wikiHow wikiHow Staff: What tips do you have for cutting fingernails and toenails? Marta Nagorska: If you use nail clippers, don’t cut the entire nail in one go. This will unnecessarily bend and weaken your nail at the sides. Instead clip the nail a few times, starting at one side, going across the nail to the other side then use a nail file to create a smooth shape. wikiHow Staff: What should you remember when cleaning your nails in order to do it properly? Marta Nagorska: A manicure brush is a great tool to clean the underside of your nails, especially once the debris has softened during a shower or a bath. Alternatively, you can use a wet wipe wrapped around a manicure stick or an eyelash spoolie to clean the underside of your nails. wikiHow Staff: How do you cut your toenails if you have toenail fungus? Marta Nagorska: Make sure only you are using your nail clippers as the fungus is contagious, can be easily spread and nail tools can only be thoroughly sterilized using a specific solution or a machine. If you have fungus, your toenail will most likely be discolored, thick, and brittle and may therefore be difficult to cut so it may be best to leave it to a professional, such as a podiatrist, to provide treatment and care. wikiHow Staff: What advice do you have for someone using pedicure tools to give themselves a pedicure? Marta Nagorska: Tools such as foot files are very sharp and can cause painful abrasions if too much pressure is applied when using them. Keep checking after every few swipes whether more dry skin needs to be removed. Foot scrubs are a great way to exfoliate the skin on your feet and a foot cream will keep them soft in between appointments. wikiHow Staff: How do you file your nails into a squoval shape at home? Marta Nagorska: First, file your nails straight at the top. Then, working on each side of the nail, round the corners using a nail file until they look less sharp and prominent. wikiHow Staff: What tips do you have for achieving water droplet nail art? Marta Nagorska: This effect is best achieved using a clear topcoat. Once you have applied a base coat, a color, and a topcoat to your nails, use a dotting tool, a hair drip or a brush from the bottle to dispense a few beads of the topcoat on top of your manicured nails. Allow the beads to dry and repeat the process, applying more topcoat on top of the beads you have created until you achieve the desired raised effect. Bear in mind, if the blobs are quite thick, they may need extra time to dry. wikiHow Staff: What are some different ways to achieve letter nails at home? Marta Nagorska: You can use a thin striper brush to paint them on but stickers or water decals are a great way to achieve this effect and they come in a variety of colors and sizes. wikiHow Staff: What kind of materials and techniques do you need to do 3D nail art? Marta Nagorska: 3D nail art embellishments such as charms, rhinestones, or studs can be purchased from most nail supply stores. Creating 3D nail art can be done using a variety of nail enhancements such as liquid and powder, hard gel, poly gel, or soft gel but they should only be used by a trained professional. wikiHow Staff: How do you apply glitter nail polish without it being patchy? Marta Nagorska: Instead of painting it on like you would a normal nail color, try dabbing it on to distribute it evenly. You can also use a make-up sponge. Paint a few layers of the glitter nail polish on top of the sponge and then dab it directly onto the nail. You may need to repeat the process a few times to get the full coverage and you may want to protect the skin around your nail with a liquid peel-off tape or a sellotape. wikiHow Staff: Do you have any advice on how to clean an acrylic nail brush? Marta Nagorska: The best way to clean an acrylic nail brush from the build-up is to soak it in the monomer that was used to create nail extensions then wipe any residue. As acrylic nail brushes are quite expensive, you can also purchase conditioning nail cleaners to keep them in tip-top condition. wikiHow Staff: What is the best way to disinfect nail clippers? Marta Nagorska: This will vary depending on the state and country you live in and what health and safety procedures the governing body has put in place. Generally speaking, to disinfect, that is to remove dirt and clean your nail clippers, you can use a manicure brush and soapy water to brush the debris away and then spray it with a sanitizing tool spray. Sterilizing, that is to kill all bacteria, isn’t really possible at home as it usually requires a sterilizing solution or a machine such as an autoclave, which is what most nail salons would use. wikiHow Staff: What is the correct way to clean a nail buffer? Marta Nagorska: Using a manicure brush, brush away all the visible dust and spray your buffer with a disinfecting tool spray between every use. You can also purchase files and buffers that can be washed. wikiHow Staff: What are some ways that you can apply fake nails without using glue? Marta Nagorska: If you worry about applying nail glue directly onto your nails and possibly damaging it, you can purchase nail guards, which act as a barrier between your nails and the glue. They are clear and extremely thin and come in different shapes to suit a variety of nail shapes and widths. Adhesive nail tabs are also a great substitute. They are like sticky double-sided tape. Alternatively, you can also use small cuttings of wig tape. wikiHow Staff: What is the best way to whiten yellow nails? Marta Nagorska: It really depends on what is the cause of the yellowing. It may be a sign of a nail condition that should be looked at by your doctor. Some staining can occur during cooking with various spices such as turmeric. If your nails are discolored due to nail polish, gentle buffing may help remove the stains. To prevent that from happening in the future, make sure you use a base coat every time before you apply nail polish. There are a number of nail polish brighteners and whiteners that are usually clear nail polish with a specific tint that counteracts the yellow tinge. Page