From Hollywood heavyweights to sports personalities, men of all ages and stages have been spotted sporting manicured nails. In fact, amongst men of a certain age, professionally maintained nails have become so popular that there’s even been a new term created - the dadicure.
Hey, if it’s good enough for Jason Momoa, it’s good enough for the man in your life. So, grab the file and polish and embrace the rise of the dadicure this Father’s Day.
But, a word to the wise, giving a man a manicure isn’t always as simple as it sounds. Even if you’re used to maintaining your own nails, you might find his nails are *ahem* slightly different. Although biologically, there’s no real difference between male and female fingernails, the reality is that if the extent of his nail care is tearing an edge off with his teeth, they’re likely not going to be in great shape.
With that in mind, here are some tips for giving the man a flawless dadicure.
Start With A Soak
Whether he has a manual job or sits in an office all day, the chances are that his hands are going to be tougher than yours, particularly around the cuticle area. Men are less likely to moisturise, and all that neglect adds up to rough, thickened skin that needs a bit of TLC. By giving them a soak pre-manicure, you can help to soften up all that skin which will come in handy when it’s time to tackle his cuticles. For an easy DIY soak recipe, combine two parts warm water and one part vinegar into a small tub or bowl. Any vinegar will do, as they all have the same softening effect on dry skin. After around 10 minutes of soaking, pat his hands dry and move on to the next step. If you want to make the experience a little more sensory, add a few drops of essential oil to counteract the smell of vinegar.Treat Them To A Trim
Whether he’s a picker, a biter or a sensible trimmer, any dadicure should start by trimming his nails into a healthy, tidy shape. With a sturdy pair of nail clippers, trim his nails following the natural curve of his finger. It’s not important to get them perfectly round at this point but aim to trim away enough of the nail to make it easier to file them into shape.Nail files come in a wide range of materials, from emery boards to buffing blocks and glass to metal. If you don’t have a trusty file on hand, Tweezerman has a great range of nail tools, including this Avocado Nail File Set that simply has no business being that cute. And best of all, there’s one for him and one for you!
File Them Into Shape
Filing your nails gives them a uniform shape and can keep them strong and healthy, but did you know that when done wrong, filing can actually weaken your nails? Sawing in various directions across the nail can fray the ends instead of giving a clean finish. This leaves nails prone to tearing and generally looking worse for wear. To prevent this from happening, file from the side to the centre, using light movements at a 45° angle. Smooth each of his nails to even out the edges until they are rounded, but be sure to keep the edges squared off to prevent ingrown nails.Cuticles, Cuticles, Cuticles
Next, it’s time to tame those cuticles. Unless the man in your life is savvier than most, he’s likely to have overgrown cuticles that desperately need to be whipped into shape.Grab your cuticle oil and dab a little on each nail, rubbing light to prevent the oil from dripping off. Let the oil sit for a minute or so, which will give it time to sink in and soften the skin. Then, use a cuticle pusher to guide each of his cuticles back into their natural position.
If you don’t have cuticle oil on hand, olive oil will do the same job. But whatever you do, don’t skip the oil because a dry cuticle doesn’t take kindly to being pushed about. If there’s excess skin, trim it away with cuticle scissors, following the natural curve of the nail bed.
Maximise The Moisture
After all that primping and preening, his hands will be in desperate need of some nourishment. So, now that his dadicure is almost done massage his hands with a balm type moisturiser designed for hands. At allbeauty, there’s no shortage of hand creams for her or him, so whether you don’t want to share your favourite lotion or he’s demanding one of his own, you’ll find everything you need online.
Look for thick emollients and rich ingredients, such as shea or cocoa butter, which are better at locking moisture into the thicker skin found on our hands.There we have it, Dadicure 101, just in time for Father’s Day. Will you be treating your special guy to a mani-makeover... or will you be leaving the makeover part to the kids? However you choose to mark the occasion, we hope Dad feels appreciated - he deserves it!
