How To Give Yourself a Manicure (For Men)

Here’s why you need to step up your hand care game.

Men have always been late to the party when it comes to grooming. That’s because a lot of grooming habits have been traditionally seen as feminine.

Take skincare, for instance — it’s something every person should do, but only recently have guys started to embrace it.

The same is true for the manicure. While in the past, manicures were almost exclusively targeted at women, nowadays, manicures for men have become more popular, and it’s about time.

Why Should Men Get Manicures?

Think about it: You use your hands for nearly everything you do throughout the day. They’re your most used tools, so they deserve as much attention, care, and maintenance as the rest of your body.

Say you’re heading to a big job interview. When you shake hands with the interviewer, you don’t want to have dirt under your fingernails and rough, scaly skin. This kind of detail isn’t exactly presentable and says something about you.

Alternatively, say you’re a routine nail-biter, and you’re on a first date. If your date notices your jagged nails, you’re guaranteed to make a less-than-stellar impression.

Manicures also help improve nail and hand health, which we often overlook. Dirty, unkempt hands and fingernails can lead to irritation, dryness, and even infections.

What Is a Manicure for Men?

Ironically, many guys who get put off by the idea of a manicure probably don’t even know the procedure.

Contrary to what you might think, a manicure doesn’t always involve painting or buffing your nails to a high glossy sheen. 

Rather, the purpose of a manicure is simply to clean and freshen up the fingernails and hands.

A standard manicure involves clipping, filing, and buffing the nails, trimming the cuticles, and massaging the hands. When it’s all said and done, your nails and hands will be free of everything from grime to hangnails.

A Brief Manicure Guide for Men 

While you can totally go to a salon and get a professional manicure, you can also give yourself a mani without ever leaving home.

Manicures vary depending on where you go, but the general process is the same. Here are the basics you’ll want to cover when giving yourself an at-home manicure:

Step 1: Trim Your Nails

First, trim your nails with a nail clipper. It sounds easy, but as it turns out, lots of people are trimming their nails all wrong.

According to the American Academy of Dermatology Association, you should cut your nails almost straight across to prevent damage. Don’t cut in a V shape, or try to round off the nails by cutting (you’ll do that next).

When you’re done trimming, you should still have a millimeter or two of the white part of your nail (called the free edge).

If you have any hangnails, use a sterilized nail clipper or a pair of nail nippers or scissors to remove the excess skin gently. Don’t go too far — try to cut off as much dead skin as possible without cutting off the skin at the base of the hangnail.

Keep in mind that you should never bite or rip off a hangnail. This can introduce bacteria and even lead to infection.

Step 2: File Your Nails

Next, file your nails to finish the job you started by cutting them. 

You can use an emery board or a nail file for this. If you have particularly sensitive nails, you may want to use a glass nail file.

Align the emery board or file to flush with your nail, then tilt it back so you’re filing from below the nail.

To actually file, gently run the board or file across your nail in one direction, starting from the outside and pulling up toward the center. Don’t use a back-and-forth sawing motion or apply too much pressure.

An optional step is to use a nail buffer to reduce oils and add a bit of shine. Hold the buffer parallel to your nail and gently run across the surface in an X formation for about 6-8 strokes.

(Pro tip: Manicurist Deborah Lippmann likes to use side #3 of her brand’s Smooth Operator buffer for men’s nails).

Step 3: Push Back Your Cuticles

Use a cuticle pusher to push your cuticles back gently. (It can help to soften your cuticles by soaking them in hot water). This step plays a big role in preventing hangnails.

Some guides recommend trimming the cuticle skin using cuticle remover and scissors/nippers. However, many manicuring experts warn against cutting your cuticles. It’s best to stick to just pushing your cuticles back for at-home manicures.

Follow up with cuticle oil to moisturize your cuticles and keep them soft.

Step 4: Exfoliate and Moisturize Your Hands

Use a hand scrub to exfoliate the skin if your hands are looking or feeling rough or dry.

Whether or not you exfoliate, moisturize your hands with a cream, balm, or lotion. Massage the product into the skin, and cover your whole hand, cuticles, and between your fingers.

At this point, give your nails and hands a once-over to make sure you didn’t miss anything. If everything’s looking smooth and hydrated, you’re all set.

The Best Manicure Kits for Men

Unless your bathroom is particularly spartan, you probably have nail clippers lying around, but you may not have the rest of the tools for a manicure. (And those Clippers also might not be the best).

If you want to make things easier for yourself, pick up a manicure kit for men to have the essential gear in one place.

Here are my picks for the best manicure kits for men:

Tweezerman Essential Grooming Kit

There’s a good reason why Tweezerman is such a big name in the grooming community. The company’s affordable tools are precise, durable, and long-lasting.

The Essential Grooming Kit is a fantastic option for a minimal manicure kit. You get clippers, scissors, a tweezerette (for hair removal), and a nail multitool for pushing back cuticles and cleaning out dirt.

Rockwell Manicure Set

For a budget option, the Rockwell Manicure Set is hard to beat.

This kit includes two sets of clippers (one for fingernails and one for toenails), tweezers, nail scissors, and a nail file.

3 Swords Manicure Pedicure Set Kit

If you want to invest more in your hand care routine, check out the Manicure Pedicure Set Kit from 3 Swords. This brand is based in Solingen, a German city renowned for its excellent blade-making industry, evidence that you’re getting a top-notch product here.

This 8-piece kit comes with the essentials as well as more specialized items like a sapphire nail file. It all comes packaged in a synthetic ostrich leather case.

Consider a Manicure to Gain An Upper Hand 

If you’ve been missing out on the hand care department, it’s time to change that. Giving yourself manicures regularly will help keep your hands and nails clean, smooth, and healthy.

There will be a learning curve, but like shaving, giving yourself manicures becomes easier the more you do it. Make sure to pay attention, be gentle, and go slow so you don’t do any damage.

Questions? Comments? Leave them below!