This week, I wanted to take a break from all the nail art and nail color trends speak a little bit about nail care – in particular, how I maintain, file and prepare my nails before all the fancy stuff. As one of the readers expertly pointed out, having well groomed nails is the foundation of nail art.

Of course, these are the things that work best for me and my nails, but I’m sure there are a number of suggestions and tutorials out there might be a better fit for yours. As such, be sure to sound off in the comments section below and tell me your best nail care tips!

Let’s get to it – read on to learn my best tips for nail care and maintenance:

Table of Contents

Taking off your old polish

First off, be sure to take off your old polish before trimming and filing. I use a generic nail polish remover from Sally Hansen, nothing fancy. It does dry out my cuticles, so if you already have a problem with dry skin, there are plenty of options out there for sensitive and weak nails.

The bottle you see is a pump bottle that I filled with nail polish remover – it’s a lot easier to work with than the typical bottles removers come in. You can find them inexpensively online or at specialty beauty stores.

Trimming, Filing and Shaping

Now, let’s talk about filing and shaping your nails. I’m not a big fan of soaking your nails, à la salons, nor do I have the time for it, but I do like having “damp” nails before I trim my nails, mainly because it’s a lot easier and the edges don’t get so ragged or sharp.

Personally, I usually take off polish before I take a shower. That way, all the chemicals in the nail polish remover will be washed off and it makes my nails ready to trim. It’s also a great time-saver! I can’t stand having very long nails, so I trim my nails rather short, just a bit above my fingertip.