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Male Manicures 

It’s almost wedding season, summer brides are starting to look into booking up their beauty treatments.  This is the ideal situation for you to increase the number of males listed on your client base.   Does your salon offer a manicure just for men?  Get the right man on your client list and he will be a long standing loyal client.  To get these men onto your client list you’ll need to offer them something a little special.  We all know men love to be pampered!!  

When offering a male manicure you would perform the same routine as a regular manicure but pay a little more attention to the hand and arm massage.  As their hands are often a lot bigger you can really go to town, don’t be afraid!  Exfoliation is an excellent extra for a men’s manicure as very often their hands are a lot rougher than ours.  Perform your exfoliation and massage before you start on the cuticles and nails.  This will relax them and get them settled.  If he’s never had a manicure before be sure to use a heavy duty, good quality cuticle cream, apply this at the beginning and let it soak in while massaging.

Once the massage is over start on the cuticles, if you’ve applied the cream before hand the cuticle should be nice and soft and easily removed.  The free edge (if he has any!!) should be flexible enough to only need a soft file to shape.  Find out whether he prefers a matt look nail or a buffed nail.  If a buffed nail is required try using a brand new buffer, you’ll notice the difference immediately.

Granted, it will is often difficult to retail nail products to men, don’t expect miracles!!  Getting them through the door was the hardest part.  Now, prepare your self for the men’s pedicure!!!!

Ideal advertising spots:  wedding suit hire shops, barbers/hair salons, local paper men’s page.  When any of my female clients are tagging their men along I always offer them a dollop of hand lotion while they’re waiting, this is the ideal opportunity to talk to them about the manicure, you’ll also have the back up of their other half!!  If they’re single step into their ego’s, tell them it’s the hands and nails a women look at first, how good will they feel when she touches his hand as he passes her the drink and comments on how soft his hands are!

page 4 Nail Art Gallery

page 1 Introduction, Nail Art

page 2 Readers best and worst of '99, Stencil of the month, Nail Art required