticles cut back and nails groomed. And there are plenty of reasons to join them, aside from aesthetics.

**WHY ATHLETES SHOULD GROOM THEIR NAILS **

For runners, athletes, and pretty much any active guy, nailcare can be as important as a warmup when it comes to your workout. Have you ever seen a runner’s feet? Not the prettiest. All the rubbing and jarring movements during long bouts on the road or trail can leave toenails bruised and black. And with enough impact, the nail can even fall off since it takes the majority of the impact when your foot slides inside the shoe. Keeping your nails short can reduce irritation.

Plus, the longer your toe nails and the more you let debris build up under the nail, the greater your chance of suffering infections and ingrown nails grows. Aside from being, well, disgusting. This can deter from your workout and hinder performance due to the simple fact that you’re in pain. It’s so much easier and smarter to prevent this all in the first place by maintaining nice short nails and staying groomed.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS ARE EVERYTHING

If you’re a businessman, grimy nails aren’t a great reflection on your professionalism. Your grooming reflects you as a person—your ability to take care of yourself and showcase the fact you have your shit together. Just like what you wear and how you talk can affect business, your hygiene is also a key part in this. Your attention to detail can be seen in how you present yourself.

Remember this: Your hands are always on display. Men and women don’t want to shake a grimey hand or stare at filthy fingernails.

Please... If your idea of trimming your nails is chewing on them and spitting them out, you’re exposing yourself to a host of germs and bacteria, so stop! Your hands touch everything. Just try to imagine how the colonies of germs on doorknobs, your phone, YOUR PET and EVERYTHING else you touch are laced with dormant diseases just waiting for a host to touch it and the fact that not everyone washes their hands after going to the bathroom. If that doesn’t gross you out enough to stop the terrible habit, keep your nails short so you don’t have anything to gnaw on.

HOW TO GROOM YOUR NAILS YOURSELF

If you’d rather not ever set foot in a nail salon, we feel you. Follow these tips to perfect your at-home nail-grooming skills:

1. Buff. Once you’re out of the shower, use a pumice stone or other device to gently buff away calluses (the hard shit on the bottom of those feet). The thick skin on your feet will be softer immediately after a good soak making it easier to exfoliate. This should be done no more than once per week if needed, and shouldn’t be painful! After exfoliating, apply a moisturizer that contains urea or salicylic acid to help prevent dry rough skin and calluses.

2. Cut. Trim your nails in a straight line across the top-most part of your nail to help prevent ingrown nails from forming. It’s okay to trim your nails short, to the point where there’s no white of the nail remaining, but you want to make sure you don’t trim too much as this can be painful and lead to infection. You want to avoid clipping the nail bed; that’s what’s considered “too short.”

3.** Shape and smooth**. Prim yourself up and file your nails to make smooth borders; this way you don’t have any sharp edges that’ll snag on clothing or your ladies intimate parts, making it prone to fissures and break and her banning you from her lady parts. The nail should be trimmed and shaped straight across and not have a rounded or triangular shape. Apparently this is the best shape to prevent breaks. If your cuticles tend to fray, try applying coconut oil to them after trimming—and avoid biting or picking!—so they can heal faster.

I suggest getting this all-in-one manicure kit from Amazon. The kit includes toenail clipper, nail clipper, diagonal nail clipper, multi-purpose scissor, cuticle trimmer, ear pick, single-edged double-sided push stick, eyebrow tweezer, peeling knife, nail file, blackhead needle and loop remover, and a V-shaped push Stick.

Sound like a lot of work? Just get a manicure or pedicure at a salon already. After all, you get a free massage and yes, there will probably be a lot of chicks there. But before you book, be picky about where you go. Do your homework! If you go to any salon where they soak everyone’s feet in a communal tub of water, you’re probably gonna come home with something. Go to a place that prioritizes cleanliness and uses hygienic standards of care, meaning they sterilize their equipment and use tools that come from a sealed pack. Tools should be treated with high heat and pressure, not just dunked in solution and reused.

MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT GETTING PROFESSIONAL HELP

You’ll Be Judged for Going. You probably think it’s socially frowned upon for a man to go out and get his nails “done.” But guess what? You’re thinking too much. It’s really not a big deal. People who are getting a treatment or service aren’t worried about who else is in the room with them. And if your buddies give you flack about it, just brush it off. You’ll find most guys would enjoy getting their nails groomed and hands massaged; it’s just the idea of getting it done has always put them off from trying. If you’re really worried, go with your girlfriend or simply a girl friend and say they “made you go.” But if you have to defend your hygiene to your "friends", then you may need some guidance too. Send them over to my blog. IJS!

Salons Are Just for Women Definitive proof this is a myth: Many spas and salons are catering specifically to dudes with male-only services and treatments. To an extent you just need to be comfortable enough with yourself to be comfortable going into a salon. Because the very word “salon” might make you cringe, as would sitting in a chair getting your nails manicured between two chatty women. “So, if you’re not comfortable in a women-centric salon where rose petals and women are surrounding you, check out salons that are more amenable to men. Many small and large cities have spas with a more masculine air and offer massages, pedicures, manicures, and waxing in a more neutral setting. “Some barber shops even have a nail station so you can get all your grooming done in one place.

Take care of yourself